The Ryder biography was nearly finished and her stay in Seventy-fourth Street would soon come to an end.

She had a serious talk with Jefferson, who contrived to see a good deal of her, entirely unsuspected by his parents, for Mr.and Mrs.Ryder had no reason to believe that their son had any more than a mere bowing acquaintance with the clever young authoress.

Now that Mr.Bagley was no longer there to spy upon their actions these clandestine interviews had been comparatively easy.

Shirley brought to bear all the arguments she could think of to convince Jefferson of the hopelessness of their engagement.

She insisted that she could never be his wife; circumstances over which they had no control made that dream impossible.