“Will you step right into the next room? You are expected.”

She turned and opened a door just behind her desk, though not the door that bore the name “The President.” But the quick-witted, petted child of fortune knew that this door meant the visitor was very special and had been granted a speedier entrance than other callers might have gained. Quickly, she stepped up beside the young man as he reached the door, and smilingly accosted him.

“Hi, soldier! You don’t mind if I go in along with you, do you?”

Paige looked down at her with courteous haughtiness, took one step back, looked from her to the secretary who was escorting him, and said calmly, “That would be something that is scarcely within my province to grant.” Then he stepped ahead of her into the next room, and the secretary closed the door.

And that was the beginning of Paige Madison’s acquaintance with the daughter of Harris Chalmers, his new employer. It was probably not a diplomatic way to further his own interests, but somehow the young man, for the moment, did not care. If his job depended at all on getting in right with this girl, perhaps it would be just as well not to have it.

As he stood for a moment alone in the room to which he had been sent, he thought he heard the echo of angry voices. Or was it only one angry voice, and another quiet and controlled? That last would probably be the secretary’s voice. Then the door opposite to the one by which he had entered opened, and Harris Chalmers, quiet, self-assured, heartily welcoming, greeted him with friendly hand outstretched.

“I see you’re on time, Lieutenant,” he said cordially. “Come into my inner office and we can get right down to work on the details of which we spoke briefly last night.”

Paige followed his new boss into the luxuriously appointed office beyond, where quiet conservative elegance reigned, and an air of righteousness. He had scarcely sat down when another door on the other side of the room opened sharply and the girl he had left in the outer room breezed in triumphantly, with a grin toward the poor soldier boy that would have thoroughly snubbed any young service man who cared.

“Hi, Dad!” called the girl cheerfully, with a note in her voice that utterly belied the quiet dignity of the room. It flung a challenge to the atmosphere her father had intended to create.

The father turned with an annoyed look and frowned at her.

“Reva!” he said in his harshest voice. “How did you get in here? I thought I gave special instructions to Miss Dalworth that no one was to be admitted here until my morning conferences were over.”

“Oh you did, Dad! Your Dalworth pussycat did her best to keep me out, but you can’t think I would stop for that, can you? Besides, Dad, it’s important, what I need to talk to you about, and it won’t take long. And I can’t wait, really, Dad! It’s quite important! You see, I went to the bank this morning to cash a check I needed at once, and Mr. Reyburn at the bank was very stuffy about it. He said I had already overdrawn my allowance for this month and he had no authority, without a word from you, to let me have any more. You see, Dad, this is a debt of honor, and I simply must pay it at once. I certainly will be glad when I’m eighteen and this time of servitude will be over for me. It’s ridiculous that I’m hampered so, financially.”

There was a weep in the end of each word as she pleaded, and the father frowned heavily again.

“I haven’t the time to look into this now, Reva. Come back at twelve o’clock, and I’ll try and give you five minutes.”

“I can’t do it, Dad. I’m going out to Rosemont to lunch, and I expect to meet the girl I owe this money to. I told her I’d bring it today. She’s leaving at midnight for a trip to California, and she’s making all kinds of a clamor for her money. I simply have got to pay her, Dad. It’s a debt of honor, you know. And it won’t take you a second, either. I’ve made the check all out for you, and all you’ve got to do is to sign your name. Please, Dad—”

“We’ll settle this tonight before dinner,” he said in a low voice as he handed her the check. “And now, clear out, and don’t bother me again this morning.”

“But aren’t you going to introduce me to your soldier boy?” pouted the girl, as she turned unexpectedly toward Paige.

“Oh, yes, why yes,” said the father impatiently. “Of course. This is my daughter, Reva, Lieutenant Madison. And Reva, Mr. Madison is going to be our new assistant.”

The girl turned and gave Paige a prolonged stare and treated him to a half-contemptuous smile of derision, with a promise in her eyes of future annoyances, until she had him just where she wanted him.

“Oh, yes?” she drawled.