The Pulaskian., 1920-07-01
CHAPTER x.

| Chs AN}Cil OCIOIG d WOIu WIS spoken
| think we both sensed our mutual
distrust. AS | studied her, / was try
ing to conjecture what could have
been the motive so impelling that she
| had dared to come even within prison
walls to see me. Had Barbara sent
her? ! doubted it. was sure that
more than likely her visit was to
plead with me to keep silent about
her part in the tragedy. I was GER
| tan she was going to ask me to pledge
MY word to tell no one of her second
visit to the CASTOR apartment
Yet as / studied her weak, beautiful
face, so like Barbara's and yet so diff
ferent with its sensuous mouth and
! rowing, brilliant eyes. l still was Won
dering how 1t was possible for a girl
| of her refinement and social position
to have become enmeshed with such
common criminals as the two en-
| ployees of the Granddeck, Wick and
the telephone girl.
ITO what am / indebted for the
honor of this visit" asked at length
adding with some sarcasm, from my
sisterY
Never for a second had / imagined
that other than a selfish motive could
have brought her thither, and the con-
versation that followed was all the
more surprising to me on that ac-
count.
81 had to say l was your sister,"
she answered quickly. 81 wanted to
be sure of seeing you and / did not
wish anyone to recognize me. You
know | believe, who I ann"
You are Barbara's sister," I re-
piled.
That's why came" she cried, "for
Barbara's sake. I have come to plead
with you for her"
''To pIead-with me-for her."
echoed In establishment.
yes she cried passionately
"Shess young. She's little more than
a child. She did not realize what she
was doing. You must not let anyone
know you even know her. You must
never. never tell"
Never tell whatT' I answered nom
committal1y.
She answered with convulsive sob.
I Thought for a little that she was
going to- break down completely. Her
manner and the pali0r of her face
attracted the attention of the keeper
who WIS in the room with us. and he
started forward as IL expecting her
to fall In q faint. Resolutely she
D,,lJod hxarcalf +n-oSba- op6 x,yapt an
In calmer tones.
"Oh, | know all about It. ] know
that she is completely fascinated by
you. know that she has been meet
ing you in the park I know that
she has lunched with you at the
Aston" She hesitated and her face
/ crimsoned-"f know that she has even
visited you In your rooms late at
night oh, please, please beg OF
you, If there is spark of manhood
| in you, do not take advantage of a
Silly girls weakness. Please help me
protect my little sisters name; prom
ise---you will, won't you?"
why should r. l replied careless
/ ~, depressing my desire to leap at
| once to Barbara's defense and explain
/ how pure and honorable her conduct
had been and how lofty the motive
! that had governed her actions.
Tempted though was to defend her,
/ realized that this might be an OPP
| Isortunity to learn something of Claire
Bradford's associates, and I deter
mined to make the most of it. How
else could she know of all my meet
| ings with Barbara unless she was in
| league with the persons who had been
| having me shadowed? How the
! knowledge that Barbara had been in
| my apartment could have come to her
| was a mystery beyond me. l would
have sworn that that was a secret sa-
| cred to our two selves.
| Listen to me-" she commanded,
speaking In low tones, Barbara is
my baby sister, innocent of the ways
| of the world. l must save her from
herself, and her heedlessness. Never,
| the agony and shame and disgrace
| that l have known. Years ago l, just
| as she Is now, became infatuated with
man far below me in tho social
| scale. He roo. was a criminal"
shifted Indignantly at the "he,
| too" but sh. paid no attention.
81 ran away from school and mn
| ried him and learned too late that he
had wife and child already. All my
| life, ever since, that terrible thing has
| followed me- It's like specter ever
rising to confront me. Even IL I have
to Nil you, | am going TO save my lit
lie sster from following in my steps"
"Where is CASTOR Maur,se now?"
asked "Have you seen HIN recentlyY
i She gasped and shuddered, looking
y, me incredulously.
'You," she breathed vScitedly. who
| IRE YOU? How do YOU know his