"He'll not meet you another time if I have anything to say about it." "I see. But I wanted you to understand that he told me no lies, nor repeated any story--about you and a Johnson girl, I think you said." A visible breath of relief lifted his breast. He now would have been glad for some one to boot him along the street for ever mentioning the thing. He almost had put his foot in it. Apparently she was not interested in seeking further knowledge of the subject that he so ill-advisedly had brought up. Lucky for him she hadn't the inquisitiveness of some girls. The narrow escape restored a trace of his good humor, and he was shrewd enough to divert her mind before the incident made an impression. He reached out and patted her shoulder. "Don't think me a scold, darling," said he. "Burkhardt upset me with his news, that was all. He hates that gun-man so much that it's no wonder he was angry at seeing him hoodwink you. He probably imagined a lot. Just don't speak to Weir if he tries to stop you again. And pretty soon we'll have him where he won't interfere with anybody." "When will that be?" "The county attorney's still collecting evidence. Nothing will be done before the grand jury meets, which is in a couple of weeks. You must arrange to go off on a visit about that time." "Why?" "So you won't have to go through the ordeal of appearing in court. There are ways of fixing such things." He laughed softly. "Especially here in San Mateo County. It's too rotten a business for you to have to step into, this murder. Come along down to the drug store and have some ice cream." "Not to-night. I'm feeling a little tired." "Then let us rest on your porch. I haven't seen you twice in the last week." "Some other evening, Ed. I promised father to help get up his account books." "You're not angry with me?" he asked. "If you're not, give me a kiss before I go." A sharp smile showed on her lips. "I'm not angry, but I'm going to penalize you to that extent. If you must have a cheek to press, go kiss----" She paused, while the conviction darted into his mind that she had remembered that Johnson girl blunder after all, then said: "Mr. Burkhardt's cheek." Again relief swept him. "Come, be kind, Janet," he began. But she was already through the gate and skipping up the walk, vanishing in the gloom of the veranda. The screen door clapped shut. "Peeved, all right. I'll have to be extra-nice to her for a day or so until she calms down," he murmured to himself. "Must send her a box of chocolates and some magazines to-morrow to show my contrite heart; that always gets 'em. Hang it, it's time to fix a day, too. We've been engaged long enough. She sure has a figure and face--a beaut! I guess she didn't smell the booze on my breath. Got to be careful about that till we're married." He jumped into his car.