, 1910-08-11

ster. he sent for Capt. Clinton. The
police are afraid you'll run away or
something"
And my husband" gasped Alicia;
he doesn't know, does he?"
NO, | didn't tell them. / said you'd
tell them yourself, but they won't
trust you when they know who you
are. Let's tell the judge-he may
think of a plan. Suppose you go away
until" Puzzled herself to find a way
out of the dilemma, Annie paced the
floor nervously. ooh, this is awful"
she exclaimed. What are we to dor"
She looked toward Alicia, as If ex-
pecing some suggestion from her. but
ner companion was too much over
whelmed to take any initiative.
ut does stun one, doesn't 1T" went
on Annie. "You can't think when It
comes all Of a sudden like this. It's
just the way | felt the morning they
showed me Towards confession"
Prison! Prisoni" walled Alicia
Annie tried to console her.
mot for long" she said soothinsly;
you can get bail. It's only a matter
of favor-Judge Brewster would get
you out right away"
Get me out!" cried Alicia distract
eddy. MY God! l can't go to prison!
| can't That's too much. I've lone
nothing! Look-read this!" Handing
over U~nderwood's letter, she went on:
You can see for yourself. The wretch
frightened me into such a state OF
mind that ! hardly knew what l was
doing-I went to his rooms to save
him. That's the truth, l swear to
God! But do you suppose anybody
will believe me on oath? They'll
they'll"
knew what she was saying or doing.
She collapsed utterly, n sinking
down in a chair, gave way to a pas
sionate fit OF sobbing. Annie tried to
quiet her:
"Hush!" she said gently. don't go
on like that. Be brave. Perhaps It
won't be as bad as % think" She
unfolded the letter Alicia a given
her and carefully ead 1t through.
When she had finished her face lit up
with joy. Enthusiastically she cried:
This is great for Howard! What
a blessing you didn't destroy it! What
a wretch, what a hound to write you
like that! Poor soul, of course, you
went and begged him not to do 1t!
I'd have zone myself, but / think I'd
have broken an umbrella over his head
or something Gee! these kin Of fell
lows breed trouble, don't they? Alive
or dead, they breed troubled What
can we do?"
Alicia rose. Her tears had disap-
peared. There was a o OF fixed re-
solve In her eyes.
Howard must be cleared" she said,
and | must face it-alone!"
you'll be alone all right" said An
ME thoughtfully. mir. Jeffries will do
as much for you as he did for his
son."
Noticing that her companion seemed
hurt by lei %frankness, she changed
the topic.
Honest to Cod" she exclaimed
good-naturedly, I'm broken-hearted-
I'll do anything to save you from this
this public disgrace. 1 know what 1t
means-I've had my lose of 1t. But
this thing has got to come out, hasn't
it?"
The bankers wife YEARLY nodded
assent.
Yes, I realize that" she said, but
the disgrace of arrest-I can't stand
1t, Annie! I can't go to prison even
If It's only for a minute" Holding out
a trembling hand. she wen on: GIVE
me back the letter. I'll leave New
York to-night-Im go to Europe-Ill
send 1t to Judge Brewster from Paris"
Looking ~anxiously into her compan
ions face. she pleaded: you'll trust
me to do that, won't you? Give It to
me. please-you can trust me"
Her hand was still extended, but
Annie ignored It.:
"No-no." she said, shaking her
head, 81 can't give 1t to you-how can
I? Do you understand what the let
ter means to me?"
Have PITY" cried the bankers
wife, almost beside herself. you can
tell them when I'm out of the coun-
try. Don't a"k me to make this sac
rifice now-don't ask me-don't!"
Annie was beginning to lose pa
tience. The woman's s~elfishness an
gered her, With irritation, she said:
you've lost your nerve. and you
don't know what you're saying. How
ards life comes before you-me-or
anybody. You know that"
"Yes-yes," cried Alicia desperate
ly, II know that. I'm only asking you
to wait. II ought to have left this
morning-that's what / should have
done-gone at once. Now it's too
late, unless you help me-"
"Il help o all I can" replied the
other doggedly. but I've promise
Judge Brewster to clear up this mat.
ter tonight"
Suddenly there was a commotion nc