The Crimson Thread: An Adventure Story for Girls

e moving throng of shoppers. In this, however, she found scant relief. No matter which way she might t

rrow court and again into the throng. At last, in utter desperation, she fled down a stairway; then another and another. Little dreaming that she had been descending into t

reamed there could be such a place

ed herself, and would have gone racing back up the stair had not a

s Cordelia, are

wn name, she turned about to find herself st

as, however, such a light of kindness in the man's eyes as coul

. The-the man; I thin

, if he meant you any harm." The bundle man shoo

?" Cordie stammere

at the buildin'. I suppose you never wondered before how this huge b

at tends to the stokers let me come. I like it. It's the nearest thing to the sea that one

belong to

t, I'll see you safely on your way, or if you want I'll see you safely home. You need have no fear of me. I'm

rkness, a face had appeared there. However well shaven and massaged it might be, it was not a pl

ring as if his eyes would pop out

for this too, for with every muscle of his face drawn in lin

at of

out from it, (beyond which the Mystery Lady had disappeared,) she stepped close enough to make s

Mystery Lady done that? Why the crimson thread? Why the iron ring? That was the fourth time the crimson t

gh her mind one sentence in that clipping relating t

"I am the Spirit of Christmas. Wherever I go I leave my mark which is

orning to meet her and to claim her bag of gold. Shoppers gazed into faces of fellow shoppers to wonder: "Are you the Spirit of Christmas? S

kyards and had spent hours wandering through great buildings or on board-walks above the cattle. The next day found her again among the throngs of shoppers. Here she had purchased

e? Who will get the gold?" These were

city buy a paper that they might read of her latest exploits and to discover where she was to be on that

she chided herself for being so foolish as to miss her appointment with Cordie for su

against the glass she saw but one person near the

d. "I only hope nothin

and raced away to catch a

* *

down in a chair. The chair was black and greasy, but she had no thought for that. Indeed, so

ation had forced its way into her conscio

top him! He'

hat boy; muscles like steel and quick as a cat. If anybody does him in you'll have to g

nion, the girl settled back again in her seat. She knew tha

nd a question. Why did James go into such a fit

ly knows me. Why should he suddenly become such a violent champion of my cause? And besides, he had no way of knowing that that w

a few moments of thought. "He's seen that man before. I

ing question. What would James

sounds which she told herself were the dull thud of fist-blows, the sickening rush of a blade as it s

her to distinguish sounds ten yards away, and that in all probability the two men were hundreds of feet away from her, on some other floor. The illusion still per

hour. The suspense had grown unbearable when of a sudden, with face g

" Cordie

rmy voyage. My deck needs swabbin' down and my sails a furlin', but I'll be ship

had been in, and sat staring at him as he thrust his head into a huge basin of water

isk broom, he succeeded in

James, once a seaman and now a land fighter,

and Drexel,

Port 'er bow

know the outcome of the battle, if there had been one, she dreaded quite as much to hear the whole truth. Visions of an inanim

e building was uneventful. The watchman at the

wild tale of the sea journeys he had made. In his deep mellow drawl he talked of the whale ship Addler in northern seas; of Eskimo

Cordie, hearing her own station announce

ng over with excitement, s

g experience. "You've had an adventure. So have I. Let's not spoil 'em in the te

ted, "not a single b

upper dresser drawer. There are some vanilla wafers, too. You make the sandwiches and

colored dressing gowns, sipping the delicious

anished and fresh cups had been poured, "now's t

, her wild dash through the throng, her descent into the depths of the earth,

ou away when you fainted in the Art Museum. Dear little girl, you must be careful, very careful indeed. You must never be left alone; never

hat Lucile felt tucked into her own, a

, my dear

"I must not tell them. It would

ingly reveal a secret, she changed the subject abr

ll-merely an episode. However, since it throws some light on a mystery and re

her eyes half closed as if she were day dreaming, L

ght as Lucile came to that part of the story. "My i

die check

known what?"

ny that she should have a diamond set in it? Wouldn't it be a joke to come upon her wearing it? Wouldn't it, though? I'd march right

e that Cordie had said something very unusual about the ring a

very unusu

he mus

ht that man-the one who

ot. You say he was all mu

-hu

nor bloody, nor an

ss not-no,

lace the other night I was good and mussed up, and I hadn't been in a

s silence for

r face alight with some strange idea. "James is so myst

hild, there aren

any a

read about

the same. Everything doesn't get in the papers. I think it would be wonderful if he turned out to be a

who is kind to ladies and all that, you're welcome. But for my part, I'd give a lot more to know wha

Cordie, "it

here go the chimes! Ten o'cloc

the remnants of their little feast. Ten minu

ugh for sleep, her eyes did not close at once. She was th

windling away. Her own expenses had been greater than she had thought they would be. Added to this was the increase in her room rent due to the presence of Cordie. Her dream that

penny she possessed," groaned Luc

The girl appeared so impractical, so lovable, so irresp

burdens-that Lucile had all but forgotten the fact that he had given his pass-out to the Mystery Lady on that night when she had in such a surprising manner come into the possession of

r reason for haunting our store at that hour o

in Lucile's closet while she had gone to work all too scantily clad in a sweater and broad scarf. She wis

ere enjoying a few moments of window shopping before the gorgeous windows of State street. Suddenly, above the rattle

ill many horses on the streets of the city, but where before, in the din

in imminent danger of being run down by a cab as she dashed madly across the street toward t

en more surprising. Without the least glance at the young policeman, s

y it. As for the stern young minion of the law, he was so overcome by surprise

w across t

n the world are you doi

peated over and over: "Dick, you old darling. Dea

ing to come to herself, the girl dropped he

a quite different emotion swept over her.

done? I-I beg-b

man, coming to life with a broad s

a very, very

voice. "He's a friend of mine too, and a mighty good one. Shake." Solemnly drawi

-this where you always stay? I-I

Dick, I mean, will be glad to see you." The way he smiled as he looked at Cordie's deep colored, dimpled cheeks, her

or poor old Dick. I can't leave him this way. I-I never have. Won't you please talk

right, M

prompted

run away. Duty calls me, though. I must ride up a block an

heel and patting him gently on

erformed to the complete satisfaction of both Dick and Cordi

told herself, "that horse, Dick, came from the country. All horses do. He's been a pet of Cordie's back there on the farm. His owner, perhaps her own father, has sold him to some city dealer. And bec

g officer, Patrick O'Hara. He seems such a nice sort of boy, and then you can never tell how soon

, she merely smiled as she recalled once more how her impetuous little companion had raced a

Cordie does not confide in me? Oh well," she

had reasons enough; the str

surprising thing happened, a thing that doubled the my

desk for change and at the same time whispering to Cordie, when of a

re's

, change and customer, he disappeared as

d a moment later. "His custom

not until a certain short, broad-shouldered man, who carried a large brief case and stood talking

as she volunteered to complete Laurie's sale. "Now

got a better look at him. "No, he smiles too much for that.

e overheard tended

usand," he sai

nnie threw her hand

Sam smiled. "An

forgotten both Laurie and Sam when she came suddenly upon the l

at's Sam's, confound him! He's always leaving things

am?" Luc

r. The answer did not come. For a sec