Evening star., 1901-11-23

eyes, and slipped away with an air of evil
dent relief.
She looks you square in the eye, which
Is more than most women do, he muir
INJURED ungdllantly as he hurried toward
the elevator
No name adorned the ground-glass door
of David Graham's office. situated at the
end of dark corridor in the towering Of
flee building. Those who had need of his
services knew where to find him. AS for
the rest Of the world the less it knew of
his movements the better he was suited.
For Graham was a successful private de-
tective, quiet unoStentatiOus. inscrutable,
and he looked for his clients in the very
hub of the financial world-Wal street
That is how he happened to get the Wor-
rell case. All the Manhattan security and
Investment company corporation asked of
Graham was the return of the money and
bonds with which young WorreH had alb
seconded. They had no intention of prose-
cutting the son Of the Institutions founder.
The one horror which the situation held
for the company was publicity. The fact
that 50 solid, so conservative a firm had
been wantonly. fagrantly fieeced was to be
suppressed at any cost, even that of the
hypothecated funds
Helen Maitland knew all this and more,
the names and numbers of the stolen bonds,
the color of the young mans eyes and hair
and the number in his watch. She had in
Vulnerable specimens of his handwriting in
personal notes and business letters half
dozen OF his photographs, and a picture OF
the woman in the case. a stage beauty who
stood in the front row of a Broadway
chorus.
Graham was annoyed al the slowness of
his progress in the case. No trace of Wor-
Tsll had he found abroad or in Canada and
the fact that the stage beauty still haunted
Broadway Inclined the detective to the be-
lief that the abscOnding cashier was
shrewIly hiding in New York pending the
subsistence of interest In the case. Hence
he had called in his brother, formerly with
the city detective bureau, 10 follow the
n .irfe
the metropolitan lodging houses.
Before his brother was fairly out of the
building. Graham. in his teTse, business
like fashion, had gone over the ground
with Helen. The gray-eyed stenographer
gave a sigh OF relief.
Il am glad to hear that Mr.. Graham ill
be with you for while. for IL
David Graham compressed his lfps sud-
denly. She was about to tender her resig-
nation. Well, a triflinS matter like in
creased salary should not stand between
them.
Yes he said, encouragingly
Why. YOU see. Mr.. Graham we've been
so busy, and-and, well, perhaps you have
forgotten the fact but I've had no vacation
this year
No. Graham had not forgotten the fact.
All summer long he had postponed Offering
her the vacation because-and now he woke
suddenly to the selfishness of his attitude
he could not endure the thought of the
Office without her presence Week after
week he had salved his conscience with the
belief that he had never put in such busy
summer. He had no intention, however, OF
telling Helen all this. She was far too
valuable an employe to be frightened away
by any expression of sentimental nonsense.
Better to have her near In the role of STEM
ographer than not at all.
That is so. Miss Maitland. and let's see
this is November 10. Rather late to turn
summer girl, eh? Shall you go to Saratoga
or Long Branch2"
Helen smiled at his unexpected LIeas-
antry- he was always so grave, so abb
soroed in the complications of his clients
Neither. Mr. Graham. You see, we are
New Englanders. and my mother still occu-
pies the small homestead at Benson Iiar-
Dor. We've never been separated Thanks
giving day, and I'd like TO spend my two
weeks with her and brother jim"
certainly. Il m New Englandsr myself
and know Just how you feel though there
me away from New York this year Just
remind me Saturday to make out your
check for the vacation salary, and-I hone
you'll have pleasant time"
Then Helen went back to her typewrite,
and Graham apparently resumed his cogi.
tations on the Worrell case At least Inc
sat with his hands thrust deeply into kis
pockets and his brows knotted in frown
'Mother dear. however do you stand IT %
asked Helen. as she stood at the small
paned window of her mothers cottage and
watched the night fog settle down on the
Jagged coast rocks. She pictured Broad
way at the same hour. the crush of people
homeward bound. the brilliant windows
the cleaning electric signs. And here were
the bleakness and blackness of night. al
unrelieved
Stand what?' asked her mother, piacidiy