The San Francisco call and post., 1913-12-22
A THRILLING STORY OF
SOCIETY BLACK F1AILER,l $

at all-that's life. my dear girl-and
everybody has some such little shadow
across their life-we'd die of stagna-
tion without some experience"
With an effort Aline regained con-
troll of herself. Her weakness would
only put her deeper in the toils-it
would only make this creature the
more relentlessly sure of his power
over her.
How much do you want for that
letter." she asked
One thousand dollars"
/ haven't that much money. / can't
get IT."
Your friends?" asked F1agg.
i can't appeal to my friends for
money. said the girl proudly
..Papay
You know who my father is-what
position he occupies in our govern
ment-and this is blackmail.'' said the
girl with spirit
why not have me arrested %
sneered Flagg from his safe position
behind the powerlessness of this girl
to confess to any dealings with such
man as he
L would-if I were a man." de-
clared the girl. impotently.
Flagg smiled. My best clients are
gentlemen"
If only my father knew this-he'd
Kill you." said the girl hotiy.
Fathers don't kill any more
they're like husbands-they compro-
mise said our gentle cynic
The girl pulled a little roll of bills
from the bosom of her gown and
dashed them down on his desk-she
would not have risked handing them
to Judson Flagg lest her fingers touch
his. Later this bit of fine feeling was
to seem ironical, indeed.
Il said thousand said the man
monster coldly.
HER MOTHERS JEWEL
The girl stood looking at him for
one eternally long second. She won
dered II this could be some nightmare
creature born OF her own imagfna-
tion. She had seconds hysterically
childish desire to put out her hand
and see if he could really be true. Then
she remembered horrible tale she
had once read of a creature, half spi-
der, half human-a creature inhabiting
the African Jungle. The tale was nc
mere figment of the writer's brain
she thought. Such a thing sat before
her now-dark. hairy, ready to pounce
or leap or swing silently down its
tortuous web upon its horrified vic
tim.
Only secondhand then in his gilt.
tering, venomous glance she read that
she must act-act now--at oncei
She unfastened her soft coat oil
clinging velvet, and drew her moth
er's pin from her belt. The roses II
held fell unheeded at her feet. And
on the fall of those Killarney roses
hung fate itself.
The mans greedy eyes were fast
ened in admiring calculation on the
girlish figure in the soft white gown
under that cloaking mass of velvet
The girl held out her jewel.
This emerald will nearly make 1t
up.
What's 1t WORTH" asked Flagg
slowly removing his calculating eyes
from one jewel to the other.
II don't know exactly"-then her
distaste for the creature making her
bold beyond the bounds of prudence.
A1ine added Enough for you, any
wav"
Less than five hundred, I'd say"
was Flagg's final verdict.
But it's everything / have and ]
promise to pay you up the balance
pleaded the girl--forgetting that 1t
was not to a man she was talking,
the enemy of decency and society.
Flagg rose-the time was ripe for
action-the moment had come for
Flagg to discover to her the full
measure of his vileness-and for only
one more safe second Aline was not
aware of the abyss of horror yawn-
ing before her feet.
Ladies are careless about paying, :
said he.
Every penny I get will come TO
you until you are paid-believe mer'
He shook his head and finally
tossed the brooch carelessly back on
the desk.
THE FIEND
I'm a business man, but the man
in me is more important than the
business"
Why, he was human and humane,
after ALL thought the elated girl. He
had tortured her with the possibility
of horror, but at the last he would
not go through with 1t. He had a
heart--it was vulnerable to woman s
suffering. She answered in breath
less, unbelievable delight:
You mean-I may have it,,
.T mean there's way to get it.v
The lecring face leaned closer across