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 "Jay, I've been trying for two years to get to the real man who does the big buying for Howarth down here. He's your friend Ken's cousin. What d'you do to-day, after you meet the boat?"

"To-day," said Jay, "I'm only meeting the boat."

Ralph delayed, squinting slightly. "Make an engagement for to-morrow?"

"I'll tell you to-morrow."

Ralph refrained from comment and, after a moment, reached for a call button, but waited.

"What d'you think of Miss Powell?" he questioned, astonishingly.

"What?" said Jay, startled.

"For me, down here," explained Ralph. "She's the best business girl I've ever seen, and she's simply wasted with your father. He's always in his office to answer anything about the business, so he doesn't need her. I'm never in my office and I need like the devil a girl who knows the business, the Chicago office, the plant and our people, and who's got a head.

"Your father can train another girl out there; I can't here. The proper place for that Powell girl, in our organization, is New York. She'd be a God-send for me. I'm going to take it up with your father, Jay. Help me on it, will you?"

"Of course," said Jay.

He went early to the dock and watched the Caribbean boat approach. Almost as soon as the line of passengers at the promenade rail emerged as separate figures, he located Lida. A silhouette of her head and shoulders was