The Press., 1915-06-30
matters. Can I not send Tor some one

matters. Caa not send for some one | to come to me and advise me-? The woman looked so puzzled, seem ed so uncertain as to what course to take, that 1 began to cherish a faint suspicion that after all some mistake had been made. I should have clapped the bracelets on her at once, but had not the assurance to do so. Instead, 1 said that if she would go with me peacefully she would be permitted at the station to send for any one she chose. To this she replied that to go to such place would be an indignity that she would never recover from and begged me to permit her to send for q lawyer There were few telephones in those days, and I should be obliged to allow her to send messenger. This declined to do.
 After long struggle in words l con- vinced her that further importunities would not avail, and she consented to go with me, but on no account would she leave the house unless permitted to don a street costume. To this l agreed, provided she would permit me to inspect the room in which she pro- posed to change her apparel that l might make sure there was no egress by which she might give me the slip. Whereupon she took me through a hall. then a boudoir and told me to go into bedroom which was at the end of the suit. I saw at glance that there was no door leading into another room, and, since the flat was on the fifth floor and no roof of another build ing to which she could let herself down, I permitted her to go in to change her clothing, closing the door.
 After having waited fully half an hour for her to reappear l called to her. She replied that she had nearly finished and would be with me pres ently. In nearly another half hour l called to her again and received a re ply. So long as I could hear her voice it did not seem to me that there was any danger of my losing her, and since 1t had a timbre of it's own I could not fail to recognize it.
 Still there surely must be some game in her taking so long time to put off one Sull duOlhcl.
 At last I called that would give her five minutes more and if she did not appear at its expiration I would open the door, To this she replied that she saw no reason for hurry, but if 1 was capable of opening the door to lady's dressing room she could not prevent me. At the end of the five minutes all lowed I turned the knob of the door. It was locked.
 "Come out at once," l called, "or I will break down the doorw
 'I see no necessity for that" she pleaded. 'I can't possibly leave here without coming through the room where you are. To tell the truth. l am hunting up certain letters which. if taken possession of by the police, would compromise friends of mine. l see no reason why you should prevent my doing so. 1 assume that you have simply been sent to arrest me, and l promise you that when. have finished what I am doing I will come out and go with you willingly wherever you choose to take me-"
  ing evidence and knew 1 should be blamed for giving her an opportunity for doing so, but did not see how l could prevent it without breaking down the door. Besides, it occurred to me that she had already destroyed the principal part of what she wished to get rid of or she would not have told me what she was about.
 "I'n give you ten minutes more," I said, ''and if you're not here then this door will be splintered."
 "What time is it?' she asked.
 "Half past 12."
 "What time did you call?"
 "At H."
 I heard the key turning in the lock. The door opened, and there stood my quarry in maids costume.
 "What's this?" 1 asked sharply.
 Nothing except I am the maid. My mistress has doubtless been gone long enough to make good her escape. You may run me in if you wish to, but it will do you no good, for I'm sure there is no charge against me. I have never broken law"
 "You are in league with a thief! l growled.
 Not at all. I don't know that my mistress is a thief. She told me that she was hiding from a brutal husband, whom she expected at any moment, and asked me to receive guests in her stead"
 I noticed that the maid in uniform was quite inferior in appearance to the woman who had escaped me. con- cluded not to take her to the station to get myself laughed at. But in this I made another fiasco, for the two wo-