involving　a　wide　choice　of　resorts。　　While　he　was　paying　for　luncheon　and
  chatting　with　the　proprietor；　Ditmar　snatched　from　the　change　he　had
  flung　down　on　the　counter　a　five　dollar　gold　coin。
  〃Now　how　in　thunder　did　that　get　into　my　right…hand　pocket？　　I　always
  keep　it　in　my　vest；〃　he　exclaimed；　and　the　matter　continued　to　disturb
  him　after　they　were　in　the　automobile。　　〃It's　my　lucky　piece。　　I　guess　I
  was　so　excited　at　the　prospect　of　seeing　you　when　I　dressed　this　morning
  I　put　it　into　my　change。　　Just　see　what　you　do　to　me！〃
  〃Does　it　bring　you　luck？〃　she　inquired　smilingly。
  〃How　about　you！　　I　call　you　the　biggest　piece　of　luck　I　ever　had。〃
  〃You'd　better　not　be　too　sure；〃　she　warned　him。
  〃Oh；　I'm　not　worrying。　　I　has　that　piece　in　my　pocket　the　day　I　went　down
  to　see　old　Stephen　Chippering；　when　he　made　me　agent；　and　I've　kept　it
  ever　since。　　And　I'll　tell　you　a　funny　thingit's　enough　to　make　any　man
  believe　in　luck。　　Do　you　remember　that　day　last　summer　I　was　tinkering
  with　the　car　by　the　canal　and　you　came　along？〃
  〃The　day　you　pretended　to　be　tinkering；〃　she　corrected　him。
  He　laughed。　　〃So　you　were　on　to　me？〃　he　said。　　〃You're　a　foxy　one！〃
  〃Anyone　could　see　you　were　only　pretending。　　It　made　me　angry；　when　I
  thought　of　it　afterwards。〃
  〃I　just　had　to　do　itI　wanted　to　talk　to　you。　　But　listen　to　what　I'm
  going　to　tell　you！　　It's　a　miracle；　all　right；happening　just　at　that
  timethat　very　morning。　　I　was　coming　back　to　Boston　from　New　York　on
  the　midnight；　and　when　the　train　ran　into　Back　Bay　and　I　was　putting　on
  my　trousers　the　piece　rolled　out　among　the　bed　clothes。　　I　didn't　know
  I'd　lost　it　until　I　sat　down　in　the　Parker　House　to　eat　my　breakfast；　and
  I　suddenly　felt　in　my　pocket。　　It　made　me　sick　to　think　it　was　gone。
  Well；　I　started　to　telephone　the　Pullman　office；　and　then　I　made　up　my
  mind　I'd　take　a　taxi　and　go　down　to　the　South　Station　myself；　and　just　as
  I　got　out　of　the　cab　there　was　the　nigger　porter；　all　dressed　up　in　his
  glad　rags；　coming　out　of　the　station！　　I　knew　him；　I'd　been　on　his　car
  lots　of　times。　　‘Say；　George；'　I　said；　‘I　didn't　forget　you　this　morning；
  did　I？'
  〃‘No；　suh；'　said　George；　'you　done　give　me　a　quarter。'
  〃‘I　guess　you're　mistaken；　George；'　says　I；　and　I　fished　out　a　ten　dollar
  bill。　　You　ought　to　have　seen　that　nigger's　eyes。〃
  〃‘What's　this　for；　Mister　Ditmar？'　says　he。
  〃‘For　that　lucky　gold　piece　you　found　in　lower　seven；'　I　told　him。
  ‘We'll　trade。'
  〃‘Was　you　in　lower　seven？　so　you　was！'　says　George。　　Well；　he　had　it
  all　rightyou　bet　he　had　it。　　Now　wasn't　that　queer？　　The　very　day　you
  and　I　began　to　know　each　other！〃
  〃Wonderful！〃　Janet　agreed。　　〃Why　don't　you　put　it　on　your　watch　chain？〃
  〃Well；　I've　thought　of　that；〃　he　replied；　with　the　air　of　having
  considered　all　sides　of　the　matter。　　〃But　I've　got　that　charm　of　the
  secret　order　I　belong　tothat's　on　my　chain。　　I　guess　I'll　keep　it　in　my
  vest　pocket。〃
  〃I　didn't　know　you　were　so　superstitious；〃　she　mocked。
  〃Pretty　nearly　everybody's　superstitious；〃　he　declared。　　And　she　thought
  of　Lise。
