"I was asking pardon for my delay in responding about your business matter. I told you when I met you at the gate that I knew you were thinking, as you stood there, that it was strange that I should be neglectful of you." "Well, I wasn’t. I was wonderin’ if I’d done the right thing to bother you about the matter anyway." "Decidedly you did. It is a problem I can solve for you with very little trouble, I’m sure, if you will show me the papers you spoke of. I have robbed the tin box shamefully and the light has gone; supposing we go into the house and talk the matter over. My time in Pearfield is limited. I sail for Germany next Saturday, and I have considerable to do between now and then." "Well, if you ain’t clever to me," said Miss Berry gratefully, as she rose and led the way into the house, while Page followed with the impedimenta of box and bottle, and the further embarrassment of Blitzen, who writhed ingeniously about his legs, evidently intending to make clear his adherence to one who could command cake at such an astonishing time and place. *CHAPTER VI.* *THE UNEXPECTED GUEST.* Miss Berry’s legal question was at last disposed of. Page carefully mapped out a plan of action for her, and explained each detail with painstaking kindness. "You are clever to me, Mr. Gorham," she repeated gratefully, when all was made clear. "Now I want to pay you exactly as any of your clients would," she added, in a business-like tone. "You can’t," he answered, throwing himself back in his chair, "for they don’t any of them make such cookies as you do." "Now please don’t joke," she begged, half-laughing. "You’ve had the cookies already." "Of course, just a retaining fee as it were. Blitzen and I want some more before I go to bed." "But such an obligation," pleaded Miss Berry. "Such a pleasure, Aunt Love," rejoined her lawyer. "Now, to change the subject, what is Pearfield’s opinion about the World’s Fair? Where do you think it ought to be held?" "I don’t know enough about the different cities to say," returned Miss Berry. "I see by the papers some o’ the Western cities think they have as good a right as anybody. Chicago is after it. Such an idea! As though folks want to have to traipse way across the country to see the Fair. I don’t know much about public questions," continued Miss Lovina, complacently smoothing her apron, "but I know enough to see that there ain’t any sense in that notion, and reasonable folks won’t listen to it; not but what Chicago’s a good deal of a city, I s’pose." "Chicagoans have that idea," answered Page, smiling. "I have a friend who recently returned from Europe; and he says that one day in the boat’s music-room he found on the table a book purporting to portray only Chicago and its suburbs. There were pictures in it of Niagara Falls and the Yellowstone Park."