The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-05-25

ning1y did he contrive his mesh of 1 chicanery that the miserable victim in the tolls never suspected even that he was the agent of her anguish. Through the bought offices of a confederate, who had no suspicion as to his iden- tity, Andrew so arranged matters that Margaret Flint was accused of theft The stolen brooch of her mistress was found in the girls trunk. On such | circumstantial evidence it was easy | to secure conviction of one who had neither money nor friends to plead in her behalf She was sentenced to two years in theewoman's reformatory.
 But it was no part of the Master Minds plan that the girl whom he had thus stricken by his arts should languish in prison throughout the whole term of her sentence. It was sufficient for his purposes that the l stigma had been inflicted on her. He waited for six months and then enter ed on the second stage of his opera tions. First he paid a visit to the wretched object of his machfnations. He professed profound sorrow over the plight in which he found her, and promised to use every sendeavor in her behalf by gaining the services of cer- tain influential politicians with whom he enjoyed friendly relations.
 As a matter of fact, however, An drew called on only one man for as- sistance, and that no friend. With a new type wheel on the small machine which he had brought with him in the suit case from New York, he concocted a most explicit letter to politician of Chicago, who had risen from the ranks h hoe Tn +eA Master Mind pointed out that it would be well for the politician to secure forthwith the release of Margaret Flint on probation. Otherwise some curi- ouss facts in the history of the po1i- tician would be turned over to the pub lie prints. A few details as to the na- ture of such revelations were given, and, as he read them, the politicians dorid complexion faded to a mottled asEen, and his hands trembled strange ly. Within three days Margaret Flint was released from custody, and just outside the walls of the reformatory she found waiting her fathers friend.
 "I'll be your friend,'' he said to her when they were alone together in the par1or of quiet Chicago hotel. 9You1 father was kind to me. I have no chil. dren of my own or any one depending ! repay his goodness to me. So I near to take care of you. You have had mighty hard time of it so far You have been poor. you have been a sdrHdge, you have been in prison. Ot course I know you were innocent, for I believe what you tell me. But the world doesn't know. The only way to make your future life happy is just to bury all the past forever. Maggie Flint, the nursernaid, who was sent to 1 Jail, is dead from this second and buried. Novk, whom shall we resurrect i in her stead ?'' He smiled quizzicallJ 1 in response to the girls expression of sheer amazement. tI am not rich, s he went on frankly, tsbut I have com fortable fortune enough so that I can educate you Nas lady and keep you fairly well afterward without your having to worry ever again about work,
 +Lgs like a story read once,'' the girl breathed tremulousIy. The shrill 1 voice had sunk to a softer register. The sapphire eyes were glowing with the naive happiness of child. l "Yes, it is like story the Master I Mind assented. 'sBut, first of all,'' he t;continued, you must go to school I've I been making some inquiries,'' he ex- I pla1ned pleasantly, land Eve found out that there's just the place for you oyer l in a private school in France. You see, Margaret you're a bit too old foz the regular school in this country I FranceP' the girl repeated.
 @Yes," Andrew went on briskly
 ssThat school will be just the place for
 you. They'll teach you everything
 about how to be lady as well as the l usual stuff out of books. But we must
 have that christening. I've thought ot
 names
 '"Te1 me!'' the girl urged.
 NLucene Blount,'' he replied. 'FYor
 like it?'
 s "oh, love itr'fwas the eager an swer. ''But-but it seems so strange
 after Maggie"
 ''so it does" he agreed. "weIl, then if you're satisfied we'll settle on Lu eene Blount." 4
 The smile that curved her pale lip:
 was very w1nning-so winning, indeed
 that once again the plotter experienced la pang of regret over the necessit,
 that led him to sacrifice this life to hi . vengeance.
 wen be sailing in the course of
 few days, for mean to see you saf, Aa-AAS- 497eASS AAJ SStA, dHd III 1In0 mean time I'm going to feed you on the ia of the land and keep you out in tn sunshine every minute possible unti
 you just blossom"
 As it had been planned, so duly i :, was executed by the Master Mind < In France speedily began the trans :, formation of a humble working gir who had been subjected to the is nom1ny of imprisonment into woman of excellent education, of gentle mar ] ners, of essential refinement of charac
 ter. To this work Andrew allowed period of four years. Thus it will b
 seen that the man was not inf1u T enced by needless haste. At last tn
 span drew to its close and the 6ne
 O oo+izi@ioe of his eobo,,o;,,,. 1,.-.a- I