Constance Dunlap

t select clientele

auty Shop. Her informant, reclining dreamily in a luxurious wicker cha

f us went to supper and a dance-and it was in the wee small hours when we broke up. But Madame here can make you all over aga

Miss L

of New York was just beginning to show its effects. The name of Warrington, too, recalled to Constance instantly some gossip she had heard in Wall Street about the di

added interest as she rose languidly, drew her bathrobe about her su

o do with Wall Street my

n't that interest

tting money in Rubber

ell you something. Have Floretta do your hair. She's the best here. Then come

y that she was, leaving Constance to wonder at the natural gravitatio

of adornment, the last cry in the effort to satisfy what is more than health, w

it was not vanity. But she had come to realize that her greatest asset was her personal appear

had been stamped from a die for a fashion plate-and then the die had been thrown away. All others like her were sp

ce to take a full course in beautificati

here's nothing discovered by the greatest mi

rvious to feminine rea

st she was seated in a comfortable chair ag

in one of the lit

ach little compartment had its neat, plain

Yes," she murmured in response to the

ta a moment later, coming down the corridor ag

ain-until the next time. Vera? Oh, she was as fresh as a lark. Can I lunch with you downt

Miss L

to speak to Vera about it some time. By the way, wouldn't you like to join us to-night?

ot have the pleasure of the acquaintance o

t. But to Constance, sure of herself now, nothing of the sort was worth scrambling for. Besides, she was won

e a fancy to you

you," Constance answered. "I s

office. Come around after the p

taxi's waiting," a

Mrs. Dunlap? Yes? Then ride

e office building in which the beauty parlor occupied the top floor. She stopped at a

e tango gown, Constance was aware that the driver of another cab across the street was a

e other and Constance caught a fl

he exclaimed

ployed to follow Stella? Instinctively she conc

she said to herself excitedly. "At le

er the newspapers, her eye caught t

NDICATE D

rt of Strong Minority to Ou

oup of directors to force Warrington, Braden, and the rest out

of thing that lasted long in business," she observ

ice, and, aside from the purpose which was rapidly taking shape in her mind, she enjoyed the play very much. Stella Laru

hetted, filed out on Broadway with its myriad lights and continuous f

w genuinely ablaze with excitement, when a man entered. He was tall, spare, the type wh

very good terms indeed with Stella

pera cloak over Stella's shoulders. "Vera Charmant and J

grip on herself and decided to take the plunge and see the affair

rowd the familiar figure of Drummond. She turned her head q

tell them n

ho seemed to be quite interested in us," she said quickly. "Can't w

or himself. Constance decided quickly to say nothing more that would prejudice Stella, but as Warrington directed his driv

the palace of pleasure, where already the two advance guards were holding one of

per way about him. He wore a flower in his buttonhole, a smart t

all men and women. "His hands betray him,"

ed, one with the thumb tucked in the corner of

when she analyzed it, she felt still that there was nothing fanciful

nce with an abandon that improved on its namesake. Scarcely had they finished when the orchestra began all over ag

owed Braden, lean

he nodded, catching th

and as Constance looked eagerly after the graceful form o

e new steps. And, besides, I have had a bad day in the market. Steel, Readin

ance. If she knew about other stocks, she must know about the Syndicate. Already he had felt an attraction toward Constance physically, a

found out that she really knew as much about certain features of the game as he did. She did not need to

ake a quick profit on a tip from some Wall Street friend. Often, if the tip went wrong, the friend would return the money to the unsuspecting little girl, with some muttered apology about havin

lunger from what she had thought at first up at Charmant's. Instead of trying to compete with Constance in her field, s

t severely alone. Nothing was said, not an action done openly, but Constance, woman-like, could feel the contest in the air. And she felt just a little quiver when they sat down

as violently jealous. But she intended that she should be. That was now a part of her plan as it s

hat was in the very air. He talked more recklessly, once in a while with a bitterness not aimed at any one in parti

ne feminine tie that morally bound him, he no longer felt any restraint in cutting loose from others? Was it the same spirit that had carried him on in the money game, having cut loose from one financial principle, to let all go and to guide his co

different from others she had seen. Perhaps it was that he had a co

ter all, wholly mercenary in her attitude toward Warrington? Was he merely a live spender whom she could not afford to lose? Or was she merely a beautiful, del

tily to take so much of Warrington's time with the wraps that by the time they were ready to go the manner of the breaking up of the party wa

out the whirl of her thoughts. With the morning she had an idea. Now, in a mom

Constance drove around to Charmant's on the chance that she might be there. Vera greeted her a trifle coldly, she thought, bu

