www.freeclassicebooks.com

He had driven for about a week when, upon coming into the barn after

completing his morning delivery, he was instructed to take a special order to a

certain address on Lake Shore Drive. Although the address was not that of one of

his regular customers he felt that there was something vaguely familiar about it,

but when he finally arrived he realized that it was a residence at which he had

never before called.

Driving up the alley Jimmy stopped in the rear of a large and pretentious home,

and entering through a gateway in a high stone wall he saw that the walk to the

rear entrance bordered a very delightful garden. He realized what a wonderfully

pretty little spot it must be in the summer time, with its pool and fountain and

tree-shaded benches, its vine-covered walls and artistically arranged shrubs, and

it recalled to Jimmy with an accompanying sigh the homes in which he had

visited in what seemed now a remote past, and also of his own home in the West.

On the alley in one corner of the property stood a garage and stable, in which

Jimmy could see men working upon the owner's cars and about the box-stalls of

his saddle horses. At the sight of the horses Jimmy heaved another sigh as he

continued his way to the rear entrance. As he stood waiting for a reply to his

summons he glanced back at the stable to see that horses had just entered and

that their riders were dismounting, evidently two of the women of the household,

and then a houseman opened the door and Jimmy made his delivery and started

to retrace his steps to his wagon.

Approaching him along the walk from the stable were the riders--two young

women, laughing and talking as they approached the house, and suddenly

Jimmy, in his neat white suit, carrying his little tray of milk-bottles, recognized

them, and instantly there flashed into recollection the address that Harriet

Holden had given him that night at Feinheimer's.

"What infernal luck," he groaned inwardly; "I suppose the next time I see that girl

I'll be collecting garbage from her back door." And then, with his eyes straight to

the front, he stepped aside to let the two pass.

The Efficiency Expert