Putnam patriot., 1913-10-03

and wide among legal men the firm of which Judge Blackwell was the senior member commanded respect.
 Well. well," said the older man ''Is this you. Durham? I thought you were booked for home two days ago Suppose you come home to dinner with me. I've a matter Ia like to talk over with you before you leave. shall count this a most fortunate meet ing if you will"
 Just because he caught at any straw to keep him longer in Chicago. Dun ham accepted the invitation. Just ss the cab door was flung open in front of the handsome house where he was to be guest. two men passed slowly by, like shadows out of place. and there tioated in his ears one sentence voiced in broadest Irish: She goes by tn name of Mary, ye says? All roight, sorr. I'll keep a sharp look out"
 Tryon Durham turned and caught glimpse of silver changing hands One man was slight and fashionably dressed, and the light that was cast from the neighboring window showed his face to be dark and handsome. The other was short and stout. and clad in faded Prince Albert coat that bagged at shoulders and elbows. He wore rubbers over his shoes, and his footsteps sounded like those of & heavy dog. The two passed around the corner. and Durham and his host entered the house
 They were presently seated at a well appointed table. where an elab- crate dinner was served. The talk was of pleasant things that go to make up the world of refinement: but the mind of the guest was troubled. and constantly kept hearing that sen tence, She goes by the name of Mary"
 Then. suddenly, he looked up and met her eyes
 She was standing just back of her mistress's chair. with quiet. watchful attitude. but her eyes had been un- consciously upon the guest, until he he looked up and caught her glance.
 She turned away, but the color rose in her cheeks, and she knew that he was watching her
 Her look had startled him. He had never thought of looking for her in a menial position, and at first he had noticed only the likeness to her for whom he was searching But he watch ed her furtiYely, until he became more and more startled with the resem- blance. At last he broke in upon the conversation.
 Excuse me. but I wonder if l may interrupt you for a moment. l have thought of something that l ought to attend to at once. 1 wonder if the waitress would be kind enough to send a phone message for me I am afraid it will be too late if I wait"
 Why. certainly" said the host, all anxiety. Would you like to go to the phone yourself, or can I attend to it for you? Just feel perfectly at home"
 Already the young man was hastily writing line or two on a card he had taken from his pocket, and he handed it to the waitress, who at his question had moved silently behind his chair to do his bidding
 Just call up that number, please. and give the message below. They will understand, and then you will write down their answer?"
 He handed her the pencil and turn ed again to his dessert. Apparently his entire attention was devoted to his host and his ice, but in reality he was listening to the click of the telephone and the low, gentle voice in an adjoin- ing room. It came after only a mo- ments pause and he wondered at the calmness with which the usual for mula of the telephone was carried on. He could not hear what she said, but his ears were alert to the pause, just long enough for a few words to be written, and then to her footsteps coming quietly back
 He had applied the test. There was no number upon the card. and he knew that if the girl were not the one of whom he was in search, she would return for an explanation.
 If you are Mary Remington" tell me where and when I can talk with you Inn mediately important to us bothl
 This was what he had written on the card. His fingers trembled as he took it from the silver tray which she presented to him demurely. He pick ad if mn and aaoarI1y rood tho dalioote writing-hers-the same that had ex- pressed her thanks and told of her safe arrival in Chicago He could scarcely refrain from leaping from his chair and shouting aloud in his glad ness.
 The message she had written was simple. No stranger reading it would have thought twice about it. If the guest had read it aloud. 1t would have aroused no suspicion.
 Y W. c. A Building, small parlor. three tomorrow
 He took his leave early In the eve ming and hurried back to his hotel As he crossed the street to hail a cab, he thought he saw short, baggy figure shambling along in the shadow on the other side, looking up at the house.
 He had professed to have business to attend to. but when he reached his room he could do nothing but sit down and think. That he had found her for whom he had so long sought filled him with deeper joy than any he had ever known before That he had found her in such a position deepened the mystery and filled him with a name less dread Then out of the shadow of his thoughts shambled the baggy man in the rubberg and he could not