I was not so sure that I cared for the company of Mr. Baldwin in my visit to Big Sam, but I could see no way to decline it. "I think," said Mr. Baldwin with sudden brightening, "that we want Mercy Fillmore. She isn’t so old a person as you might like, Miss Kendrick, but she has taken to charity work and is used to dealing with this sort of people. Except for her liking for that kind of work, she’s a reasonable creature and doesn’t make conversion to a church the sole object of her life. I don’t see why she has gone in for it, but as she has decided to waste her life in that way she might as well waste it on this young person as on any other." "I remember her," said Miss Kendrick, nodding her shapely head. "She was one of the ’big girls’ when I started to school. She was very good to us youngsters and I believe the other big girls used to call her ’a little queer.’ I used to think her quite grown up, for she was fifteen when I was ten. But I dare say she wouldn’t seem so venerable now. I’m sure she would be just the one--if she’ll do it." "I can answer for her, I think," said Mr. Baldwin. "Well, you can’t see her to-night," said Miss Kendrick, "so you had better go with Mr. Hampden and bring the girl here. Then you can arrange with Miss Fillmore to-morrow." Mr. Baldwin looked appealingly at me. "Why wouldn’t it be better," I said, "to leave the girl where she is till to-morrow? I shall tell Big Sam what we have decided and he can keep her safe." Mr. Baldwin nodded approval. "I see," said Miss Kendrick, "that you have oceans of confidence in Big Sam and those murderous highbinders. But I’m not a man, and I haven’t. I don’t know what will happen before morning. Now, if you’ll put on your hats and coats and go, you’ll relieve my mind." I rose reluctantly. "If you don’t like to go alone," said Miss Kendrick, with a saucy shake of the head and a very determined look about the mouth, "I’ll ask you to be my escort." "But, I was about to ask--what will your uncle say?" "Say?" cried the hearty voice of Wharton Kendrick, as his big frame filled the doorway and his ruddy face shone in the light. "Why, shovels and scissors, gentlemen, he would say just what she told him to. What’s it about?" Miss Kendrick had risen, and with an emphatic nod of the head at this indorsement of a blank check in her favor, looked at us steadily. "In that case, we’d best be going," said Mr. Baldwin. "Miss Kendrick can explain the case better than we." "I shall expect you back in an hour," she said. *CHAPTER VI* *BIG SAM’S DIPLOMACY* We walked down the street in silence, and I could feel Mr. Baldwin’s chilling disapproval of our errand radiating from him at every step. "We had better take the Clay Street car down to the City Hall, and get a hack at the Plaza," I said at last.