Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-12

you win find that don't need an alibi OF
| anything but apology. Meanwhile, 4
| suppose I'd better get some one to 60 bail
| for me-"
| While I was scribbling a summons I'd
| my father and a vague lie to Kate. tho
| girl was talking in a low voice to the
| magistrate. 1t didn't occur to me what
| she was up to till he remarked that he'd
| leave me here for the present, and closed
| the door in my face. i called him furi-
| ously as the lock turned. but mademoi-
| selles heavy pathetic had evidently been
| more effective than my righteous wrath
| My accomplish buried her face and be-
| gan to cry. leaned against the wall with
my arms folded and awaited develop
| ments. After moment she pulled her
| self together
This amt stage business" she said, dry
| ing her eyes. ITS the shock"
THE shock of finding that I was still
| true to you. l suppose" l suggested.
| She looked up and smiled. She had a
| strange little brown face with squirrel
| brightness about it. and when she smiled
| her eyes became two shiny brown lines.
| Angry as | was, my face relaxed little.
| Now L know I've got you into hole-a
| mean one,' she began. growing very seri-
Gus. 1T was a dirty trick. and you cam
! say Just what you're mind to. I've been
| cussed before"
Il don't wonder I said. 81 want to
| know why you did it
| She looked at me consIderingly. She
| was not pretty, but there was an odd at
| Effectiveness about her face l don't think
| | am absolute fool in my judgment OF
women Though it is only fair to add that
| Kate thinks l ann, but l saw sincerity in
| her I felt that in her own way she would
| play fair. i think she must have seen this
| opinion dawning in me, for she gave an
| other of her queer little goblin smiles.
Il done it for the biggest reason a wo-
| man even does anything for she said
! finally.
| Then there is man In the case" 4
| hazarded.
| You're not so slow" she nodded.
| "And you want to shield him by getting
| some one else suspected in his placer
Just till tomorrow" she said. "Ill give
away the whole fake myself IN the morn
| ing"
"And then how will you be any better
| OFF, ~
! s"Todays today and tomorrow's tomor-
! row." and she shut her eyes as though to
| hide her meaning. Il suppose they'll be all
| just alike, todays and tomorrows, after I'm
| shut up for good" she added Il never got
| in before Three hundred and sixty-fve
| days in a year. How many years. do YOU
| suppose2"
| why did you do it?" 7 broke out. The
| idea of using great stone blocks and iron
| bars to hold that little scrap of a creature
! irritated me.
"Never you mind" she returned. y won-
| der how much she's do for her man, the
/ girl that owned the things?" she added.
| "Three hundred and sixty-five daysi u
picked up that sock for luck, but guess II
| didn't get to working till today. How did
you come here, anyhow"
Through the other SOCK, l answered.
She was not listening.
And oh, for one minute I thought they'd
pinch him." she went on. " Here's youg
| partner in crime they said. Goshl y
| couldn't look. When 1 saw it wasn't l just
went it blind, and luck was with me-
How do you know won't go and tell all
| this tonight2'' I asked. She looked up at
| me very earnestly, and 1 swear she wasn't
playing part.
II don't guess you will" she said slowly.
II watched you yesterday when you helped
that pretty white lady into the hack-oh, y
spotted you today as soon as 1 saw you
close up-and l guessed then what sort you
were. man with your face Is good to-
women. and to people in trouble And.
God If I'm not woman in trouble! she
| did not lower her eyes but they grew sud
denly shiny, and two tears rolled down her
| face.
TITS all such pity such a miserable
| business" 1 exclaimed.
There's not many jobs I'd stick at, IL he
needed anything and 1 could help him set
| it," she said simply. Il bungled and got
p!nched. They could get him tonight. but
| he'll be safe by tomorrow. Now you
There was the instant slam of an iron
door.
"Well?' she said. looking squarely into
"Well?" 1 answered but I don't suppose
my face had the look of man about to do
his duty by his country. for the little COB
| lin smile crept out again.
II wish 1 could do something for YOU
| she said. "Just for the way you-you look
| at me. Do you want to kiss me?'
NO" I said. keeping my eyes firmly on
| the ground.
sorry" she sighed. II haven't got any
thing else"
"IlI keep the red sock" said as the key
| turned in the door.
NV father was in the outer office very
mad and excited.
TT will all be cleared up tomorrow. It's
| Just a fool mistake l told him. Bail pas
out and let's go home to dinner. I'm dead
tired"
The officer turned up early the next morn
| Ing to tell me that the young woman had
| acknowledged that she had put up game
| on me- for no reason worth considering,
and that what they had found out about
me would have satisfied them there was o.
mistake, anyway. The woman. he added,
was believed to be a confidence agent. who
had been doing several cities. They had
given I'D the confederate theory. She was
evidently working alone.
| had to tell Kate the whole story to eK-
plain the broken engagement. She took 81
cynical view of the case.
II know lust how she worked you. Any
good-looking woman could" she declared.
"She only had to cry little and you go
forth and pull wires till she gets off with
out being prosecuted. You're as bad an
Muriel-you believe anybody
Kate may be right; but | never quite lost
faith In the brown, gnomish face that look
ed up at me so squarely. And l have kept
the crimson sock. My wife laughs at II,
but she never suggests that 1t shall be
thrown away. Perhaps. on the whole. she
woman.