The Auction Block

and her mother knew nothing of his whereabouts. Lorelei ate her breakfast in silence; then, in reply

the least embarrassment over their exploit. Rather, on this afternoon, she beheld with unusual clarity her present general life, and that of her family, feeling more keenly than usual the utter sordidness of their whole scheme of existence. Unwelcome thoughts of this sort had come of late, and would not be banished. Once she had made a pet of a magpie, but the bird's habits had forced her to dispose of it. She remembered the way it forever pried into things; how nothing was safe from tha

of the incidents of the night before. It appeared that Hammon and Merkle had succeeded in their

favorable construction, and Lorelei could not entirely withhold her sympathy from the offending pair. Of the two Hammon was the more blameworthy; but his domestic unhappiness in a measure canceled his guilt-so, at least, said the code under which Lorelei lived. What concerned her far more than the moral complexion of the liaison, was her brother's connection with the unlawful scheme of extortion. Jim, she saw, had gone wrong with a vengeance, and the conseq

the chauffeur and a stiff-backed footman were in blood-red with white facings on their livery. Upon their left sleeves was worked the gold monogram "A. D." In their caps both men wore cockades that resembled shaving-brushes. A tiny mop of a lap-dog, imprisoned within the closed body of the car, was bar

Rajah, no barbaric potentate-no one, in fact, except a self-advertised musical

that proved her taste in dress as individual as her choice of motor-cars. A war-like head-decoration of aigrette feathers burst into spray above her right ear; the wrists of her white gloves bore her monogram worked in gold-thread to match those that ornamented the livery of her servants. A heavy string of

ppreciation of the meeting. "I hoped we'd meet again; but where HAVE you been? I-Hush, Francois! Shake hands with the lady, there'

hed. "How we

ildren-they

ld turned to a compani

s rubies-see! Ain't

rutiny her lips tightened, her nose lifted, she blew loudly like a porpoise, and, gathering her skirts closely, waddled away, as if fleeing from contagion. She continued to

ome and help me match some rose du Barry. I've no more eye for

small boy, whose eyes were glued upon th

stares of the onlookers, and, glad to escape, she move

She clung to her companion, chattering vivaciously; then,

s outside." But Lorelei declined, explaining

all

int out one-and I

e changed abruptly. "I supposed

'm away from the theat

the bus

re feeling, widened Lorelei's ey

r first meeting made me think you were-out with banners. I was hired on that occa

er own obligation rose to prevent her from appearing ungrateful. "I'd be delighted," she falsified, and, gurgling with appreciation, Miss Demorest

a show-case. We'll take a taxi." Lorelei's relief must have been obvious, for Adoree sped swiftly to the corner, then was back again without the dog. "If there's anyt

'm very rude," he

Demorest's smile was a trifle strained. "Only-I'm awfu

ed entirely from what she had expected. Underneath the dancer's extravagant theatricalism s

bloodhounds ge

you lik

m to scrub the windsh

n't they

ee! I'd like to stick chewing-gum in the side-whiskers of the tall one-the one with the cramps in his elbows. His name's

s eying the speaker wit

ot a Fren

t by descent, but an actress by

I don't limp; so I'm an a

rri

rdl

t to

to

laughed u

mind if I get out of this cast-iron cor

ou a sp

they're not

And let's make

nything strong! I'm

think so. I-wonder

the guest was ushered into Adoree's apartment she received another surprise, for the place was neither elaborate nor showy. It consisted merely of two large, comfortable ro

doree flung out of her finery and donned a Japanese robe, offering another to Lorelei. A plate of limber crackers was unearthed f

rdinary person," her gu

show me your jewels o

ed Adoree; then she voiced a very tame and womanly oath as a ma

bachon rubi

'em and takes 'em away; so is the bond th

g didn't give

ubies the Maiden Lane Shylock who owns them would tear enough curled hair out of

y,

smiled crookedly. "No wonder you didn't want to go to t

ance work

he air-dome stuff that had scored in Little Rock and Michigan City, and it got by somehow. My mother was a Canuck, so I knew some French, and eventually I reached the Continent. There I met the Old Nick. You may think the devil is a tall, dark man with the ace of spades on his chin and a figure-six tail-that's what he looks like on the ham-cans; but in reality he's a little fat, bald man with a tenor voice, and he eats cloves. His name is Aubrey Lane, and he can't stand hot weather. Never heard of him, eh? Well, neither had any

ee Demorest' instead; then he went to work. He really did work, too, although it nearly killed him, and he's never done anything since. I forgot to mention that I signed a contract with him which lawyers tell me is the finest example of air-tight, time, weather, and water proof construction that has been seen since the Declaration of Independence. It fits closer than a rubber shirt, always retains its shape, lasts longer than old age, and-no metal can touch you. The King fable is a joke on the other side, but New York swallowed it clear up to the sinker, and Aubrey gaffed the

breathless interest. Now

poor

led, but her e

see, I was tired of working, tired of ambition, and I wanted to come home. Thank God I have no people! I save all the money I c

What do

at has always b

ot qui

as it is in front. But I'm deathly afraid all the time that I'll be found o

u fond

I don't like any man, and I never have. There's only

tic. He

ole scalp-with say, one ear attached-hanging on my bureau where I could see it every morning when I wake up. Somehow I don't seem to mind the pre

she did not laugh. "I haven't any gi

she talked; as she wiped her eyes now she

ng to confide in somebody-but

t care what

brey was right: a girl must either be mighty good or mighty bad in this business-or make people think she is, which amounts to the same thing. You have had easy going because you're kno

ized that she, too, had been very lonely in the city. The certainty that she had made a friend gl

parted; but a note was waiting for her. It

e'll be implicated, too. Bette