"Oh mama, how lovely! Is it a present for me? You know my birthday comes in eight months."
"My dear child, even if it came to-morrow I should hardly pay a thousand dollars for a birthday gift for you."
"A thousand dollars? It seems even more lovely now that I know the price."
"Remain here, Florence, and entertain Mr. Mason while I go to the library and write a check for the purchase money."
"All right, mama! Mr. Mason, why didn"t you tell me what business you had with mama?"
"I shouldn"t have minded telling you, but if some one else had heard, your clerical friend for instance, I might have been robbed."
"That is true. I hope I shall never see him again."
"Perhaps you may. I have seen him."
"You have seen him?" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Florence in surprise. "Where?"
"At the dinner table at my hotel."
"Do you think he is staying there?"
"I only know that I saw him at the table."
"At what hotel are you staying?"
"At the Erie Hotel."
"I hope you will be cautious. He may do you an injury," said Florence with flattering earnestness.
"It was because I saw him that I was anxious to deliver the pin as soon as possible."
"But he wouldn"t know you had it."
"He would suppose I had some money for traveling expenses."
"True. And now you will have the large check my mother is to give you."
"I shall not keep it in my possession. I shall go back to the hotel at once and inclose it in a letter to Mr. Swan."
"You seem to be a remarkable boy--I mean you are remarkably sharp for your age."
"Telegraph boys have to be sharp."
"So you are a telegraph boy. Are there any telegraph girls?"
"Not that I know of."
"I am afraid we poor girls would be too easily imposed upon."
"Well, have you entertained Mr. Mason?" asked Mrs. Loring re-entering the room.
"I have done my best, mama. What do you think he tells me? That horrid man that stole my purse is staying at his hotel."
"Then I hope you won"t send him an invitation to call here."
"He would call fast enough," suggested Mark, "if he knew what a valuable diamond pin you have in the house."
"Then I hope he won"t find out. How did it happen, Florence, you didn"t watch him when he was sitting beside you?"
"How could you expect me to watch a man who was engaged in reading a volume of sermons. They were the sermons of Rev. Dr. Hooker."
"Perhaps that is where he learned _hooking_," laughed Mark.
"That"s a good joke!" said Florence. "By the way, mama, have you tickets for the theater this evening?"
"Yes, but one won"t be used. Louisa Frost can"t go."
"Then suppose you give it to Mr. Mason. I am sure he would enjoy the play."
"Well thought of, Florence. Won"t you get one of the tickets? You will find them on my bureau, that is if our young friend has no other engagement."
"I have none whatever," said Mark promptly. "You are very kind, Mrs.
Loring."
"You must thank Florence. If you were a few years older I should be afraid she had designs upon you. It is leap year, you know."
"Now, mama, what will Mr. Mason think of me? I am propriety personified."
Mark concluded his call and left the house, well pleased at having successfully carried out his instructions. He went back directly to the hotel, and sitting down in the reading room wrote the following letter to his employer:
"HENRY SWAN, ESQ.,
"DEAR SIR: I have delivered the diamond ring, and inclose Mrs. Loring"s check for a thousand dollars in payment. She is very much pleased with it, and says it exactly suits her. I have had a pleasant journey, and expect to start on my return to-morrow.
"Yours respectfully,
"MARK MASON."
As he was writing the address some one pa.s.sed behind his chair and looked over his shoulder at the superscription.
It was the "Rev." Mr. Buffington, as he called himself.
His eye lighted up as he saw to whom the letter was addressed.