tance, with an assumed air of lan

he proverbial bandbox, nodded knowingly. "A Turkish

ing, first in the steamy hot room where she had met Stella the day befo

ther sad-faced little woman. There was something about her that attracted C

xcitement. "No? Why,-" and here she paused and drop

t t

ve to do some tall scheming to keep them apart. No, it's not vanity, eithe

thought of Warrington, of last night, of how he had sought her, so ready, it seemed, to leave even the "other woman." Then Fl

expected to be improved by cosmetics that would lighten her complexion, bleaches that

ffy masses of light hair to her French heels and embroidered st

butterfly. Was Warrington worth it all? asked Constance of herself. "At least she thinks so," flashed over her, as Mrs

prying into the secrets of the little dressing rooms that opened into it. What did they conceal? Why had Vera seemed so distant? Was it the natural reaction of the "mo

s well-being as she lolled back into the deep recesses of the lounge in th

f the partition. She strained her ears. She could not, of course, see the

ee how he is? Every new face attracts him. See how he took to that new one last n

use her?" ask

too clever. But we must do somethin

. "How,

the whispered mo

ha

powder, or it can be put in a drink. If you want more-see, I wi

ite a note, something that wil

ine or two-as

f of tearing a sheet o

at all

night we must get him going and in the meantime a meeting will be held, the plan arranged at th

s you came in. It's better that no

ices c

as empty, but when she looked hastily up on the shelf there was a bottle of wh

here she had read of finger prints and the subject had interested her because the system h

some powder that adhered to the marks left by the sweat glands

gently over the glass. The

nct, there were the

ould not bring them out on tha

ilver pen-knife whittled off the wood. Scrape! scrape! un

he would not mix her own finger prints with the others, she rolled the powder back an

e took it deftly. It made her think of that first time when s

of telltale prints. But what ta

nt. She studied those before her, traced out as best she could the loops, whorls, arches, a

e. As she went out she passed the telephone booths. Should she call up Warrington? Would he misinterpret it? What if he did? She was mistress of her o

Dunlap," she

ng to call you up, but," he paused, and added, "you

part of his reply. But the rest of i

plied. "I enjoyed l

" came ba

asked, "I suppose you are going t

he hesitated

a tone not of curiosity but of chiding h

id that he didn't know, told her the t

bye, Constance knew that she had gained a new angle from which to observe Warrington's

se. The last quotations had come in over the ticker, showing the Syndicate stocks still unchanged. She left her brokers and sat for a few moments in the rotu

r air of exotic warmth about the place. Everything, from the electric bulbs buried deep in the clusters of amber artificial flowers to the bright

h nothing had happened. "There is something I'd like to say to

ess like tone. "I am sure that Miss Larue invited you last night because she

, "You trespassed on forbidden ground,

d not to notice

I'd like to say,"

which lay on a mahogany secretary

pad-never mind about the ink; call Floretta; she will wipe them off a

actress had placed her dainty white

as I have done," she said, offering her the pad, and taking her hand. Charmant

outside, Madame," said Floretta,

wait-in the

out and through it Constance

with them. It was Drummond, the same

ed at Constanc

re," she answere

e the other night. I heard you tell 'em to hit it

at?" asked Co

t? You always get in when it comes to

replied, "I don't

s, when the time comes you'll

would be the last impulse necessary to send the plunger down for the last ti

this pad," said Constance quietly. "I'

re, ar

large enough I shall call up Mrs. Warrington and a

nk off Mr. Drummond's fingers," ordered Co

do you mean by Mrs. Warrington? What has she to do with this? Have a car

ton is-" beg

stance, determined to bring the a

arrington looked at the g

little room, and on the top shelf you will find a bottle. Bring it here carefully. I have a sheet of paper, also, which I am going to show you. I had already seen

bottle and placed it on the

bending first over the paper she had torn from the pad. "Ah, a loop with twelve ridges, another loop, a whorl, a

d Drummond, placing himself between

if you are not. Perhaps I have no finger prints to correspond with those on the

tudying t

n surprise, "was a person who has been set to trail you

est of these people? Grafters who were using Stella to bait the hook. Braden had gone over to them, had aided in plunging Warringto

to lead him on, playing the game of the minority of the directors of the Syndicate to get him out. There is to be a meeting of t

andkerchief. "You-you are all-against

tapping the papers with the prints, then picking them up and handing them to Warrington. "I think if the story were told to

saw them all against him, Ve

ttle woman I saw here to-day, slaving, yes, slaving for beauty. Here in my hand, in these scraps of paper, I

rue. She had risen impulsively an

huskily, taking the