The Mena weekly star., 1913-11-13

There was world of sympathetic regret in her exclamation.
 He was told" said Mark slowly. ''he was told-by you, Miss Kelly that the line was out of order"
 "Oh, yes!" she cried brightly. And that must have been why the connec. ton was cut off What a shame. Just when he wanted to talk, tool"
 q suppose" said Mark carelessly, ''if the line had got out of order, the managers office would know of it by this time?"
 "Oh, yes"
 Very good." reaching for the instru. ment. "T'll call up the manager and ask about it."
 "Oh, mol" she exclaimed, momen. tarily off guard. "It's-1t's probably all right again by now"
 Very likely" was Marks dry as- sent. Then you don't want me to call up the manager?"
 Don't bother to do that" she fal- tered in confusion. TT might pos sibly have knocked out the .plug-by accident"
 And you might possibly have done it on purpose" retorted Mark.
 'I?" she asked. astounded, Why should do such foolish thing as that?"
 That's what we're going to find out. If 1t had been an accident, you would have showed the plug back into place, immediately, when we told you. Isn't that true?"
 'T s'pose so," she admitted sulkily.
 '-Then, Miss Kelly, we are forced to believe that you deliberatly refused to transmit our message" You can believe anything you want to-" she returned spitefully. 'T don't care what you believe!" The line of questioning had thrown her off her carefully prepared line of defense. Angry, confused, she tossed aside her useless weapons and was for the instant merely worried and much badgersd little girl.
 "Is 1t not true," repeated Robertson in measured query. that you delib erately refused tc transmit our mes sage just now!-
 q s'poss so.- she vouchsafsd 'l buttsd in. And now guess I've got to take my medicine"
 "And." asked Mark. do you happen to realize what that medicine h!"
 -Oh. kAsw. al right. I'll loss my job"
 'Hxsstiy. AAA ysx deat wsat te bee your jss. As ysa. Miss Kslfy!~
 -1So. I asa't | nssl the nsAsy." | T sss. oatts =. Yos assa tAs money. Aiss Ksiiy, MT Flake hes of fired yoa . great assl of nseesv for $ certain bk et iAsss.sAti0k. hasat he 7
 -YeA. p-e-oh. wAAt'. tAa ussf Yss saa set He ArsA B~t I Essss I saz AzlA another jshl"
 Tt nay Rs< bs Sseeesa<y," suggest sx Mark "Mtss Kelly. we asHt wxzt ts harm year pssspesss h say way We wiss merely ts SOW yes tAat it k bo your interest ts w0rk for nA. kr Blake has told yeu Asw necessary it h for Hs to gafa the iAsoxAAtioa that yos aloae ean give Hs. He win pey ycy well. We have asked you to come aI here teaight to find out whether yos will not accept this ofsr."
 well" she Inquired n weary pA tisnoe, what Is 1t yea want nss to tel you,"
 We want ye<." replied Mark, "tC toll uS Q auGbOr called up by Er Standisa early this evening"
 He paused for her answer. The oth srG lsans ed forward.
 Wanda alone was unooncernsd. Sh, was twisting the little bracelet on hsl wrist and eyins it with new and hap successive pei2ts, of view.
 Miss Kelly" demanded Mark, 'wil 1 you tell us that number or will yol not!"
 "%hy," answered Wanda with charmingly foolish smile of crass help lessness, q really don't think l cai remember It."
 T think you can" contradicte' Mark. "You knew beforehand iron Mir. Blake. how much depended on it You surely remember"
 That's so," acceeed Wanda, seeming 10 grasp the strength of his argumen as by Inspiration. "I surely must. But you sec, it's against the rules tt tel Oh, gentlemen." she cried longingly I'd just love to help you out. Any thing could do. Anything ct all. Blu wore not allowed to give any informa ton like this Oh. how I wish--!"
 If you were allowed. then" aske' Marx. you'd do 1t, wouldn't you?"
 "That'd be different. of course" sh smiled. "Hrt you see how I'm fyed--
 "That's too 5gd!" nsu-.3 7te.1,. 70 course we can't ask you t1 break tn company's rules. But if it were no against rules, you'd do it. would your
 "Oh. in a second! I'd be ever s' glad to; but, you see. orders are oi ders. And"
 And" chimed in Mark, luckily VI knew how faithful you are to your en ployers. Here" taking a paper iron heap on the table, lis an order iron your general manager. authorizing yol to give us all the help in your power Does that remove your scruplesf"
 For an instant she sat genuinel. dumfounded. One by one her defense were being shorn away. With grea effort she strove to rally her pitifu little forces to meet the new or slaught
 "Oh, then" she broke down weakly T s'pose I'd better tell you" I