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8L a passed the day at the though in a dream. "When time arrived she had still failed to come to any conclusion. She loved Tom. All her impulses were to go to him. And yet She -walked homeward, consider ing. The sense of physical motion was a relief to her distressed, spirit. She had stayed at the store later than the rest, to finish some stock sort ing, and it was nearly nine in the evening when she found herself near her boarding house and traversing the most brilliantly lighted portion of the "white way." Men in evening dress, escorting women in fashion able attire, descended from taxis at the theater doors. Everywhere was an air of gayety. And she, hungry as she was for a little bold upo;n life, a little happiness and brightness in the dull routine of her existence, thought longingly of Tom". "Why not?" she asked herself de fiantly. And suddenly she saw, reflected in a mirror at the entrance to one of the flashier but less fashionable restau rants, the facesof Dodsleigh,and lit tle Maggie Pryce. , The girl's face was flushed, there was wine upon the.table, and Maggie was leaning with both elbows on the table and listening yto Dodslefgh's words. A sudden thrill of terror passed over Jean. She knew too well Dods leigh's reputation. She knew that he was not the man to have asked little Maggie Pryce to accompany him. to dinner for any good purpose. And, anyway, it was shameful. She felt as much responsible for the girls' Welfare as if she i were in fact their mother. She had always been so scrupulous with them. And he was giving Maggie wine! She had investigated Maggie's home affairs when first she came to Cannon's. She had learned that she lived with an old aunt who was too feeble, to take more than a perfunc tory interest in her, She had always !Jbfi afraid for Maggie; she knew UHIV UIO UiliU O lilDUliUU) VVCIQ XI.VJI rooted on any- depth of principle. How easy it would be for any man tofilfc Maggie's weak head with nonsense. Suddenly she walked straight teio the restaurant and up to the littienta-, ble at which they sat. She haftfly$L knew that she was going there? some "j, power seemed to have taken poBr-wfl. sion, of her and to be leading'her against her wilL s ij She saw Maggie start vtolentlyoind j Dodsleigh look up with an"mgly3JJ sneer. "f jrfj "Sit down, Miss Rae. The morethe ? merrier, you know," he said wjth'a. grin. -R S "Maggie, I want you to come'iwlth, me," said Jean. si d "Jealous, eh, Miss Rae?" asked it Dodsleigh. "Say! Some day I'll&take3 you out, if you're real nice to me, , maybe." i jL "Maggie, do' you know that this man has a wife and children?" asked 1 Jean. f it Maggie was looking up at hen-tinvi-decidedly- Her weak little wfflu-wasty, easily overcome; just now sher was rfj more in terror at having beendis-n covered than at anything" else, h J "Come, Maggie, dear," said Jaafi. ft. She took the girl by the arnu Mag- . gie began crying convulsively. ' a $j "See here!" began Dodesleighl' fk "111 see you tomorrow, Mr. Dods- leigh," answered Jeaiu "MSggie, dear!" d 4, She led her through the restaurant ?r among the staring faces. Dodfcftighif followed them, and then, at tbs en- h trance, seeing that he had fafled, turned away with a curse. -ft Jean called a taxicab and putfoftig- 'Tr gie inside. She followed. "I'm going t to take yo'u home -dear," sheiaid, f7 "And that man won't trouble1 'y6u j again, after I've sgpken to MfcSQan- non. l don't tninK ne'U snow upJatfS the store any more." - - - te f Maggie was crying 'when the ''cab. reached her doot: "Oh, Miss Jean," she sobbed, "I know why you dicHhis mtimmmamM