54-40 or Fight

t the beginning of

mar

I could see outlined upon our right, just beyond a narrow pavement of brick, a low and not more than semi-respectable house, or rather, row of houses; tenements for the middle class or poor, I might have said. The neighborhood, I knew from my acquaintance with the city, was respe

softly, at length. The dr

? Could this indeed be her residence? Was she incognit

g of a silken skirt betimes will carry a man, if he dares or cares to go. Now, I might not leave. My duty was here. This was my message; here was she for whom it was intended; and this was the place which I was to have sought alone. I needed only to remember that my business was not with Helena von Ritz the woman, beauti

hand her out at the step, but as I glanced down I saw that the

allow me to make a light f

ed out her scheme of symmetry, and had not allowed wrist and arm to forswear themselves! I saw also that this foot was clad in the daintiest of white slippers, suitable enough as part of her ball costume, as I dou

careful," I suggested.

, as luck would have it, a bit of her loose drapery, which was made in the wide-skirted and much-hooped fashion of the time, caught at the

ng aside, "but she has perhaps not noticed th

me your hand across to the wa

t-where?

age!" she exclaimed

either offer an arm or ask for an explanation. Some whim, however, seized her; some feeling that

d. I do not know what your message may be, but I doubt not it is meant for me. Since you have this much claim

t answer. I know that this message is to the Baroness von Ritz. I

lost it wholly. I lost the slipper in a way not quite planned on the program. It hurt my foot. I sought to adjust it behind a curtain. My gentleman of Me

t know my an

and at once knoc

d and brown old serving-woman-not one of our colored women, but of some dark foreign race. The faintest trace of surpris

each building would have been from front to back, but longer than a half dozen of them would have been! I did not know then, what I learned later, that the partitions throughout this entire row had been removed, the material serving to fill up one of the houses at the farthest extremity of the

features, her stockinged foot extended, toe down, s

d epistle in her hand. "You know me-perhaps you follow me-

hard by ties of a certain sort. Her bluntness and independence puzzled

f my chief, John Calhoun, of the United States Senate-p

tly, looking about me meantime. I discovered that the windows were barred with narrow slats of iron within, although

land for making it so secret and strong! If so love

ioned me to the door. But now I smiled in turn, and pointed to the unopened note on the table. "You will pardon me, Madam," I went on. "

to pick up my unregarded document. Deliberately she broke the seal

ced; and this is what this stranger asks: that I shall go with him, to-night, alone, and otherwise unattended, to see a man, p

ill it please you to go in your own carr

tired. I am bored. Your impudence amuses me; and your errand is not your fault. Come, sit d

situation. Here, indeed, more easily reached than I had dared hope, was th