  〃I'm　not。　　I　believe　if　things　are　going　to　happen　well；　they're　going　to
  happen。　　Nothing　can　prevent　it。〃
  〃By　thunder〃　he　exclaimed；　struck　by　her　remark。　　〃You　are　like　that
  You're　different　from　any　person　I　ever　knew。。。。〃
  From　such　anecdotes　she　pieced　together　her　new　Ditmar。　　He　spoke　of　a
  large　world　she　had　never　seen；　of　New　York　and　Washington　and　Chicago；
  where　he　intended　to　take　her。　　In　the　future　he　would　never　travel
  alone。　　And　he　told　her　of　his　having　been　a　delegate　to　the　last
  National　Republican　Convention；　explaining　what　a　delegate　was。　　He
  gloried　in　her　innocence；　and　it　was　pleasant　to　dazzle　her　with
  impressions　of　his　cosmopolitanism。　　In　this；　perhaps；　he　was　not　quite
  so　successful　as　he　imagined；　but　her　eyes　shone。　　She　had　never　even
  been　in　a　sleeping　car！　　For　her　delectation　he　launched　into　an
  enthusiastic　description　of　these　vehicles；　of　palatial　compartment　cars；
  of　limited；　transcontinental　trains；　where　one　had　a　stenographer　and　a
  barber　at　one's　disposal。
  〃Neither　of　them　would　do　me　any　good；〃　she　complained。
  〃You　could　go　to　the　manicure；〃　he　said。
  There　had　been　in　Ditmar's　life　certain　events　which；　in　his　anecdotal
  moods；　were　magnified　into　matters　of　climacteric　importance；　high；
  festal　occasions　on　which　it　was　sweet　to　reminisce；　such　as　his　visit　as
  Delegate　at　Large　to　that　Chicago　Convention。　　He　had　travelled　on　a
  special　train　stocked　with　cigars　and　White　Seal　champagne；　in　the
  company　of　senators　and　congressmen　and　ex…governors；　state　treasurers；
  collectors　of　the　port；　mill　owners；　and　bankers　to　whom　he　referred；　as
  the　French　say；　in　terms　of　their　〃little〃　names。　　He　dwelt　on　the
  magnificence　of　the　huge　hotel　set　on　the　borders　of　a　lake　like　an
  inland　sea；　and　related　such　portions　of　the　festivities　incidental　to
  〃the　seeing　of　Chicago〃　as　would　bear　repetition。　　No　women　belonged　to
  this　realm；　no　women；　at　least；　who　were　to　be　regarded　as　persons。
  Ditmar　did　not　mention　them；　but　no　doubt　they　existed；　along　with　the
  cigars　and　the　White　Seal　champagne；　contributing　to　the　amenities。　　And
  the　excursion；　to　Janet；　took　on　the　complexion　of　a　sort　of　glorified
  picnic　in　the　course　of　which；　incidentally；　a　President　of　the　United
  States　had　been　chosen。　　In　her　innocence　she　had　believed　the　voters　to
  perform　this　function。　　Ditmar　laughed。
  〃Do　you　suppose　we're　going　to　let　the　mob　run　this　country？〃　he
  inquired。　　〃Once　in　a　while　we　can't　get　away　with　it　as　we'd　like；　we
  have　to　take　the　best　we　can。〃
  Thus　was　brought　home　to　her　more　and　more　clearly　that　what　men　strove
  and　fought　for　were　the　joys　of　prominence；　privilege；　and　power。
  Everywhere；　in　the　great　world；　they　demanded　and　received　consideration。
  It　was　Ditmar's　boast　that　if　nobody　else　could　get　a　room　in　a　crowded
  New　York　hotel；　he　could　always　obtain　one。　　And　she　was　fain　to　concede…
  …she　who　had　never　known　privilegea　certain　intoxicating　quality　to
  this　eminence。　　If　you　could　get　the　power；　and　refused　to　take　it；　the
