it was enough for the purposes of propriety, and satisfied the delicately minded girl.

   Suddenly there was a tearing, hissing noise and a smell of gas. Little looked up and turned pale. The balloon, at what I shall call the pointed end of the Bologna sausage, was evidently bursting from increased pressure. The gas was escaping, and already they were beginning to descend. Little was resigned but firm.

   "If the silk gives way, then we are lost. Unfortunately I have no rope nor material for binding it."

   The woman's instinct had arrived at the same conclusion sooner than the man's reason. But she was hesitating over a detail.

   "Will you go down the rope for a moment?" she said, with a sweet smile.

   Little went down. Presently she called to him. She held something in her hand,—a wonderful invention of the seventeenth century, improved and perfected in this: a pyramid of sixteen circular hoops of light yet strong steel, attached to each other by cloth bands.

   With a cry of joy Little seized them, climbed to the balloon, and fitted the elastic hoops over its conical end. Then he returned to the car.

   "We are saved."

   Lady Caroline, blushing, gathered her slim but antique drapery against the other end of the car.

   They were slowly descending. Presently Lady Caroline distinguished the outlines of Raby Hall. "I think I will get out here," she said.

   Little anchored the balloon and prepared to follow her.

   "Not so, my friend," she said, with an arch smile. "We must not be seen together. People might talk. Farewell."

   Little sprang again into the balloon and sped away to America. He came down in California, oddly enough in front of Hardin's door, at Dutch Flat. Hardin was just examining a specimen of ore.

   "You are a scientist; can you tell me if that is worth anything?" he said, handing it to Little.

   Little held it to the light. "It contains ninety per cent of silver."

   Hardin embraced him. 

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