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The boy hesitated。 〃Miss Hallowell？〃 he suggested。
〃HallowellthanksHallowell；〃 said Norman。
And it somehow pleased him that he had not remembered her name。 How significant it was of her insignificance that so accurate a memory as his should make the slip。 When she； impassive； colorless； nebulous； stood before him the feeling of pleasure was； queerly enough； mingled with a sense of humiliation。 What absurd vagaries his imagination had indulged in！ For it must have been sheer hallucination； his seeing those wonders in her。 How he would be laughed at if those pictures he had made of her could be seen by any other eyes！〃 They must be right when they say a man in love is touched in the head。 Only； why the devil should I have happened to get these crazy notions about a person I've no interest in？〃 However； the main point and most satisfactorywas that Josephine would be at a glance convincedconvictedmade ashamed of her absurd attack。 A mere grain of dust。
〃Just a moment； please；〃 he said to Miss Hallowell。 〃I want to give you a note of introduction。〃
He wrote the note to Josephine Burroughs： 〃Here she is。 I've told her you wish to talk with her about doing some work for you。〃 When he finished he looked up。 She was standing at the window； gazing out upon the tremendous panorama of skyscrapers that makes New York the most astounding of the cities of men。 He was about to speak。 The words fell back unuttered。 For once more the hallucinationor whatever it was laid hold of him。 That figure by the windowthat beautiful girl； with the great dreamy eyes and the soft and languorous nuances of golden haze over her hair； over the skin of perfectly rounded cheek and perfectly moulded chin curving with ideal grace into the whitest and firmest of throats
〃Am I mad？ or do I really see what I see？〃 he muttered。
He turned away to clear his eyes for a second view； for an attempt to settle it whether he saw or imagined。 When he looked again； she was observing himand once more she was the obscure； the cipherlike Miss Hallowell； ten…dollar…a…week typewriter and not worth it。 Evidently she noted his confusion and was vaguely alarmed by it。 He recovered himself as best he could and debated whether it was wise to send her to Josephine。 Surely those transformations were not altogether his own hallucinations； and Josephine might see； might humiliate him by suspecting more strongly 。 。 。 Ridiculous！ He held out the letter。
〃The lady to whom this is addressed wishes to see you。 Will you go there； right away； please？ It may be that you'll get the chance to make some extra money。 You've no objection； I suppose？〃
She took the letter hesitatingly。
〃You will find her agreeable； I think；〃 continued he。 〃At any rate； the trip can do no harm。〃
She hesitated a moment longer； as if weighing what he had said。 〃No； it will do no harm；〃 she finally said。 Then； with a delightful color and a quick transformation into a vision of young shyness； 〃Thank you； Mr。 Norman。 Thank you so much。〃
〃Not at allnot in the least；〃 he stammered； the impulse strong to take the note back and ask her to return to her desk。
When the door closed behind her he rose and paced about the room uneasily。 He was filled with disquiet； with hazy apprehension。 His nerves were unsteady； as if he were going through an exhausting strain。 He sat and tried to force himself to work。 Impossible。 〃What sort of damn fool attack is this？〃 he exclaimed； pacing about again。 He searched his mind in vain for any cause adequate to explain his unprecedented state。 〃If I did not know that I was wellabsolutely wellI'd think I was about to have an illnesssomething in the brain。〃
He appealed to that friend in any trying hour； his sense of humor。 He laughed at himself； but his nerves refused to return to the normal。 He rushed from his private office on various pretexts； each time lingered in the general room； talking aimlessly with Tetlowand watching the door。 When she at last appeared； he guiltily withdrew； feeling that everyone was observing his perturbation and was wondering at it and jesting about it。 〃And what the devil am I excited about？〃 he demanded of himself。 What indeed？ He seated himself； rang the bell。
〃If Miss Hallowell has got back；〃 he said to the office boy； 〃please ask her to come in。〃
〃I think she's gone out to lunch；〃 said the boy。 〃I know she came in a while ago。 She passed along as you was talking to Mr。 Tetlow。〃
