Mr. Strobridge had not even glanced in her direction, but her moment came when she sat down at the typing machine, and looked straight up into his eyes as she asked in her deep alluring voice: "What do you wish me to begin upon, please?" Then he took in the whole effect and a wave of intense astonishment swept over him. What had happened? Was he dreaming? Was this beautiful creature the ordinary, silent, admirable typist, Katherine Bush? CHAPTER X He pulled himself together and took some papers from his bag without speaking, and when he had selected two or three, he drew a chair up to the other side of the table and began to dictate, stopping every now and then to explain the purport of his arguments. They worked so for perhaps an hour. "One has to do these things," he said at last, as Katherine had not uttered a word. "One wonders sometimes if there is any good in them." "I suppose all effort has some merit," she responded, without looking up. He began to long to make her raise her eyes again. "You think so?--On what grounds?" "It exercises a useful faculty." "What faculty?" "Will, of course; to use effort is an exercise of will, because if there was no effort needed, no will would be required either." He smiled whimsically; this was obvious. "Then I must look upon the organisation of this very intricate charity, of doubtful use to mankind, as profitable to me because of the effort entailed." "It is as good a way as any other of looking at it.--Did you say quarterly or monthly returns upon the capital?" "Oh--er--" glancing at his papers--"the confounded thing! Where is it--Yes--quarterly." The machine clicked uninterruptedly. Katherine never looked up. He began to allow himself to take in details. Why had he not remarked before that she had an extraordinarily well-shaped head?--And what wonderful hands--in these days of athletic, weather-beaten paws! She would be very stately, too, when she filled out a little. The whole thing was agreeably symmetrical, throat and shoulders, and bust and hips. "Why, in the name of all the gods, have I never noticed this young woman before! She thinks, too! That was a curious reflection about will--I'd like to talk to her--The devil takes this d--d--charity!" So his thoughts ran and his eyes eagerly devoured Katherine's face. She was perfectly conscious of the fact; she knew with unerring instinct that the spark which she had dispatched by that first steady gaze of her eyes had struck tinder, the flame of interest was ignited, and the more difficult she made things now, the more complete would be her triumph presently. She resolutely kept her attention upon her work, never raising her head. "To be so meritoriously industrious, are you using effort?" he asked, in a moment or two. "You look as though you had a most formidable will!" "Very little effort; it is second nature to me now." "Even if the subject is as uninteresting as this?"