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plenty of time to go over to that drugstore across the road and make three or four phone calls that would practically cover the matter of the errands he had not been able to work in that afternoon. That would leave him free to do anything for the girl that she needed, without her having to know that she was hindering him. Indeed, those errands were not important. He had only planned them because he had this time off, and he wanted to kid himself into feeling that he had some home interests. Though of course it wouldn’t matter to a soul in Carrollton whether he called them up or not. But just to get his thoughts back into sensible, everyday, normal channels, he swung himself out of the car, snapped its door shut behind him, and strode across to the drugstore, at once immersing himself in a study of the telephone book.
    But he found he was only halfheartedly interested now. Instead of eagerly accepting the invitations that these former associates of his offered to come to dinner or spend the evening, he found no inclination whatsoever in his heart for any such plans.
    “Thank you, but I don’t believe that will be possible this trip,” he told them all. “If I find I can get done what I am doing and can drop around for a few minutes later, I’ll call you up.”
    He turned away from the telephone half disgusted with himself. What did he have in the back of his mind that he did not want to go to his former friends? If it had anything to do with the girl into whose attention he had been thrust today, he had better cut it out. Oh, of course, it was just possible that when she came out of the schoolhouse there might be some urgent errand she ought to go on for which he would have to offer his services. And it was true that he should in courtesy keep the way clear to help a lady in distress.
    A glance through the window showed that Miss Sheridan had not yet come out of the schoolhouse, and his watch showed the hour was up when he was to call the garage. He turned back to the telephone.
    “Hello! Is this Mark? This is Pilgrim speaking. Have you got the car back? What seems to be the trouble? Was I right?”
    It wasn’t a long conversation but a rather serious one.
    “You can’t do any better than that? The girl is in a hurry to get her car. You’re sure you haven’t the necessary parts? Well, could I help by running in town to get anything? Oh, Chester has gone over to Granby, you say? And if he succeeds in getting what you need, can you fix it tonight? Well, about what time tomorrow? I see. Well, I’ll tell her, and meanwhile do your best, and we’ll drop around there in a little while and see how you are making out.”
    He went back to his car, a kind of pleasant elation filling him in spite of his common sense. He took his seat in the car, but his attention was toward the window where Laurel had been sitting before he went across the road to telephone. She had disappeared from it now.
    While he sat watching the high school door for her appearance, his mind was busy thinking out possibilities. No, not really possibilities, just fantastic dreams.
    Where would she be going for dinner? Could he by any stretch of imagination ask her to go with him? Of course not. A former filling station assistant taking a multimillionaire’s daughter to dinner! It was not even to be thought of. He drew a deep breath and threw his chin up in that gesture of challenge that was significant of his own quiet pride.
    Suddenly she was coming out the door, pausing an instant on the top step, looking toward the car, then hurrying down as lithely and happily as a young student slipping out for recess. Without his knowledge, Phil’s sternness went into a welcoming smile.
    And Laurel’s face was wreathed in smiles, too.
    “I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long,” she said as she stepped into the car, accepting Pilgrim’s courteous help. “I hadn’t any idea it was going to take so long, or I would have told you to go on and forget about