The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-03-14

try as she would, she could not JUST
fly his words to her with his act at
the arbor. The danger to the girls
under her protection was imminent.
The whole affair had been a travesty
at best. and she was unwise to continue
1t longer. But what method Of pro-
cedure was best? Jackie thought seri-
ously for an hour. Then she sum
moned an attendant from the Office
and gave him a message. Having done
this she retired.
Mayor Bedight was still up at mid
night when a woman glided down the
hallway and tapped gently at bis
door. 1t was opened from within
and the girl closed 1t behind her.
"Walter!" she cried, excitedly.
Jackie Vining has sem help to the
sheriff. l just learned 1t. It's almost
time for him to arrive. You must
act quickly. The letter with the bill
inside Is still unsealed on her dresser
l tried to get 1t but failed. You
must"
All right, Bess." replied the mayor.
patting the girl on the shoulder. "T1l
act-and want to say right here that
you're a trump card. It's up to your
Uncle Dudley to buy you q new seal.
skin when we meet In Chicago"
The mayor was moving lively,
throwing his few effects into a suit
case.
I'm ready, Bess." he said hurrisdly.
While I'm trying to turn this trick.
you slip out and see II Briggs is
waiting. It's a hour too soon. but he
may be there. Good-by. little girl.
Nuns the word" giving her q loving
hug.
The mayor sped down the hall to
Jackie Winnings room.
Cad" he calculated, this is a rum
thing I've got to debut everything is
fair In love and politics-and this Ia
both"
Taking a key from his pocket, Be-
The lock yielded. Cautiously he
opened the door and entered the apart.
ment of the Judge" A high-low in
candescent was burning with the dim
light on, and in the glow Bedight's
eyes surveyed the apartment carefully.
AS his eyes swept the room, he sought
to locate two objects of intense inter
est--the dresser, on top of which was
supposed to lie the letter containing
the bill, and Jackie Vining! They
were both in evidence, the one In the
farther corner of the room, the other
in her bed asleep. her round arms
thrown upward about her face. her
beautiful hair in a braid that fell
across the white linen like a rope of
gold. Beside the bed On a chair lay
a pile of ilmy lingerie, and OF top of
the heap a pair Of black silk hose.
Bedight, fascinated. turned his face
away. Even a political career would
scarce excus a man for such an in
trusion.
But she will never know" flashed
through Bedight's mind as he slipped
quietly across the room to the dresser.
Yes, the package was there-and un-
sealed. Hastily slipping the envelope
of. he tucked the bill away in his
pocket. From a second pocket he
brought out another manuscript and
substituted this for the n he had
lost or the morning of the run through
the swamp. He did not read the let
ter, returning 1t with the manuscript
to the envelope. Wetting the muci-
lage, he closed and sealed the letter
and laid 1t back on the dresser. Turn
ing to go, his eyes fell upon the face
of the sleeper. How beautiful she was
and how unreasonable. For the
merest second he hesitated opposite
the lacy couch of my lady's dreams
but the moment was fatal.
BY some strange freak of fate the
high-low light, feeling an impulse OF
fresh current, automatically shifted
from low to high. The brilliant glare
fell directly In the girls face. She
stirred, opened her eyes and would
have screamed but for Bedight's pres.
ence of mind. Springing forward, he