, 1912-12-26
CHAPTER I.
Sentiment and CIaMa.

-
law proves her otherwise. From
the frayed and ~slovenIy petuooat,
Of the woman who owns a poultry
stand In the market and who has
grown wealthy By selling chickens a
twelve ounces to the pound or the sill
sweep of Mamie Tracy. whose dia
monds have been stolen down on thu
avenue or the staidly respectable blach
and middle aged skirt OF the client
whose husband has found an affinity
partial to laces and frfpperies and has
run OF with her-all the wearers are
ladies and as such announced By
Aawes. In fact, he carries It to ex.
cess BE speaks Of his wash lady,
with a husband who Il. an ash mer.
chant. and he announced one day In
some excitement that the lady who had
Just gone out had appropriated all the
loose change out Of the pocket of his
pvercoat.
10 when Halves announced a lady
took my feet Oh my desk, put down
the brief had been reading and rose
p~erfunctorily. With my first glance
ht my visitor. however, I threw away
my cigar and, ! hays heard since. set
fled my tte- That this client was DIFF.
ferent was borne In ON me ut once by
the nay she entered the room. She
had poise in spite Of embarrassment,
and her face when she raised her veil
was white. refined and young.
~ did not send In my name" she
said when che saw me glancing down
for the card Halves usually puts on
my table. ut was advice / wanted,
and II did not think the name would
matter"
She was more composed, I think,
when she found me considerably older
than herself. 1 saw her looking fur
lively at the craving places over my
ears. I'M only thirty-hye. Al far as
that goes. but my family, although Il
keeps its hair. turns gray early-a
business asset. but a social handicap.
Won't you sit DOWN." asked. push
ing out q chair SO that she would face
The light while l remained in shadow.
Every doctor and every lawyer knows
that trick. Only, too often the, raising
of a woman's veil in my once reveals
the ravages Of tears or rouge or dis
Isipation. Ny new client turned fear
fessly to the Window an unlined. face,
with q clear skin, healthily pale. From
where l sat her profile was beautiful.
~ hardly know how to begin" she
said. but NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
that a man, a well known man, should
leave home without warning. not tax
ing any clothes except those he wore
and saying he was coming home to
dinner, and he-he"-
How long has be been gone7"
Ten days"
IL should think 1t ought to be looked
into" l said decisively and got up.
Somehow ! couldn't sit quietly. A
lawyer who is worth anything Is al
ways a partisan. ] suppose. and l v
er hear of a man deserving his wife
that l am not indignant, the virtuous
Iscorn Of the unmarried man perhaps.
I"But you win have to tell me more
than that. Did this gentleman have
ANY bad habits-that ID. did he-er-
drink 2"
mot to excess. He played bridge for
money. but I believe he was rather
lucky"
Married. I supposef' 1 asked cssu.
lilly.
He had been. His wife died when
" She stopped and bit her lip. Then
Ut was not her husband. after all. Odd
enough. the sun came ont just at
That moment, splitting q pool of sun
light at her feet.
1T is my father" she said simply.
was absurdly relieved.
He would have papers to identity
,himr
l pockets were always full Of en-
Velopes and things like that"
Don't you think ! ought to know his
manner | asked. "It need not be
known outside of the office. and this IL
worse" Wv y
my name Is Fleming. Margery
fieming," she said after a seconds
uesitation. land my father, Allan Elem.
.us' Is the man. Oh, Mr.. Knox. what
sre We going to dor He has been gone
i'r more than a week.
NJ wonder she had wished to conceal
me IDENTITY of the missing man. So
Allan Fleming was lost! A good many
SS.saiy respectable citizens would hope
ina ne might never be found ,Flem-
Us STATE treasurer, delightful compan-
pohshed gentleman and successful
IA" uelan OF the criminal type. Out
s,ne, IN the corridor the office boy was
thasns under his breath. "Oh, once
NJ was a miller" be ans. ..who
utns ~ a mill" 1t brought to my
for. rns reform meeting a year be
where for a few houra WE had