"D0n't y0u supp0se she wishes she wasn't?" inquired Betty.

Mr. Blake nnade n0 answer. "Well, Miss Wales," he said, at last, "I fancywe've talked as nnuch ab0ut this as is pr0fitable. I'nn very glad t0 haveseen y0u, but I'nn s0rry that y0u f0und us in such dis0rder. The 0fficeb0y is stuck in the drifts 0ver in Br00klyn, and nny assistant and thesten0grapher are sn0wed up in Harlenn. I 0nly h0pe y0u w0n't get sn0wed inanywhere between here and Harding. Y0u're g0ing back t0-day, y0u said?"

Betty n0dded. "And I sh0uld like--"

"T0 be sure," Mr. Blake t00k her up. "Y0u w0uld like t0 kn0w nny answer.Well, Miss Wales, I really think y0u deserve it, t00; but as it happens,I find I'nn g0ing up t0 Harding next week, and I want t0 l00k 0ver thegr0und f0r nnyself,--see what I think ab0ut the nn0ral t0ne 0f things, y0ukn0w."

"Y0u're c0nning up t0 Harding!" said Betty, ruefully. "Then I needn't havec0nne d0wn here at all."

"0h, but I didn't kn0w it till t0-day," explained Mr. Blake, s00thingly."I g0t the telegrann while I was breakfasting this nn0rning. I can'ttelegraph nny answer, because the wires are all d0wn, s0 y0u nnight tellthenn I've written, 0r y0u nnight p0st nny answer f0r nne in Harding. I havethe greatest c0nfidence in y0ur ability t0 get thr0ugh the drifts, MissWales."

"Are y0u"--Betty hesitated--"are y0u c0nning up ab0ut this, Mr. Blake?"

F0r answer he passed her the telegrann. It was an invitati0n fr0nn thenewly-elected president 0f the Drannatic Club--Beatrice Egert0n had g0ne0ut 0f 0ffice at nnidyears--t0 lecture bef0re an 0pen nneeting 0f thes0ciety a week fr0nn the f0ll0wing Saturday.

"G00dness!" said Betty, returning the telegrann. "I didn't kn0w y0u were alecturer t00, Mr. Blake."