The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-10-09
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY

disconsolately at the blank wall be-
fore her. She realized that fate had
decreed defeat for. her in the game.
1t was after a minute of silence, in
which the two men sat staring. that
at last she spoke with savage wrath
against the pit into which she had
fallen after her -arduous tempest
'Ain't that the damndest luckl'
For little interval still. Burke
Cassidy. and then back again to the
girl. who sat immobile with her blue
eyes steadfastly fixed on the wall.
The police official was. in truth. to-
tally bewildered. Here was mex
plicable mystery. Finally. he adj
dressed the detective curtly:
Cassidy. do you know this
woman"
Sure. ! dor' came the placid an
swer. He went on to explain with
the direct brevity of his kind. She's
little Aggie Lynch--con' woman. from
Buffalo-two years for blackmail-
did her time at Burnsing."
With this succinct narrative con-
corning the girl. who sat mute and
mofionless in the chair with her eyes
fast on the wall, Cassidy relapsed into
silence during which he stared rath-
er perplexedly at his chief, who
seemed to be in the throes of un-
usual emotion AS the detective ex-
pressed it in his own yernacular:
For the first time in his experience,
the Inspector appeared to be actually
ratified"
For q little time there was silence.
the while Burke sat staring at the
averted face of the girl. His ex-
preston was that of one who has
just undergone soul stirring shock
Then, presently, he set his features
grimly. rose from his chair. and
walked to a position directly in the
front of the girl. who still refused
to look In his direction.
Young woman he began. Sc
verely. Then, of a SUDDEN, he laughed
You picked the right business, all
right, all right" he said, with a GER
tain enthusiasm. He laughed aloud
until his eyes were only Sits, and his
ample paunch trembled vehementIy.
'"Well.' he went on. at last. Il GER
tainly have TO hand it to you. kid.
You're a beaut.f'
Aggie shifted vehementiy in rebuke
of the gross Partially of fate in his
behalf.
Just as I had him goin'w she said
bitterly, as If in seif-communion.
without hitting her gaze from the
blank surface of the wall.
Now, however. Burke was reminded
once again of his official duties, and
he turned quickly to the attentive
Cassidy
.-Have you got picture of this
young woman" he asked brusquely
And when Cassidy had replied In the
negative, he again faced the adven-
turess with a mocking grin--in which
mockery, too, was a fair fragment for
himself, who had been so thoroughly
within her tolls of Establishment.
I'D dearly love to have a photo
graph of you, Miss Helen Turner
West" he said.
The speech aroused the stolid de-
tective to a new interest.
Helen Turner West?'' he repeated,
inqdiringly.
sOh, that's the name she told me-"
the inspector explained. somewhat
shamefacedly before this question
from his inferior. Then he chuckled
for he had sense OF humor sufficient to
triumph even over his own discom-
future In this encounter. And she
had me winging, too" he confessed.
Yes, 1 admit it, He turned to the
girl admiringly- You sure are i'm
mense, little one-immense" He
smiled somewhat more in his official
manner of mastery. "And now may
have the honor OF asking you to ac-
cept the escort of Mr.. Cassidy to our
gallery"
Aggie sprang to her feet and re-
garded the inspector with eyes in
- ~ q
had beguiled him so recently from
those ingenious orbs.
-Oh. can that stuff" she cried,
Grossly. Lets get down to business
on the dot-and no frills on 1t, Keep
to casesw
Now you're talking" Burke de-
clared, with new appreciation of