"He always works pretty hard," said Eveley truthfully, "but he does seem busier than usual right now." Miss Weldon only laughed, and they talked of other things. Nolan went down with them in the car, Eveley driving alone in front, but somehow she felt her pretty guest to be less of a menace since she was guilty of sensible things like cooking and sewing. [Illustration: "Just what do you mean by that?"] Eveley did not explain that Timothy had felt inclined to join them for dinner and the show that night after disappointing them at luncheon, but she had been firm with him. "Not to-day," she insisted. "You can only have one hour with us to-night. To-morrow you can join us for luncheon and a short drive afterward, if you will fix it so I can get off." He was at the Grant waiting when they arrived, and rather impatient. "Did you have a pleasant time?" he asked, looking into Sally's bright face. "Lovely. And did you hurry terribly to meet us? We don't want to interfere with your work, or bother you." He searched her face for signs of guile, but her eyes were unclouded, and her manner indicated only a friendly concern for his interests. It was a very happy party that night. Both girls were merry, and Nolan was really more solicitously attentive to Sally than was quite necessary even in the interests of a campaign directed against her. When at a late hour, they trooped out to the car, it was he who helped her carefully into the machine, though, with seeming reluctance, he permitted Timothy to sit with her while he joined Eveley in the front seat. "Timmy is good-looking, don't you think?" Sally asked that night, as they were preparing for bed. "Yes, if he did not work so hard. Young men should not kill themselves with labor." "Your Nolan is handsomer, perhaps," said Sally pleasantly. The next day Timothy did meet them for luncheon, after keeping them waiting for twenty minutes, and later they went for a fast ride out Point Loma. But that night he did not see them at all, though he told Eveley he thought she was rather rubbing it in, cheating him out of so many pleasant parties and good times. "I may not want to marry her, but it is good sport chasing around," he protested. But Eveley was very stern. He had put himself in her hands, and he must obey without argument, and that settled it. And when he suggested that it would look better if he and Sally had one party by themselves without Nolan tagging at their heels, she frowned it down. "One private party can spoil a whole week of hard work," she decreed. So the week passed. Once even Eveley pretended business, and Sally and Nolan had luncheon together, and a drive later in Eveley's car. But Timothy put a stop to that. "She is my fiancée. And I may have to marry her after all. And if I do, hanged if I want everybody in town thinking she was Nolan's sweetheart to begin with."