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One day she had been working later than usual. The accountant hadshown signs of approaching the end of his task sooner than they hadexpected. Murray was waiting, as was his custom, for her to finishbefore he left.

There was no sound in the almost deserted office building save thebanging of a door echoing now and then, or an insistent ring of theelevator bell as an anxious office boy or stenographer sought toescape after an extra period of work.

Murray stood looking at her admiringly as she deftly shoved the pinsinto her hat. Then he held her coat, which brought them closetogether.

“It will soon be time for the final scene,” he remarked. His mannerwas different as he looked down at her. “We must succeed,Constance,” he went on slowly. “Of course, after it is over, it willbe impossible for me to remain here with this company. I have beenlooking around. I must–we must clear ourselves. I already have anoffer to go with another company, much better than this position inevery way–honest, square, with no dirty work, such as I have hadhere.”

It was a moment that Constance had foreseen, without planning whatshe would do. She moved to the door as if to go.

“Take dinner with me to-night at the Riverside,” he went on,mentioning the name of a beautifully situated inn uptown overlookingthe lights of the Hudson and thronged by gay parties of pleasureseekers.

Before she could say no, even though she would have said it, he hadlinked his arm in hers, banged shut the door and they were beingwhisked to the street in the elevator.

This time, as they were about to go out of the building, she noticedDrummond standing in the shadow of a corner back of the cigarcounter on the first floor. She told Murray of the times she hadseen Drummond following her. Murray ground his teeth.

“He’ll have to hustle this time,” he muttered, handing her quicklyinto a cab that was waiting for a fare.

Before he could give the order where to drive she had leaned out ofthe window, “To the ferry,” she cried.

Murray looked at her inquiringly. Then he understood. “Not to theRiverside–yet,” she whispered. “That man has just summoned a cabthat was passing.”

In her eyes Murray saw the same fire that had blazed when she hadtold him he was running away from a fight that had not yet begun. Asthe cab whirled through the now nearly deserted downtown streets, hereached over in sheer admiration and caressed her hand. She did notwithdraw it, but her averted eyes and quick breath told that athousand thoughts were hurrying through her mind, divided betweenthe man in the cab beside her and the man in the cab followingperhaps half a block behind.

At the ferry they halted and pretended to be examining a time table,though they bought only ferry tickets. Drummond did the same, andsauntered leisurely within easy distance of the gate. Nothing seemedto escape him, and yet never did he seem to be watching them.

The gateman shouted “All aboard!”

The door began to close.

“Come,” she tugged at his sleeve.

They dodged in just in time. Drummond followed. They started acrossthe wagonway to the opposite side of the slip. He kept on the nearside. Constance swerved back again to the near side. Drummond hadbeen opposite them and they had now fallen in behind him. He was nowahead, but going slowly. Murray felt her pulling back on his arm.With a little exclamation she dropped her purse, which contained afew coins. She had contrived to open it, and the coins ran in everypossible direction. Drummond was now on the boat.

“All aboard,” growled the guard surlily. “All aboard.”

“Go ahead, go ahead,” shouted Murray, trying to pick up thescattered change and scattering it the more. At last he understood.”Go ahead. We’ll take the next boat. Can’t you. see the lady hasdropped her purse?”

The gates closed. The warning whistle blew, and the ferryboat,departed, bearing off Drummond alone.

Another cab toot them to the Riverside. A new bond of experience hadbeen established between them. They dined quietly and as the lightsgrew mellow she told him more of her story than she had everbreathed to any other living soul.