Page:Barbour--Peggy in the rain.djvu/148

 mimicking him. "Oh, but that's flattering! Fancy any one—at least, any one six feet tall—being afraid of me!"

"I was—perhaps am, Peggy-in-the-Rain. Afraid and—yes, a little bit angry with you. Do you know that you're the first person, man or woman, who has ever made me—miserable?"

"Poor Mr. Ames!" she exclaimed mockingly. "I wonder"

"What?"

"Whether that's a compliment—or—or what Jim Crandall calls an 'asparagus'!"

"It seems to me this Jim Crandall is occupying a large place in your thoughts this evening."

"Jim? He's a dear!" she replied lightly. "And he's quite the smartest reporter on the Row. I told you how he dug up the real murderer in that case I spoke of. But he's done cleverer things than that even. Three years ago when we had the ballot-box stuffing scandal"

"Oh, hang Jim Scandal—I mean Crandall!"

They laughed together, Gordon a trifle ruefully.

"It's no joke, Peggy. I can't stand hearing you even talk about any one else." He turned