The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-10-01

me unless you can ind a way
euti"
II think have found a way out
the way out. 1t Ia just because It 10
20 simple, so obvious. that you have
passed II by. You must 20 to your hus-
band with the whole story"
"Oh. 1 can't tell my husband. Don't
ask me to do that. He is the dearest
boy In the world-but he is n boy-and
Jealous. / could not live with this
. cloud on our happiness. I can't tell
HIM It would never be the same be-
tween us again! Oh, Miss Fairfax, il
there no other way for you to help
imer'
Suddenly all the reserve Of good
breeding forsook Madeline Grey. She
iung herself out OF her chair. across
the room. and on her knees at my side.
Her letter had come to me with that
mornings mail. What made the sta
tionery even more conspicuous than its
color and the stamped. uncolored
monogram" was the oddly of Jagged.
unfinished edges, which appeared to
have been torn instead of cut. On the
very oddly Of her stationery the
writer's fate was yet to hang.
The paper attracted my attention.
The letter arrested it!
Dear Miss Fairfax-You have helped
many unhappy women. Can you md
time to come to one who Is truly des-
ptrate? Please do not publish this.
MADELINE GREY,
'1740 James street"
While l was considering Madeline
0rcy's letter and the Eote OF desperation
in hurried. blurred writing as we'll as
in words Arnold, the Office COY.
marched in with the grin he practices
no faithfully in the hope OF making II a
replica Of Jimmy Barton's.
Morning. Miss Fairfax" and then OH
my desk he laid an epistle which proved
to be very different from the one was
still holding. 1t was written on bright
yellow pad paper OF the sort found on
most reportorial desks.
Dear Miss Fairfax: am a fascinat-
ing devil with six dollars and thirty
cents. DO you know handsome young
woman who would like to help me eat
JIMMY BARTON"
] smiled over Jimmy's letter. and the
Madeline Grey is n little sister in
nced-in grave need. l had TO go to
her. To me II meant a morning out OF
my life-perhaps to her 1t meant life
On the way out stopped at Jimmy's
desk.
Beatrice Presents Her Verdict.
Lady of the judicial mien, present
your verdict" said he.
"You are sentenced to call for me at
1740 James street In an hour 1 have a
call to make. and after that i will be
ready for the party"
"I'll ha ''thari' laughed L r.
And. taking one consideration with
another, should say 1t was as import
ant for Madeline Grey as for me that
q gentleman had invited me to come
out and help devour the contents of his
pocketbook!
Half an hours ride in the subway
brought me to my station. Then came
a walk down n quiet street. and pres
emily l found myself at the doorway
of a pretty little brick house OF the
''semi-detached villa" type.
A maid ushered me into a drawing
room, whose Jacobean chairs and set
ties were unpretentious and vet in
excellent taste.
In a moment the chatelaine of that
attractive place hurried in. Her let
ter had led me to expect a girl: her
home had suggested a bride. But the
notably good-lookinR woman before
me stood at the edge of maturity
slender. magnetic. and full of lure
she was-but no longer a girl.
Madeline Grey was thirty-three.
Just a year before she had married
wooing which made her regret that
she must come TO the man she adored
with the shadow Of memory be-
"yyiihur 90 6ya vaara vounver than
/. He had been devoted to athletics.
and, having worked his way up from
the poverty of the New Hampshire
never thought much about women:
When we met was thirty-one and
he twenty-siX.
ran away. I was afraid. | had
suffered so much from love that j
couldn't risk 1t again. ] thought p,
was so much younger Sa,,t that ne he would
IT ran away again. l thought ne
would tire-but when he persisted !
just gave in. let myself go. And
I love my husband as never yer d iseidmsS
that makes him 70. mad II he thinks
another man Is looking at me.
There has never been any other
woman for him, Miss Fairfax. l never
can tell him that there was onoe-an-
other man for me. That man Is dead
Il was an early love affair-long before
met Wilbur--when was only twenty
two. He tired Of me and broke our EN-
gaGement,
IT was desperate. wrote letters to
hold him. No Jealous man could read
those letters and forget them or helr
from wondering what there had been
between me and Charlie Duane. 1t hurtt
my pride to have to assure even you
that there was nothing wrong-just love
and broken engagement with tht
girl still caring after the man had
stopped.
Miss Fairfax. Simeon Gold has those
letters. And unless you can tell me how
TO get them before he goes to Wilbur
with them when he returns to the city
In two days-I-I-well, don't want tC
go on living. I'm too frightened
Simeon Gold! And at the sound OF
that name l. knew that Madeline Grey's
case was almost as desperate as she
thought.
A Heartless Traffic.
Simeon Gold was editor as we'll al
part owner OF the Vampire. a weekly
which was maliclouly well named L
dealt In scandal and fed on the carrior
OF dead regulations.
The business of The Vampire was two
fold-to batten off blackmail and I,
build UP rich circulation among tn,