The Washington times., 1918-04-13
Part One-(Continued)

did you show him."
Unto the dining room. He said
he would prefer to walt there.
When 1 went up half an hour later
he was gone"
Lillian sprang to her feet. though
the maid had not quite finished
dressing her hair. THAT looks all
right, Clementine." she said. Il
don't want to spend all day before
my glass"
A few minutes later she descend
ed TO the dining room. Here was
her desk and the nest Of drawers in
which she kept most Of her valu-
ables. The house was small and she
did not like to intrudS anything in
the way of business into boudoir or
drawing room. She walked straight
UP to her desk. key in hand.
Lillian L. Robbed.
There was no need Of the key.
The desk had been forced. She
lifted the lid without effort.
Il thought Sol thought So" she
muttered. Hes been at his old
tricks again. What a fool 1 was
not to warn the servants; but It is
80 long since he has interfered wi
me-" She sighed heavily. "of
course he has been after my check
book, using his power of forging my
signature, and / am too late to stop
payment. I wonder IL he has cleaned
me out? There wasn't much left
at the bank"
There was no doubt that the I'm
desirable visitor had acted as Lii
Ian supposed. The book lay open
before her. 1t was the first object
that her eyes had met when she
opened the desk. Her pass book
lay close beside IL.
@Be was careful to see what bal
ance I had" she sighed. Il sup
pose he has taken all-all-left me
. without a penny-it is not the FIRST
Sme." There were tears OF vexa-
ion in her voice.
Left Her SIS with His "LOVe.'
She glanced hastily at her pass
book, and then turned to verify the
mischief she suspected. She had
not been mistaken. A check had
been torn out and a few words had
been iscrfbbled on the stub.
How good Of you. Lillian" such
were the words, ITO come to my
assistance once more. / really am
very hard up, and you have quite a
nice little balance. 1 am leaving
YOU sos in case of Immediate need. "
The name Frank was signed TO this
note.
Lillian fumed with rage She was
more deeply incensed with this
treatment than she had been at her
abduction by Pietro and all the SUP
sequent unpleasant developments.
'The beast" she cried in her
fury: why must he persecute me?
Ali my troubles-he has brought
them all upon me. He has been the
curse of my life" She threw herself
down in a chair, the check book
cIasped in her hand, and wept in
very despair.
Broke And No Income.
What was she to do: For the time
being she was penniless. She had
no settled income, and her money
was accumulated by strange meth
ods. There was one source which
had served her for many years. and
that, unfortunately, was threaten
ed to fail her now at the very time
when she needed it most. The irony
OF the position struck her,
That very day she had cashed
checks for large sums, and. though
the money was OF her own earning,
she had given II all over to Pietro.
How could she have anticipated
such a state OF affairs at home?
Well, Pietro was coming to see her
tomorrow; in all fairness he ought
10 hand her back $1,000. But was
he the sort of man to DO such a
thing? Lillian shook her head-she
knew him too well.
What was she TO do? She kept
repeating the question. Twenty
Eve dollars at the bank was all she
had. and she was not allowed any
thing worth mentioning in the way
OF an overdraft. There remained
her jewelry. She had been forced
10 pawn It before, and now 1t
seemed as IL she would be obliged
10 repeat the experiment
Receives q Caller.
The thought never occurred to her
Of taking proceedings to have the
cuIprit arrested. II was utterly
impossible for her TO do SO, for a
Few words from him would place
her in the dock by his side. II was
tatalllN Win neT AHdl bHc WAS a.
WAYS forced to condone crime. Her
usual philosophy deserted her. The
blow, coming Immediately after the
Rardships she had been enduring.
left her utterly Drostrated.
She was aroused by the appear
arce Of Clcmentine. The maid en-
tered the room with the rather
stosIthy tread that characterized
her
"Does madame receive this after
noon?"
"No. Clementine, I am no, at
home"
Clementipc was about 10 retire,
when Lillian stopped her by asking
tn. name OF the visitor. She had
nr' heard the bell.
III N Moncrief"
-Yhy Monty. lOu Look bad"
"Oh, MOncrief" Lillian changed
her mind. II suddenly occurred to
her that tie financial agent might
h.. OF possible assistance to her.
she knew him too well 10 have any
Illusions as 50 his character. but he
had the means OF procuring money
quickly for other people. and ne
az fertile in resource.
- viii see Mr. Moncricf," she
said. SHOW him in here, Clemen-
tine"
In . few moments Moncricf was