"
"Very well, Miss Sinclair."
"You may put me down as from-well, from Philadelphia."
"All right. Shall I put myself down from Philadelphia, too?"
"Not unless you choose. Your native village will answer. By the way,
you are to pass for my cousin, and it will be better, therefore,
that you should call me by my first name-Ida."
"I wouldn't take the liberty but for your wishing it."
"I do wish it-otherwise it would be difficult to pass you off as my
cousin."
"All right, Miss Sinclair-I mean Ida."
"That is better. I shall call you Ben."
"You couldn't very well call me Mr. Stanton," said our hero,
smiling.
"Not very well. But here we are at the hotel. We will go in
together. I will go to the ladies' parlor, and you can join me there
after securing rooms at the office."
"Very well-Ida."
Of course Ben was not used to city hotels, and he was a little
afraid that he should not go to work properly, but he experienced no
difficulty. He stepped up to the desk, and said to the clerk:
"I should like to engage rooms for my cousin and myself."
The clerk pushed the register toward him.
Ben inscribed the names. At first he could not remember his
companion's last name, and it made him feel awkward.
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