Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-07-29

the shoulders looked into his eyes.
Chris don't believe word OF It, .
she declared. "You are not tellinr
me the truth. You're saying this to
shield her, I'm just beginning to un-
derstand. How long have you known
Mrs. Lee?"
At that moment the door opened
and Miriam came into the room.
Miriam had heard Molly's last words
| by the simple expedient of listening
AT the door. This was one of the dis
advantages of her profession-that
| instinctively, she now always applied
her ear to the crack of a door before
| putting her fingers to the handle. Sft
now saw, as she thought that Molly
was making n scene about her mir
| iam's) behavior with Brent, and anx-
| ious to help him. lest jealousy should
set fire to their mine, she came TO the
| rescue.
Are you talking about me?" she
asked casually and with her charming
friendly smile.
Molly made no attempt TO tidy the
disordcred hair she had pushed back
| from her forehead or to dry her WEI
cheeks. She just sat looking up at the
| other woman.
Yes" she answered; 81 was ask
| ing Mr.. Brent TO tell me ruthfully ex-
actly how long he had known you.
| Brent tried to signal Miriam with
his eyes not to keep their Original
story of only having met the day be-
fore but Miriam not unnaturally
took him TO be imploring her to help
TO back him up in IT.
81 can answer that" she said gayly
Lets see, now" and she began &c
count on her fingers. zone, Two
three, four, five, six, yes, twenty-four
hours"
That's not true" said Molly.
| "Oh," said Miriam, at Il loss, and
| flashing an anxious look at Brent
What is 1t? Is anything the mat
.er?"
"a good deals the matter" replied
Brent "Mr. Sandersons lost some
valuable papers and they have been
traced to one of us"
They were found in your room,
Molly told her.
Yes" countered Brent quickly
they were those | gave you"
| Miriam, as Chris had done a few
/ minutes earlier, thought over the stu
alton swiftly and in silence. Even
more than he, she cared nothing for
the personal issue. since she had
nothing to lose in that respect except
"A temporary diminution in the regard
OF some people she hardly knew and
! did not care about. Brents was the
master mind in their scheme. 1t was
OF vitd Importance, then, to keep him
| free to continue them, and she saw
/ her way at the same time toward
clearing matters for him and Molly
! She gave n little hard laugh. and SO
| completely was her outward semb-
lance in training and at the command
Of her mind. that with that swift de-
| cision, she became to all appearances
n complete adventures.
Brent marveled as he watched her
| Here was department in which Mir
lam was ahead Of him; there was no
flaw in her acting.
Il see" remarked Miriam, and
you," turning to Brent, you dear
chivalrous person, you let it be thought
| that you have stolen them" Her
! eyes signaled to him and he saw her
| game. 1t was, he knew, the only one
to save the situation, and tho hatins
| himself for the necessity, he reluc-
tantly followed her lead. 1t was not
very difficult, under the circum-
stances, for him to look down and APP
pear embarrassed.
How perfectly delicious of you!
continued Miriam, land how exactly
! like you! Who says that chivalry is
| dead ?"
Molly looked straight at her.
"Mr. Brent has Just told me-" she
said, that he took the papers and that
he gave them to you and you had no
idea at all what they were"
yes, I'll bet he has" replied MIR
lam, strolling slowly across the room
sc that the gold threads woven in her
dress caught the light now here, now
there, and gave an impression of un-
dulation which helped her effect i'm
mensely and gave the true snaky
touch.
What do YOU mean?" demanded
Molly. "Why do you talk of him like
that? You speak as tho he belonged
to you"
Brent began to feel supreme
ly ridiculous. as n man always
must when he is the object of con-
tention between two women. Re-
verse the situation and the woman
is an object of admiration. both to
herself and the two men. But for
some strange, far back, biological rea-
son, the same does not hold true OF
! the position in which Christopher
| Brent now found himself He was
what he looked-suprcmely uncom-
! Portable, and for the first time his
| foolish expression ceased to be as
sumed and became the genuine ar.
;icle.
"Molly!" he protested angrily.
please go on" said Miriam to her,
! taking no heed of him.
81 am going on" said Molly. 81
want to know what II all means.
want to know what Chris is to you.
zone of my very oldest friends" re-
piled Miriam calmly.
"Chris! And you told me that you
! had never met Mrs. Lee before"
"Ie told you that because | asked
him to-"
IT was speaking to you, Chris,
went on Molly. Cant you answer
for yourself?"
ii shouldn't advise it," suggested
! Miriam, "if you want to hear the
| truth"
"You mean he'd lie to me? ] don't
believe he -would-not now. Would
you still lie, Chrls?"
IL" began Brent" OF course
| l wouldn't"
Hes lying now" remarked Mir
| lam, In an amused voice. Your fl
ance, Miss Pollock. is one of those
men who would commit almost any
crime sooner than give woman away.
They call that the one objectionable
sin. Funny, isn't It? And rather
rare, but I don't know where women
| like me would be without them"
| (To be continued.)