“Take your time， Mr. Platt，” said Zizzbaum. “Think itover to-night. You won’t find anybody else meet our priceson goods like these. I’m afraid you’re having a dull timein New York， Mr. Platt. A young man like you—of course，you miss the society of the ladies. Wouldn’t you like a niceyoung lady to take out to dinner this evening？ Miss Asher，now， is a very nice young lady； she will make it agreeablefor you.”
“Why， she doesn’t know me，” said Platt， wonderingly.
“She doesn’t know anything about me. Would she go？ I’mnot acquainted with her.”
“Would she go？” repeated Zizzbaum， with upliftedeyebrows. “Sure， she would go. I will introduce you. Sure，she would go.”
He called Miss Asher loudly.She came， calm and slightly contemptuous， in her whiteshirt waist and plain black skirt.
“Mr. Platt would like the pleasure of your company todinner this evening，” said Zizzbaum， walking away.
“Sure，” said Miss Asher， looking at the ceiling. “I’d bemuch pleased. Nine-eleven West Twentieth street. Whattime？”
“Say seven o’clock.”
“All right， but please don’t come ahead of time. I roomwith a school teacher， and she doesn’t allow any gentlemento call in the room. There isn’t any parlor， so you’ll have towait in the hall. I’ll be ready.”
At half past seven Platt and Miss Asher sat at a table ina Broadway restaurant. She was dressed in a plain， filmyblack. Platt didn’t know that it was all a part of her day’swork.
With the unobtrusive aid of a good waiter he managedto order a respectable dinner， minus the usual Broadwaypreliminaries.
Miss Asher flashed upon him a dazzling smile.
“Mayn’t I have something to drink？” she asked.
“Why， certainly，” said Platt. “Anything you want.”
“A dry Martini，” she said to the waiter.
When it was brought and set before her Platt reachedover and took it away.
“What is this？” he asked.
“A cocktail， of course.”
“I thought it was some kind of tea you ordered. This isliquor. You can’t drink this. What is your first name？”
“To my intimate friends，” said Miss Asher， freezingly， “itis ‘Helen.’”
“Listen， Helen，” said Platt， leaning over the table. “Formany years every time the spring flowers blossomed outon the prairies I got to thinking of somebody that I’dnever seen or heard of. I knew it was you the minute I sawyou yesterday. I’m going back home to-morrow， and you’regoing with me. I know it， for I saw it in your eyes whenyou first looked at me. You needn’t kick， for you’ve got tofall into line. Here’s a little trick I picked out for you onmy way over.”
He flicked a two-carat diamond solitaire ring across thetable. Miss Asher flipped it back to him with her fork.
“Don’t get fresh，” she said， severely.
“I’m worth a hundred thousand dollars，” said Platt. “I’llbuild you the finest house in West Texas.”
“You can’t buy me， Mr. Buyer，” said Miss Asher， “if youhad a hundred million. I didn’t think I’d have to call youdown. You didn’t look like the others to me at first， but Isee you’re all alike.”
“All who？” asked Platt.
“All you buyers. You think because we girls have togo out to dinner with you or lose our jobs that you’reprivileged to say what you please. Well， forget it. I thoughtyou were different from the others， but I see I wasmistaken.”