"Many thanks for your pretty note. To-morrow evening at eleven be under the window at No. 98 Lemore street. "Alameda." "What do you think of that?" said Livingston Palmer triumphantly. "Do you notice that she signs herself Alameda?" "Yes." "That seems nice and friendly, doesn't it?" "Yes, it seems so." "She is evidently taken with me. Oh, Robert, I never was so happy." Robert, of course, being a boy, could not enter fully into Palmer's feelings. However, he answered in a sympathetic tone which satisfied his fellow clerk. "I never thought I should be so fortunate," he said. "Oh, Robert, you don't know how I feel towards that girl." "No, I suppose not, Mr. Palmer." "It isn't to be expected, for you are only a boy." "Yes, I am only a boy." "I suppose I was the same at your age. How fortunate it was that you invited me to accompany you this evening. I feel under the greatest obligations to you," and Palmer, seizing our hero's hand, shook it with impulsive energy. "I am sure you are quite welcome, Mr. Palmer." Robert was beginning to be weary. To his mind, Palmer seemed to be acting in a very silly manner. However, as he reflected, he was only a boy, and could not comprehend the effect of a grand passion on a man like his fellow clerk. The next day Palmer was like a man in a dream. He was at his desk in the office, but he found it hard to attend to his duties in an intelligent manner. He made some ludicrous blunders, which finally attracted his employer's notice. "It seems to me, Mr. Palmer," he said quietly, "that you are not quite yourself. Where did the man you just waited on wish to go?" "Alameda," blurted out Palmer. "No," he corrected himself in some confusion, "Denver, Colorado." "You seem to have Alameda on the brain. We don't sell tickets to Alameda." "No, sir." "Do you know where Alameda is?" "No," answered Palmer hesitatingly. "I believe there is such a place in California, but we never had any tickets for it." "Yes, sir." "For the rest of the day try to keep your wits about you." "Do you think he suspects?" asked Palmer in a whisper to Robert, when Mr. Gray had gone out for a minute. "No; how should he?" "Really, I hope not. It makes me feel embarrassed and confused." "I see it does. Can't you put the matter out of your mind during business hours?" "I will try to, but oh, Robert, when I think of to-night I feel like dancing a Highland fling right in the office." "If you did I am sure Mr. Gray would think you were crazy." "Of course, I don't mean that exactly, Robert, I was speaking figuratively." "You refer to the figure you would cut when you were dancing the Highland fling?" "I see you are witty, Robert." "No one ever accused me of that before," said Robert demurely. Livingston Palmer laughed, and managed with an effort to devote himself for the rest of the day strictly to business. "You will be with me to-night, Frost," he said, as they closed the office, and started on their way to supper.