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JOHN LAWLOR, DETECTIVE
By Katherine Howe
(Copyright, 1917, W. G. Chapman.)
"You see, Stella don't just exactly
like my business," said John Lawlor
to the comfortable looking matron
who sat opposite to him in the tidy
little living room of her home.
"Don't like your business?" she ex
claimed. "Why, aren't you one of
the best detectives on the force?"
"Well, the chief as good as told me
that last week, and they raised my
pay. But being on the police force
doesn't strike Stella as being quite
high toned enough. She asked me if
I couldn't get into the bank or go
nto brokerage or something."
"Brokerage!" sniffed his sister.
"She'd rather you'd make money
or rather swipe somebody else's
money that way than get it hon
estly the way you're doing."
"No! No!" he broke in emphatical
ly. "Stella is as honest and straight
as a die but "
"But she's a snobbish little fool!"
"Mary!" he flashed out "You
know I won't stand hearing a word
against Stella! You've got it out of
me, and you've known all along she's
the only girl in the world for me."
"Yes, John. I didn't mean to hurt
you. But I haven't any patience with
such notions. Just because her
grandfather was Gen. Barker she
seems to think she ought to marry a
banker or a corporation lawyer at
the least Her father drank up every
penny they had, and they've been
poorer than Job's turkey all their
lives."
"Well, you know, 'what's bred in
the bone.' began John.
"That's all right," broke in Mrs.
Frink, "but any girl who don't care
enough for you to take you just as
you are, isn't worth thinking about"
"Oh, but she's worth it She's a bit
notional about that one thing, per
haps, but she suits me," said John
with the usual lover's enthuiasm.
"Oh, dear!" thought his sister, as
he went out. "I just wish something
would happen to bring him to his
senses."
Meanwhile Stella Barker, all un
conscious of the wish hanging over
her, went her way with the thought
lessness and inconsequential ways of
youth in general. She loved John,
but not with the understanding and
depth of a woman of more experi
ence in the world might have done.
She was only 18, very romantic, and
a silly, shallow mother had not con
tributed much of real worth to her
education.
Only about two weeks after the
talk between John and his sister, a
letter came to Stella, telling her she
had inherited about $40,000 through
the death of a distant relative. It was
not an enormous sum, as fortunes go
these days, but enough to draw
around the girl a good many new
acquaintances and would-be suitors.
There had never been anything
more than a kind of tacit under
standing between John and Stella,
but the young man had never given
up his determination to win her.
The change in Stella's fortunes
seemed somehow to also alter their
relations. He could never get any
time alone with her now. Her moth
er meant that she should now see
some "reel society" and entertaining
absorbed the two completely. Even
a more sensible young head than
Stella's might have been a trifle
turned by the new order of things.
A new admirer of Stella's named
Cecil Brent began to pay very assid
uous attentions. Mrs. Barker regard
ed him with favor. His manners were
so polished, "so English," she was
sure he must belong to a very high
family. Brent was certainly some
thing of a dashing figure. Good look
ing, exceedingly well dressed, of
ready wit and pleasing address, he
might have captivated a more sophis
ticated young woman than Stella. He
took her to the theater and suppers a
few times and spent money freel
