The progress-itemizer., 1920-05-21


! ployees of the Granddeck, Wick ant
the telephone girl.
ITO what am l indebted for thu
honor of this visit" l asked at length
adding with some sarcasm, from IN,
sister,"
Never for a second had I imagined
that other than selfish motive coulC
have brought her thither, and the con
versation that followed was all th'
more surprising to me on that ac
count.
II had to say I was your sister,
she answered quickly. II wanted tC
be sure of seeing you and l did MOI
wish anyone to recognize me. Got
know, l believe, who l am?"
You are Barbaras sister," re
piled.
That's why l came" she cried, "fol
Barbara's sake I have come to plead
with you for her"
ITO plead-with me-for her"
echoed in astonishment.
"Yes," she cried passiOnately
"She's 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 what?" I answered non.
committally.
She answered with a convulsive sob
thought for a little that she was
going to break down completely. Her
manner and the pallor of her face
attracted the attention of the keeper
who was in the room with us, and he
started forward as If expecting her
to fall in faint. ResOutely she
pulled herself together and went on
in calmer tones.
"Oh, I know all about it. I know
that she is completely fascinated by
you. l know that she has been meet
ing you in the park. | know that
she has lunched with you at the
Aston" She heSitated and her face
crimsoned-"I know that she has even
visited you in your rooms late at
night Oh, please, please, I beg of
hyou, if there is a 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 II" l replied careless
ly, repressing 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 op-
portunity to learn something of Claire
Bradford's associates, and / deter
mined to make the most of It, How
aia 'ssfff 1sSffow IF 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 mystery beyond me. I would
have sworn that that was secret sa-
cred to our two selves.
Listen to ne" 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,
never, if | can help it, shall she suffer
the agony and shame and disgrace
that I have known. Years ago |, just
as she is now, became infatuated with
Il man far below me in the social
scale He, too, was a criminal"
| shifted Indignantly at the che,
too" but she paid nc attention.
81 ran away from school and mar
red him and learned too late that he
had a 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 if I have
to kill you, I am going to save my lit
tie sister from following in my steps"
"Where is Castor Maurice nOW?' I
asked. "IIave YOU seen him recently?"
She gasped and shuddered, looking
at me incredulously.
"You." she breathed excitedly, "whO
are you? How do you know his
name?"
Never mind how I know It," re-
piled. "What l want to know Is
where is he now? When did you see
him last?"
"Not for years-not since long be-
fore my fathers death-not since the
marriage was ,annulled."
Gs\-o, Lno,.l cror, hin,
"No, nor heard from him." she hest
tated, "unIess-"
"Unless what?" I insisted, as she
stopped abruptly.
81 can't tell YOU" she said firmly
81 don't know. They must have come
from him, from someone that knew
the letters
"What letters? Tell me about
them"
Il can't tell what ! don't know I
haven't the least idea where Castor
Maurice is. | had hoped he was dead
in the war Yet he can't be. I have
had anonymous letters threatening
me. They must have come from him
or from someone whom he told of our
marriage? How else could they know?
Her distress was so real and her
manner so convincing that l decided
that she must be telling the truth.
well said l, 'if You cannot tell
me where 10 find Castor Maurice
there is one thing that you can tell
me-"
what is that?'
"Why did you visit my apartment