He did not hear her approach, so Glen stood still for an instant, looking at him and listening to him. “I think I didn’t catch your name,” he was saying gravely. “Gloriana-Virginia Tolliver, suh, but they mos’ gin’er’ly calls me ‘Glory.’” “They call you Glory....” He bent upon her a thoughtful look. “And how old are you, Gloriana-Virginia?” “I’m fo’teen, suh.” “Fourteen?” Then as she nodded. “And how long have you been engaged in what the statisticians call gainful occupations?” “Suh?” She stared at him. “How long have you been working here?” “Oh! Why sence I was erbout six, suh.” “_Six?_” He seemed to take in facts slowly, the fair young man. “Yes, suh. You see, nowadays they dassent hire young-uns ’twel they right big. They put the law on us. But I was lucky--I got in befo’ they got all the rules fixed up that-a-way.” “You were lucky?” “Yes, suh! My po’ little cousin, Henry Clay Bean, that we mos’ly calls Beany, we’re plumb scared we can’t git him in at all! Mr. Carey, he owns this mill--he won’t let the least ones work, but M’liss’, that’s my aunt, she named hit to Super, and he ’lowed he could sneak Beany in, somehow.” “Well, that was extremely nice of Super, wasn’t it?” “Yes, suh,” she agreed a trifle doubtfully. “Super said he could hide when Mr. Carey come by, or ary them club ladies that nose round, an’ Beany kin say he’s jes’ dinner-totin’.” “Dinner-toting?” “Yes, suh.” “Indoor sports of all nations! And what is dinner-toting?” “Why, suh, why--dinner-totin’, that’s jes’, well--” she strove for simplification in the face of this amazing ignorance--“hit’s jes’ plain _dinner-totin’_, that’s all! Jes’ totin’ dinners!” “Ah! Carrying dinners!” “Yes, suh!” She beamed encouragement on the dullard. “Cy’arin’ er totin’--hit’s pintly th’ same!” Glen Darrow stepped suddenly forward. “Good morning! How do you do?” The stranger spoke quickly, regarding her with keen interest. “Are you connected with the mill?” “Yes,” she answered eagerly. “I’m the superintendent’s secretary.” “Well, now, that’s awfully nice for the superintendent!” he remarked cordially. “I suppose it’s all right for me to wander about a bit and look things over. Want to get an idea--study conditions--all that sort of thing, you know----” The hope in her eyes warmed to a glad certainty. “Oh, then you _are_----” “Certainly I are--am! What?” She lowered her voice so that not even the child could hear. “You’re an investigator?” He considered it thoughtfully. “Well, I daresay that’s what you’d call it. At any rate, investigating at the moment.” Sudden color flooded her golden-olive cheeks and she impulsively held out a hand which the youth took very willingly. “Oh, I’m so glad! So glad and thankful that you’ve come!” “I’m so glad you’re glad,” he said cordially.