Norman felt himself flushing。 〃Any time will do；〃 he said； bending over the papers spread out before him the papers in the case of the General Traction Company resisting the payment of its taxes。 A noisome odor seemed to be rising from the typewritten sheets。 He made a wry face and flung the papers aside with a gesture of disgust。 〃They never do anything honest；〃 he said to himself。 〃From the stock…jobbing owners down to the nickel…filching conductors they stealsteal steal！〃 And then he wondered at； laughed at； his heat。 What did it matter？ An ant pilfering from another ant and a sparrow stealing the crumb found by another sparrowa man robbing another man all part of the universal scheme。 Only a narrow…minded ignoramus would get himself wrought up over it； a philosopher would laughand take what he needed or happened to fancy。
The door opened。 Miss Hallowell entered； a small and demure hat upon her masses of thick fair hair arranged by anything but unskillful fingers。 〃You wished to see me？〃 came in the quiet little voice； sweet and frank and shy。
He roused himself from pretended abstraction。
〃Ohit's you？〃 he said pleasantly。 〃They said you were out。〃
〃I was going to lunch。 But if you've anything for me to do； I'll be glad to stay。〃
〃Nono。 I simply wished to say that if Miss Burroughs wished to make an arrangement with you； we'd help you about carrying out your part of it。〃
She was paleso pale that it brought out strongly the smooth dead…white purity of her skin。 Her small features wore an expression of pride； of haughtiness even。 And in the eyes that regarded him steadily there shone a cold lightthe light of a proud and lonely soul that repels intrusion even as the Polar fastnesses push back without effort assault upon their solitudes。 〃We made no arrangement；〃 said she。
〃You are not more than eighteen； are you？〃 inquired he abruptly。
The irrelevant question startled her。 She looked as if she thought she had not heard aright。 〃I am twenty；〃 she said。
〃You have a mostmost unusual way of shifting to various ages and personalities；〃 explained he； with some embarrassment。
She simply looked at him and waited。
His embarrassment increased。 It was a novel sensation to him； this feeling ill at ease with a woman he who was at ease with everyone and put others at their ease or not as he pleased。 〃I'm sorry you and Miss Burroughs didn't arrange something。 I suppose she found the hours difficult。〃
〃She made me an offer；〃 replied the girl。 〃I refused it。〃
〃But； as I told you； we can let you offanything within reason。〃
〃Thank you； but I do not care to do that kind of work。 No doubt any kind of work for wages classes one as a servant。 But those people up therethey make one FEEL itfeel menial。〃
〃Not Miss Burroughs； I assure you。〃
A satirical smile hovered round the girl's lips。 Her face was altogether lovely now； and no lily ever rose more gracefully from its stem than did her small head from her slender form。 〃She meant to be kind； but she was insulting。 Those people up there don't understand。 They're vain and narrow。 Oh； I don't blame them。 Only； I don't care to be brought into contact with them。〃
He looked at her in wonder。 She talked of Josephine as if she were Josephine's superior； and her expression and accent were such that they contrived to convey an impression that she had the right to do it。 He grew suddenly angry at her； at himself for listening to her。 〃I am sorry；〃 he said stiffly； and took up a pen to indicate that he wished her to go。
He rather expected that she would be alarmed。 But if she was； she wholly concealed it。 She smiled slightly and moved toward the door。 Looking after her； he relented。 She seemed so youngwas so youngand was evidently poor。 He said：
〃It's all right to be proud； Miss Hallowell。 But there is such a thing as supersensitiveness。 You are earning your living。 If you'll pardon me for thrusting advice upon you； I think you've made a mistake。 I'm sure Miss Burroughs meant well。 If you had been less sensitive you'd soon have realized it。〃
〃She patronized me；〃 replied the girl； not angrily； but with amusement。 〃It was all I could do not to laugh in her face。 The idea of a woman who probably couldn't make five dollars a week fancying she was the superior of any girl who makes her own living； no matter how poor a living it is。〃
Norman laughed。 It had often appealed to his own sense of humor； the delusion that the tower one happened to be standing upon was part of one's own stature。 But he said： 〃You're a very foolish young person。 You'll not get far in the world if you keep to that road。 It winds through Poverty Swamps to the Poor House。〃
〃Oh； no；〃 replied she。 〃One can always die。〃
Again he