The Mystery of Mary

all safe. She telephoned me just after you had left the other day, and sent her maid after her hat. It seems that while she stood by the window, looking down into the street, she saw an automobil

ould get in and ride to the station with one of them who was leaving the city at once. They loaned her a veil and a wrap, and promised to bring her right back for her papers and other possessions, but the train was late, and when they retur

d to the girl he knew-to "Mary." When he left the Judge's office, he we

ad arrived from Madame Dollard's, and Cornelia had laid it impressively by his plate. Even his mother had looked at him with a

brilliancy, and Cornelia had been quite disagreeable when he refused to take it off for her to examine. He had replied to his mother's question by saying that the ring belonged to a friend of his. He knew his mother was hurt by the answer, but what more could he do at present? True, he might have taken the ring off and prevented further comment, but it ha

k, bearing two hat-boxes-one of them in

ise, Dunham sat up in

ved to find that there was only one old gentleman in the room, and that he was asleep. "Suppose

right

ove that crate from the box. The

I'll be thah in

y made a quick ascent to a private room. He gave the boy a

ng to his face. Was he about to solve the mystery which had surrounded the girl in whom his interes

rewarded by seeing the great black hat, beautiful and unhurt in spite of its journey to Chicago. The day was saved, and also the reputation of his mother's maid. But was there no word from the beautiful stranger? He searched hurriedly through the wrappings, pulled out the hat quite unceremoniously, and turned the box upside down, but noth

ked at it reverently, and laid the garment down carefully, that it might not be disturbed. As he lifted the

e had signed her name "Mary." She had told him he might call her that. Could it be that

then that he touched the silken lined cloth of her dress, and he drew back almost as if he had ventured roughly upon something sacred. Startled, awed, he looked upon it, and

e. He touched with curious, wistful fingers the lace and delicate garniture abou

r. Had she reached a place of safety where she did not need the dress? No, for in that case, why should sh

ress. Gradually he came to feel a great pleasure in the fact that she had trusted him with it. She had known he would understand, and perhaps had not had time to make furthe

nd then half shamefacedly laid his cheek against it, breathing in the perfume. But he put it down quickly, looki

o introduce him? He resolved to interview the Judge about it at their next meeting. In the meantime, he must wait and hope for further word from Mary. Surely she would write him again, and claim her ring perhaps, an

he should restore his sister's hat and his

e empty hat-box, and placed it in his suit-case. Then he transferred the hat to its original bo

dge's office about some unimportant detail of the busine

such a fright by her sudden disappearance? You never tol

believe you know her, for she was from California, and was visiti

o far as the mystery was concern

r and over the mystery of the beautiful young woman, until it began to seem to him that he had been crazy to let her drift out into the world alone and practically penniless. The dress had told its tale. He saw, of course, that if she were afraid of detection, she must have found it necessary to buy other clothing, and how could she have bought it with only nine dollars and seventy-five cents? He now felt convinced that he should have found some way to

ghtest particle of good. Underneath all the reasoning, he knew he was glad that he had found her once, and he determined to find her again, and to unravel the

it-case and the hat-box, and took a cab to his home. He left the veh

e light was burning low. He put the hat-box in the farthest corner of his closet, then he

lem which he had not yet been able to solve. How should he dispose of the hat so that it would be discovered in such a way as to cast no further suspicion upon the maid? How would it do to place the hat in the hall-closet, back among the coats? No, it might excite suspicion to find them together. Could he put it in his own closet and profess to have found it there? No, for that might lead to unpleasant qu

nd trying to remember just how the girl had looked out at him from under its droop

ealed through the hall he took the box boldly in his hand and descended

closet-shelf. I must have put it there myself through some unaccountable mix-up. It's too bad I couldn't have found it before and so

with delight over

? It was impossible. I left it my room, I know I did, for I spo

things this past week, I may have done almost anything. By the way, Mother, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear tha

e, and when the mother and sister finally reverted to it and began to discuss how it co

sure now that you must have overlooked it. Such things often happen. We were so e

d his mother, with dignity. "I had t

by looking again. That closet is

" said his mother stiffly.

ldn't get out of the house of itself, and Norah is no thief. The idea is preposterous. Please have it attended to carefully to-day. Good-by. I shall have to hurry down-

other sternly, "but of course I will look to

e did not care to be present a

from the hall closet, holding her lost rain-coat at arm's length. "You don't suppose your bro

It's my opinion that Norah knows all about the matter, an

You surely don't suppose your brother woul

"You've got your rain-coat back, but you'd better watch the rest of your w