"Out East here we—we see nothing but little, dark women," the clerk began apologetically, facing Whitridge again.

"Ever see Burne-Jones' 'Springtime'?" interrupted the Englishman eagerly. Whitridge nodded. "Gad! Isn't she like it?" Another nod answered him.

"Now, sir," interrupted the clerk, spreading out a diagram. "The Cambodia calls at Honolulu, you——"

"I wish to book through to San Francisco—an outside room, if possible."

"Luck's with you, sir. The last one," and he indicated with a pencil point a small space aft on the port side. Whitridge nodded his acceptance and at that moment the office door at the left opened quickly.

A middle-aged man, evidently the agency manager, emerged, preceding the "Springtime" woman.

"Burr! Reserve an outside room on the Cambodia at once," he called to the clerk booking Whitridge.

"Too late, sir. I've just sold the last one to this gentleman."

Whitridge turned. A shadow of keen disappointment passed over the face of the golden-haired woman.

"Oh, is there nothing you can do?" she asked, looking at the manager appealingly. He glanced at Whitridge. "You don't know the terror I feel—the horror I have of being put inside," she went on. There was a note of genuine distress in her voice.

"There is another ship in eight days," answered the manager.

"But it is imperative that I sail on this one."

"If you will permit me," interrupted Whitridge, baring his head, "I will resign my room to you."

"Oh, but that would not be fair. You are very kind, but I—I must pay for my lateness." She met his gaze with an honest, uncompromising directness in her blue eyes. "You——"

"Really it doesn't much matter where I am put," and a note of sadness in his voice brought an expression of interest into her brow. For a part of a second their glances held and then Whitridge turned to the clerk: "This lady will take my room."

He spoke with a finality which evidently was strange to her. She frowned slightly and started as if to protest again.

"You should accept, Miss Granville," said the manager anxiously and in a way 

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