Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-05-13
Che.
Socia1ntates
Story No. A
A WAR OF WITS
Plot by George Bronson Howard.
NoVeIization by Huah c. Weir.
Copyright Kalem Company.
Continued from Yesterday

MY dear Mrs. McLeanp he had
said. Please do not let us refer to
your stay. YOU are benehted, / will, as
a matter of form, present a bill. But
the amount will be nominal only
simply enough to let you feel that
you nave paid me. l am scientist,
not tradesmanr
oh" she said.
Il have no need OF money" he went
on grandly. MY private means. for
tunately, make 1t unnecessary for me
to depend upon my profession. I take
only such cases Us interest me, and
seem likely to contribute to the store
of knowledge which will, ultimately,
beneht humanity at large. Yours is
such case, or I would not be attend
ing you"
This was a well planned and ex-
tremely clever assault on two of the
weakest Joints in the old womans ar
NOR He appealed to her cupidity; he
appealed also. with a subtle fIattery.
to her vanity. Everyone who is iii
likes to think that his or her case
presents peculiar and unusual aspects
This was especially true of Mrs. Nc
But it was necessary for Lefty to
have someone about to submit to
abuse. Before the advent of DR.. Hy-
oscine, she had vented her spleen upon
who had to suffer. And that maid
grew more and more indignant Mona
watched her and became her con-
fidant. And, at last, one day, she
broke down.
The old crank" she exclaimed BIT
terly I'D leave her today = this
minute-if we were homei But what
can 1 do here? Shed make 1t aiC ex-
cuse not TO pay my wages and /
haven't money enough to go North
"I-why, I'll lend it to your ex-
claimed Mona. ITS shame for you
to have to stay when she treats you
The other woman accepted the loan
gracefully. And no sooner was she
on her way TO the train, after a terri
BILE scene with Mrs. Mclean. than
Mona was applying for her place.
Il hear your maid has left you, Mrs
Mclean" said Mona. I'D very much
like the place. If you haven't made
any other arrangements"
. "Well-well!" said Lefty, staring at
her You would, would you? / sup
pose you'd expect lot OF money!"
Mona knew what her predecessor
mad been paid, and she at once named
a sum sum! smaller By ten dollars as the
Lean, as Mona could see, was secretly
delighted. But she couldn't resist the
temptation to haggle; it was in her
'TIolty-toity!' she cried. "The ideas
girls of your station have in these
days! What would you squander all
that money on? 1 won't pay it! Just
because the papers say I'm so rich
every one of you thinks You can cheat
rs it too much?" asked Mona,
with well felgned timidity. I'm sorry
ma'am whatever you want to pay
will be quite right and generous, I'm
wei, that's much better. at all
events" said Lefty, considerably ap-
peased. you're nice, respectable
looking young woman. I'll give you
trial. I hope you haven't got bad
NO, ma'am, I don't think So" said
Mona. unblushingly.
IF you have I'll send you packing!
That last one-she was impudent
every time ] had to scold har! I'll
give a piece OF my mind to any servant
who doesn't do things right, can tell
you, and 1 won't have any answering
back either! Very well-you may
satisfactory I'll take you home with
me when l go. There's the doctor
knocking at the door-run and let him
in"
Marry called him when they talked Of
him to one another He frowned a
little at the sight of Mona.
You had to let the other maid go?"
he asked Mrs. Mclean.
I couldn't help 1t. doctor" said
Lefty She was so impudentl But
this one will do very nicely, l thinllr'
Mona heard this, and much of what
followed, though She was supposed to
be out OF earshot. She thought she
disturbed. The other girl had been
stupid and unobserving. Mona de-
termined to look as stupid as she
could. She was in a good deal OF luck,
first day of her service che came into
possession OF the great fact she had
taken this place to discover.
Before DIR. Hyoscine had finished his
visit she knew what had all along puz-
zled both her and Mary. She pene-
trated the secret of the plan he had
formed for mulcting Mrs. Mclean of
some of her wealth No wonder he
didn't care how small bill he present
ed to the old woman of the millions!
He had a way of extracting money
from her much easier than any that
the two girls had dreamed of. And
1t seemed to Mona, as she took her
notes, waiting, with the utmost impa-
thence, for chance to see Mary, that
1t was as safe as any semi-legal
scheme could possibly be, too. So far
as Mona could see, Mrs. Mclean, even
when she learned of the trick that
quite unable to secure redress
Mary knew, as soon as she saw
Mona, who had slipped away from
the rooms Of her new employer to
JOIN HeT CHun, lnaL IHere was news.
Mona's eyes were swapping. and her
face was bright with an unusual color.
"Welll" said Mary "Hurry-tell
me! I'm dying to know! If anyone
has really invented some way of get
ting anything out of Lefty Mclean he's
a public benefactor!"
well, old DR.. Hyoscine has done
that. all right!' said Mora. "And she
doesn't know 1t yet! What's more,
I don't see how she's going to And
outl It's the most remarkable stunt
I ever heard of. You've got to give
the man credit for having brains!"
Come to the point, my dearw
"Well-she does the one thing no
one would ever believe anyone could
make her do She signs checks and he
fills in the amount! That's as a rule
sometimes she fills the sum in her
self. 1t doesn't seem to make much
difference"
Heavens abovew said Mary over
come for a moment with wonder, &c
that she couldn't even laugh. But only
for a moment. Averting the threat
ened At of Mysteries, she begged for
information as to details.