The San Francisco call., 1913-09-16
oontinued From Yesterday
CHAPTER VI.--Conttnued

In this manner Joe Carson, the no
torious forger. led the dripping girl
eastward through the squalid streets,
until at last they came to an ade-
quately lighted avenue, and there a
taxicab was found Tt carried them
farther north. and to the east still,
until at last it came to a halt before
an apartment house that was rather
imposing, set in a street of humber
dwellings. Here Carson paid the fare
and then helped the girl to alight and
on into the hallway. Mary went with
him quite unafraid, though now with
q growing curiosity Strange as it all
was, she felt that she could trust this
man who had piucked her from death,
who had worked over her with so
much OF tender kindliness. So she
waited patiently, only watched with
intentness as he pressed the button of
a fat number. She observed with IN
terest the thick, wavy gray hair.
which contradicted pleasantly the
youthfuIness of his clean shaven, res
olute face, and the spare, yet well
muscled form.
The clicking of the door latch
sounded soon, and the two entered
and went slowly up three flights of
stairs. On the landing beyond the
third flight the door of a rear fiat
stood open and in the doorway ap-
peared the figure Of q woman.
well, Joe. who's the skirt2" this
person demanded, as the man and his
charge halted before her. Then.
abruptly, the round, babylike face of
the woman puckered in amaZement.
Her voice rose shriil. My Gawd. If 1t
amt Mary Turner
At that the newcomers eyes opened
swiftly to their widest. and she stared
astounded In her turn.
.Aggier she cried.
CHAPTER VII
Within the Law
In the time that followed, Mary
lived In the fat which Aggie Lynch
occupied along with her brother, Jim,
a pickpocket much esteemed among
his fellow craftsmen. The period
wrought transformations of radical
and bewildering sort in both the ap-
pearance and the character of the
girl. Joe Carson, the forger, had
long been acquainted with Aggie and
her brother. though he considered
them far beneath him in the social
scale. since their criminal work was
not Of that high kind on which he
nrfded himself But, as he cast about
for some woman to whom he might
take the hapless girl he had rescued.
his thoughts fell on Aggie, and forth
with his determination was made,
since he knew that she was respect
able, viewed according to his own
peculiar lights. He was relieved
rather than otherwise TO learn that
there was already an acquaintance
between the two women, and the fact
that his charge had served time in
prison did not influence him one jot
against her On the contrary, 1t in
creased in some measure his respect
for her as one of his own kind. BY
the time he had learned as well of
her innocence, he had grown SO IN
terested that even her folly, as he
was inclined to deem It, did not cause
any wavering in his regard.
Now, at last, Mary Turner let her.
self drift. It seemed to ner that she
had abandoned herself to fate in that
hour when she threw herself into the
river Afterward, without any voli-
ton on her part she had been re-
stored to life, and set within an Ell
vironment new and strange to her,
in which soon, to her surprise, she
discovered a vivid pleasure, SO. she
fought no more but left destiny to
work it's will unhampered by her
futile strivings. For tile first time
in her life, thanks to the hospitality
of AggIe Lynch, secretly reinforced
from the funds of Joe Carson, Mary
found herself living In luxurious
idleness, while her every wish could
be gratifed by the merest mention OF
ii. She was fed on the daintiest fare
for Aggie was a sybarite in all SEN
suous pleasures that were apart from
sex. She was clothed with the most
delicate richness for the first time
as to those more mysterious gar
ments which women love, and she
soon had a variety of frocks as
charming as her graceful form de-
manded. In addition, there were as
many of books and magazines as she
could wish Her mind long starved
like her body. seized av4dly ON the
nourishrnent thus afforded. IN this
interest Aggie had no share--was
perhaps a little envious over Mary's
absorption in printed pages. But fol
her consolation were the matters OF
food and dress, and Of countless
iunketings In such directions Aggie
was the leader, an eager, joyous one
always. She took vast pride In
her guest, with the unmistakable
air Of elegance. and she dared
to dream of great triumphs tc
come. though as yet she carefully
avoided any suggestion to Mary OF
wrongdoing.
In the end the suggestion came
from Mary Turner herself, TO the
great surprise of Aggie. and. truth te
tell. of herself
There were two factors that chiefly