“You don’t say so, and you find it a source of rejoicing!  Well, you are a queer girl, sure enough.  Gussie would say you have been jilted.”

“But I have not, because it was I who asked to be released from the promise.  If you knew what good friends Lancy and I still remain, you would not fancy I feel jilted.”

“Well, I’m blest if I see the point yet,” and he looked at Dexie keenly.

“Please, papa, do not look for it,” was the laughing reply; “for if there be any point to this story, it is not visible to the naked eye, and I doubt if you could discern it with a microscope itself.  But, papa, I do not want this spoken about yet—­Lancy’s approaching marriage, I mean.  I would never hear the last of it if Gussie got hold of it, and there is a reason why I want everyone to suppose that everything is as it used to be.”

“Well, you can trust me, little girl; but I say again, I cannot see the point.”

“And I hope you will not get particularly sharp-sighted all at once, either, papa,” she replied, shaking her finger at him; “so don’t you go spying into my little affairs, until I give you liberty.  Dear papa, there is nothing to tell; when there is, you shall hear it the first thing,” and she stooped again and kissed his cheek.

“But why does not Traverse come here as usual, Dexie?” he asked.

“Perhaps he will tell you if you ask him, papa,” and hearing her mother call, she left the room.

During the afternoon, a little note found its way into Guy Traverse’s hand; but the smallest word from the hand that penned those lines was very dear, and he raised it to his lips, then put it in a hidden corner of his pocket-book.

Guy felt that he was indeed welcome when he made his appearance in Mr. Sherwood’s room that evening, for Mr. Sherwood received him with such expressions of pleasure that it needed but the quick, bright glance that Dexie gave him to assure him that his presence was welcome to both.

“You have been busy, Traverse.  What is going on at your establishment these days?” Mr. Sherwood asked, as Dexie left the room to fetch the chess-board.

“Oh! nothing more than usual.  We have a good many orders in, and I have been away to New York on business for the firm; but I was only away a week.  Your old firm has a new manager.  Quite a step up for Rushton, isn’t it?  I am pleased at his promotion, for he deserved it.”

“Yes; he was not expecting it either.  He called to see me, and I was well pleased to hear he had stepped into my place.  Now, Traverse, play your best, and see if you can beat me to-night,” as Dexie laid the board and chess men in order by her father’s side.

Mr. Sherwood soon became so engrossed in his favorite pastime, that he failed to notice that the poor play of his opponent was due to the fact that his attention was so taken up with watching Dexie that only a part of his thoughts were given to the game.