The Washington herald., 1908-04-06
By WILLIAM lie OUEUx.

question that he was deeply anxious to
| establish, SO that IN future he would
know whom to doubt and whom TO trust
Was Max Barclay really his friend?
Hour upon hour he reflected upon that
problem. He recoIlected incidents which,
IN bis present state OF mind, filed him
with nisgivings. Why had he openly
charged him with having been present at
the house in Cromwell road after the dis
| appearance OF the doctor and his daugh-
ter? Indeed, had he not practically
/ charged him with opening the doctors
safe and abstracting its contents? He
/ had not made the charge directly. it was
true, but his remarks had certainly been
made in a spirit of antagonistic suspicion.
/ long letter from Max explained the
sudden disappearance of Marion from
! Cunningtons, and begged him to give all
| information regarding any likely quarter
where the girl had sought refuge. It was
now plain enough to Charlie that his
sister had been discharged from the es-
] adjustment in Oxford street-and IN dis
/ grace! In what disgrace?
When he read the letter in his room
/ at the hotel ne crushed it in his hand
with an imprecation upon his lips. Cum
ningCon should answer 10 him for this
indignity. He would compel the fellow
/ to tell him the truth. His sisters honor
was at stake.
Disgraced by her sudden discharge. she
/ had disappeared. She had, no doubt been
ashamed to face the man who loved her,
ashamed. too to write to her brother.
| Instead. she preferred to so away and
efface herself as alas, so many London
| ship girls have done before her.
h
| by many shop keepers in London in dis
/ charging their female employees at a mo-
ments notice. For a man it matters lit
tie. Perhaps. indeed, it is best Tor both
parties. But for a helpless girl with
out friends. without money. and without
home to be cast suddenly upon the great
world of London. filed as It is with lures
and temptations, is grave sin which
no tradesman ought TO commit And yet
there are to-day in London and it's sub
urbs hundreds Of SNUG, top-hatted
frocke-coated tradesmen. Who though
pillars Of of their chapels and churches
and stalking round the aisles with their
plush collecting bags on Sundays. will. on
six days in the week, cast forth any poor
girl in their employ without a grain of
sympathy or conjunction merely because
she may break a rule, or even because
she does not lie 10 customers sufficiently
well to induce them TO make purchases.
The general public is ignorant OF the
tyranny of shop life in London. There
have been strIkes-strikes quickly sup
pressed because by lifting his finger the
employer is overwhelmed with assistants
glad to live on a mere bread and butter
wage-and those strikes have been treated
humorously by the evening papers. All!
the tragedy of it all
Charles RoIfe, though secretary and
trusted factotum of a millionaire, knew
Il all His sister had been in a snug
billet" one from which ne had f0ndy
believed she could never have been dis
lodged.
But the hard. bitter truth was now ap-
parent Even his own brotherly protec-
ton had availed her nothing. She had
been consigned to disgrace.
It was with such bitter thoughts he re-
solved 20 return to London. He went to
the telegraph Office and sent long mes
sage 10 Sam statham, explanatory Of
what had occurred. and beseeching his
Intervention with Cunnington.
Through the night he waited. but re-
ceived no response.
Then he went round In the morning to
bid Sir Charles adieu.
alive Of the British government; I'm
sorry you're of so quickly. My wife was
asking you to dine tomorrow night
usual weekly dinner. you know"
And have you discovered nothing re-
garding Petrovitch?" asked Charlie
quickly.
We'll" replied the diplomat. after a
moments hesitation. TO tell the truth.
have"
You have" gasped the young man,
eagerly. "Whatg"
The other knit his brows, and was for
a moment silent
Notwithstanding he said, that
is astounding, II cannot give il cred
ence. It is all too amazing -too tragic
too utterly Incomprehensible."
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW,