Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-17

by the fire as he spoke; and his pale.
nervous face Wa stamped with the extraordinary net
work of dark wrinkles that browning brought to It,
The woman, tall and graceful in her simple dark ark
frock stood looking down at him as she drew off her
gloves with curious little smile, half speculation halt
tolerant.
NERVES agan?' she asked.
NO | am sick of the dirty business, and L,
Easy enough TO get out OF the dirty business, II
you want to.
"If want to- As If l wouldn't give everything
/ have in the world never to have begun it
The frown twisted his eyebrows closer over his eyes,
his hands closed rgidy over the arms OF the chair
"Ah, BAH" she returned pushing her veil back over over
her small hat and taking off her jacket You have
one of your bad days. that's all You'll cheer up after
bit"
of his sudden RACES and rising advanced toward her
threateningly as if about strike her She looked
quietly down at him, for she was the taller, meeting
ms angry eyes with her calm ones.
"You didn't sleep at ALL did your" she asked, ap-
parenty of his anger, and without word
he stumbled back his chair and crouched there tear
ing at his nails witt his sharp, discolored teeth
And then happened the extraordinary thing that oc-
Cured at each of their meetings.
The had sunk very low, but he was still enough
of gentleman be desperately ashamed OF the bond
between tins and himself. Their secret was an
extraord eriy profitable and apparently safe one but
unscrupuous he had always been, his very health
suffering under the shame he felt for what he was
doing
leather box the table before her. and began to read
aloud Chase sat up straighter the trown faded from
his face which seemed grow younger he listened,
and when, at last her dark. mobile face broke into
smile of delight and amusement he too laughed aloud
"a laugh of shy pride in an achievement
at is splendid, Mr.. Chase, she cried the best OF
all-the very bestp
He nodded "Yes, it is good All the papers are
talking about them now Even the STAR says the style
is perfect"
Rose Butler laughed. 81 am not very long on style
she returned with touch of the slang that, curiousy
enough lent her a certain wellbred air. but the ma
teria is certainly spendidy worked up; have nothing
to suggest Shall get TO work on the tcktck?
"Yes. You are absolutely sure of your facts?" he
went on as usual nervously doubtful of her part of
the work. that his pride as to his own was salts
Perfectly" she returned seating herself before the
typewriter and switching the electric light. 81 saw
her myself AS told you, one of my sisters married
the hall-porer there, and | her myselt-twlce'
"But you said she closely veiled land it was
late afternoon" he persisted feebly lighting cigarette
taken, and if it mistake the charm is broken.
my mean to say our prestige lowered. Our abso-
lutte accuracy has been-"
She wheeled round and looked at him, her handsome
face in the glare of light full Of not unkndy scorn
"Now don't you get nervous she said: Il am per-
fecy sure, tell you ind if you go on like this you'll
81 know, know Go on working II am tired
out, that's all"
down the long ROOM listening to the deliberate click of
the typewriter and smoking one cigarette after the
other 1t was a curious alliance that of Lady Bar
rngton's maid and James Chase 1t had lasted now
for four months and as has been said had paid we'll
Begun at Mutton, the place of Chases elder brother
where the Barringtons visiting through some
hazard of meeting, it had been purely of profit.
Rose Butler had persuasive tongue, a quick eye
and retentive memory Chase had curious gift of
words, an easy flow of graceful language in writing
that sharply in contrast to his meager erky style
of conversation 1t was in fact, real literary gift
that the man had discovered in himself toward his
fftieth year and which, with all his baseness it bitter
hurt him to put to the foul uses to which he had
prosttuted it.
So the woman cleaning from many underground
the nucleus of somebody's secret some hidden
scandal the used the OPPORTUNITIES his social po,
sition gave him for observation and confirmation and
combining her news and his using his ears and his
follow up the scent and run the secret quarry to
sartlr he moulded the whole mass of truth supposi-
ion and slander into biting, welconstructed chron-
Gle in which much was said and more indicated with
lust the hairs breath of reserve that kept the publish
of The Social World safe from the clutches of the