  more　fool　you！　　A　topsy…turvy　world；　in　which　the　stupid　toiled　day　by
  day；　week　by　week；　exhausting　their　energies　and　craving　joy；　while
  others　adroitly　carried　off　the　prize；　and　virtue　had　apparently　as
  little　to　do　with　the　matter　as　fair　hair　or　a　club　foot。　　If　Janet　had
  ever　read　Darwin；　she　would　have　recognized　in　her　lover　a　creature
  rather　wonderfully　adapted　to　his　environment；　and　what　puzzled　her；
  perhaps；　was　the　riddle　that　presents　itself　to　many　better　informed　than
  herselfthe　utter　absence　in　this　environment　of　the　sign　of　any　being
  who　might　be　called　God。　　Her　perplexitiesfor　she　did　have　themtook
  the　form　of　an　instinctive　sense　of　inadequacy；　of　persistently　recurring
  though　inarticulate　convictions　of　the　existence　of　elements　not　included
  in　Ditmar's　categoriesof　things　that　money　could　not　buy；　of　things；
  too；　alas！　that　poverty　was　as　powerless　to　grasp。　　Stored　within　her；
  sometimes　rising　to　the　level　of　consciousness；　was　that　experience　at
  Silliston　in　the　May　weather　when　she　had　had　a　glimpsejust　a　glimpse！
  of　a　garden　where　strange　and　precious　flowers　were　in　bloom。　　On　the
  other　hand；　this　mysterious　perception　by　her　of　things　unseen　and
  hitherto　unguessed；　of　rays　of　delight　in　the　spectrum　of　values　to　which
  his　senses　were　unattuned；　was　for　Ditmar　the　supreme　essence　of　her
  fascination。　　At　moments　he　was　at　once　bewildered　and　inebriated　by　the
  rare　delicacy　of　fabric　of　the　woman　whom　he　had　somehow　stumbled　upon
  and　possessed。
  Then　there　were　the　hours　when　they　worked　together　in　the　office。　　Here
  she　beheld　Ditmar　at　his　best。　　It　cannot　be　said　that　his　infatuation
  for　her　was　ever　absent　from　his　consciousness：　he　knew　she　was　there
  beside　him；　he　betrayed　it　continually。　　But　here　she　was　in　the　presence
  of　what　had　been　and　what　remained　his　ideal；　the　Chippering　Mill；　here
  he　acquired　unity。　　All　his　energies　were　bent　toward　the　successful
  execution　of　the　Bradlaugh　order；　which　had　to　be　completed　on　the　first
  of　February。　　And　as　day　after　day　went　by　her　realization　of　the
  magnitude　of　the　task　he　had　undertaken　became　keener。　　Excitement　was　in
  the　air。　　Ditmar　seemed　somehow　to　have　managed　to　infuse　not　only
  Orcutt；　the　superintendent；　but　the　foremen　and　second　hands　and　even　the
  workers　with　a　common　spirit　of　pride　and　loyalty；　of　interest；　of
  determination　to　carry　off　this　matter　triumphantly。　　The　mill　seemed
  fairly　to　hum　with　effort。　　Janet's　increasing　knowledge　of　its
  organization　and　processes　only　served　to　heighten　her　admiration　for　the
  confidence　Ditmar　had　shown　from　the　beginning。　　It　was　superb。　　And　now；
  as　the　probability　of　the　successful　execution　of　the　task　tended　more
  and　more　toward　certainty；　he　sometimes　gave　vent　to　his　boyish；
  exuberant　spirits。
  〃I　told　Holster；　I　told　all　those　croakers　I'd　do　it；　and　by　thunder　I
  will　do　it；　with　three　days'　margin；　too！　　I'll　get　the　last　shipment　off
  on　the　twenty…eighth　of　January。　　Why；　even　George　Chippering　was　afraid
  I　couldn't　handle　it。　　If　the　old　man　was　alive　he　wouldn't　have　had　c