He looked again at his apparatus with such pride and confidence that even Lola, who knew nothing of the details of his experimental work, was thrilled with the hope of his success, and rested her hand tenderly upon his arm as she stood beside him. They were much alike, these two, as they stood there together, the tall, rather delicate old man, and the fragile, sensitive girl. Dreamers both, one had but to look at them to see that, and they started apart, almost guiltily, as the little clock on the mantel struck eight. "Eight o'clock! Oh, Maria! Eight o'clock! We must hurry!" Lola called out to Maria, who was busily arranging the breakfast table in the adjoining room. "Come, father!" she continued. "Run and get yourself ready for breakfast, and the very minute we get through I am going to put you to bed." "Not to-day, my dear," he answered gaily; "this is to be my busy day!" As he left the room, smiling and happy, Maria looked after him anxiously. "He'll be sick if you don't look out, Miss Lola. He don't know no more about takin' care of himself than one of my sister's babies." Lola laughed cheerfully as she looked with approval over the neatly arranged breakfast table. "I think he is perfectly well, Maria, and quite delighted with himself this morning. He feels sure that he has made a wonderful discovery, something he has been working on for years. I know that he thinks it is going to be a fine thing for all the world and for us, Maria; he says it is going to make us rich." "I hope so, I'm sure. There's lots of little things we're needing in the kitchen," said Maria practically. "Anyway, he's the best doctor in the world, and he ought to have the most money!" "Don't get his egg too hard." "No, Miss, it will be just like he wants it." When the Doctor returned he found everything ready for his breakfast, and he stopped to greet Maria kindly, as he always did, for aside from his habit of rather old-fashioned courtesy she was a great favorite of his. "Would you like a pan-cake, Doctor?" she inquired anxiously, as she stood beside the table. "There's a Dutch lady boarding with my brother's wife. She showed me how to make real German ones." "I can't have you spoiling father," reproved Lola gently. "Besides German pan-cakes are not supposed to be eaten for breakfast." "She knows no more about German food," said the Doctor, "than an Irishman's pig! You shall make me one of your pan-cakes to-night." Maria smiled gratefully at him, and leaving the apartment ran down stairs to the letter-box in the hall, returning a moment later with the morning mail, which she put beside Lola's plate. "Four letters," said Lola, glancing over them. "One for me, a bill! Two for you, father." She pushed them across the cloth. "And, Maria! Oh, Maria! This is for you. Oh, Maria! You're blushing. Who do you suppose it's from," she teased, as Maria stepped forward eagerly and took the letter.