The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1911-04-22

az a peculiarly appropriate title. hash
ed through her mind The History Of
q Crime" Yet abe thought they could
hardly infringe on Victor Hugo. Per-
haps the best title was tho simplest
1.-THE History Of the Empire Trading
Company" Every one would under
stand that It told the story Of John
Burkett Ryder's remarkable career
from his earliest beginnings to the
present time She worked feverishly
all that evening getting the material
into shape, and the following day
found her early at her desk No one
disturbed her, and she wrote steadily
on until noon, Mrs. Ryder only once
putting her head in the door to Wish
her good morning.
After luncheon Shirley decided that
the weather was too glorious to remain
indoors. Her health must not be jeop.
ardized even to advance the interests
Of the Colossus, SO she put on her hat
and left the house to 60 for walk
The air smelled sweet to her after be-
Ing confined so long indoors, and she
walked with more elastic and buoy.
ant step than she had since her return
home. Turning down Fifth avenue,
she entered the park at Seventy-second
street, following the pathway until she
came to the bend in the driveway op-
posite the Casino. The park was al.
most deserted at that hour, and there
was delightful sense of solitude and
: a sweet scent Of new mown hay from
the freshly cut. lawns She found an
empty bench, we'll shaded by an over
spreading tree, and sat down, CRATE
full for the rest and quiet.
She wondered what Jefferson thought
Of her action in coming to his fathers
house practically in disguise and I'M
der an assumed name. She must see
him at once, for in him lay her hope of
obtaining possession of the letters.
Certainly she felt no delicacy or COM
Function in asking Jefferson to do her
this service. The letters belonged to
her father, and they were being wrong
fully withheld with the deliberate pur-
pose Of doing him an injury. She had
a moral If not legal right to recover
the letters in any way that she could.
She was SO deeply engrossed in her
thoughts that she had not noticed a
hanson cab which suddenly drew up
with jerk at the curb opposite her
bench. A man jumped out. 1t was JET
ferson
"Hello, Shirley" he cried gayly.
'FWho would have expected to find you
rusticating on a bench here? pictured
you grinding away at home doing lit.
erary stunts for the governor" He
grtnned and then added: "Come for a
drive. want to talk to you"
Shirley demurred. No; she could not
spare the time. Yet, she thought to
herself, why was not this good op-
portunity to explain to Jefferson how
he came to find her in his fathers H.
brary masquerading under another
name and also to ask him to secure the
letters for her? While she pondered
Jefferson insisted, and a few minutes
later she found herself sitting beside
him in the cab. They started of. at q
brisk pace, Shirley sitting with her
head back, enjoying the strong breeze
caused by the rapid motion. -.
"Now: tell me- he said, what does
1t all~mean? was so startled at see-
Ing you in the. library the other. day
: that almost betrayed you How did
you come to call on father2"
Briefly Shirley explained everything.
She told him how Mr. Ryder had writ
ten to her asking her to call and see
him and how she had eagerly seized at
this last straw in the hope Of helping
her father. She told him about the let
tiers, explaining how necessary they
were for her fathers defense and how
she had discovered them. Mr.. Ryder,
she said, had seemed to take a fancy
to her and had asked her to remain in
the house as his guest while she was
compiling his biography, and she had
accepted the offer not so much for the
amount Of money involved as for: the
splendid opportunity it afforded her to
gain possession of the letters.
$50 that Is the mysterious work you
spoke Of, to get those letters?' said
Jefferson.
yes; that is my mission. It was q
secret: I couldn't tell you. couldn't
tell any one. Only Judge Stott knows.
He is aware have found them and is
hourly expecting to receive them from
me. And now" she said, II want your
help"
His only answer was to grasp tighter
the hand she had laid in hts. She
knew that she would not have to ex-
plain the nature Of the service she
wanted. He understood.
where are the letters?' he demand
ed.
I'm the left hand drawer Of your ia.
TIERS DESK" she answered.
He was silent for few moments,
and then he said simply:
twill get them.''
The cab by this time had got a. far
as Claremont, and from the hill sum-
NIT they had splendid view of the
broad sweep Of tho majestic Hudson
and the towering walls Of the blue
palisades. The day was SO beautiful
and the air so invigorat1nR that Jeffer-