Torchy, Private Sec.

woman with a six-year-old who was teasin' to go see Santa Claus in the window again; a sporty-lookin' old boy with a red tie who was bli

I'll bet I had the best excuse! I was waitin' for Vee! She'd gone in at five-twenty-one

something for Somewhere, and a new recruit in the shape of a fish-eyed gink with a double-chin dimple had drifted in, when I h

pardo

igh-strung look on her thin face, an amazin' collection of freckles, and a pleadin' look in her big, blue-gray eyes. She's costumed mainly in a

" says I, ga

t the work paper

Work papers? Sure! They can't take you on unless you'r

Wouldn't they

n't dare," says I. "They

" says she. "That's

her under lip was trembly; but she was keepin' her chin up

he, "where does one g

t of quizzin', "what's

home?" she comes

nders around until she's collected by a cop, turned ove

e, glancin' around scary. "No, no

why don't he-- By the way

up," sa

pinched?

h her that I wasn't to worry, as he'd be let out soon, and I was to stay wher

tances over which-- But where did you pick up

don, Sir?"

" says I. "Engl

Brompton Roa

er long?

hree months, S

s the name

Helma Allston. And

at all fresh about it, you know: just easy and natural. I don'

I guess you can

don't mind, I'd like to-to stay here for a minute or two while I think what I 'd be

the trouble

man in the blue cap-the one who told me about t

ces I discovers this low-brow st

ots. Don't mind him. You're waitin' with me, yo

to mine and snuggles up like a lost kitten. The store sleuth he stares puzzled for a second; but

te little hat to match, and takes in the picture. Maybe you can guess too, how the average young queen in her set would have curled her lip

haven't had the p

l sport, Vee is,

e of London, just now at large. It's a c

ittle doubtful. "An

" says I, shakin'

een taken up-the bobbies, you know. And I fancy the money he left for my board must have been all used; for I heard the landlady say I'd

at me and then at Helma. "You absurd

onth, Miss," says He

ight?" demands Vee. "Where did

them at all, Mi

s a knowin' look at me. "There!" says she. "That re

oin' to mention it. There's a jo

"Come, Helma, you'll

way a pot of chocolate, a club sandwich, and an order of toasted muffins and marmalade. She just lets them big eyes of hers travel up and down, from Vee's smooth

d such bright, active eyes, that it gives her a wide-awake, live-wire look, like a fox terrier. Then the freckles-just spattered w

those livin' in Lond

s was-until the war. Then Sir Alfred went off with his regiment, and Haldeane House was shut up, like so many others. Daddums was too old to enlist,

ys I. "Was it jew'lry th

ws Daddums wouldn't do a thing like that. They could ask Sir Alfred.

lances back. That's all; but them

ook the money, do you?" say

her soothin' on the hand. "I don'

ypt I had a donkey with a white face; but only hired from Hassan, you know. And in Devon there was a cunning little Shetland that Hobbs would sometimes let me take out. But here! I stay in a dark little room alone for hours. I-I don't like it at all. But it costs such a

at Vee. I shakes my head dubious, indicatin' I wa'n't so sure a

says she. "What have y

these cloth-topped, everlastin' affairs, that looks like i

her up. Only the night before Daddums went off I missed her for a while and thought she was lost. I cried myself to sleep. But

impetuous and givin' her a hug. "And where do

let them put me in a home; for then I couldn

he youngster and grippin' her muff. Course you might say we wa'n't any Rescue Mission, or anything like that; but someh

rough sometimes, ain't it

s she. "I'm going to ta

ut Aunty?

says she, "there'll be a row. Aunty's always saying that such affairs shou

s the youngster. "May

rs: "Torchy, if you're any good at all, you'll go straight an

em-say, ain't that so

u needn't come to see us unt

real stirred up over anything she's some earnest party-no four-flushin' about her! And it don't seem to make much diff'rence who blocks the path. Look at her then, sailin' off to go up against a stiff-necked, c

"And I pulled this down just by bein' halfway human! Oh

ars I spent outside the Sunday editor's door wa'n't all wasted. For instance, that's where I got to know Whitey Weeks. And now my first move is to pike down to old Newspaper Ro

his ear to the receiver. "We know t

he's on his back!" says I.

Whitey, "all in hundreds. Lif

buttling,-in a bank," says

76th Street; "Mrs. Connie Murtha, you know," he goes on, "the big po

" says I. "Twenty thousand! No piker,

itey. "Mike's a friend of mine

a try, any

away from a penuchle game, and Whitey begins by suggestin' t

," says Mike. "And he'd fake

hen you rounded hi

head disgusted. "

e, eh?" s

glish crook? The Yard never heard of him. I doped him out from the firs

t?" says Whitey

ket a bulgy envelope. "I found that in his room

deuce!" sa

t. I had it analyzed,-no dope, no nothing. Now tel

In fact, after I've explained how a relation of Allston's had asked me to look him up he fixes it so I can get a pass into the Tombs. Fo

roll without makin' somebody squirm good and plenty. He might have known that, if it was him turned the trick. Or was he nutty, like Donahue had said? Before I we

in' pains in the neck!" grumbl

e, have a perfecto for that pain." And that soothes him so much he

ldered gent, with hair a little thin on top and a pair of reddish-gray butler sideboar

m Helma,

a stab at speakin' before he can get the words out. "Is-isn't she al

her in a home. Picked me up on the street

rtin' over a suspic

can swap a little information later on. N

t of the house! They admit that. If I'd taken

says I. "I rather thought from what Hel

ys he. "Helma was down in the ki

chin as a help to deep t

that makes me think of sawdust, and

elma I was kind of in hopes they was just maki

live for, Sir," says

ty thousand! Say, you know this ain't any jay burg.

says he, stiffenin' up. "They'll h

he arrow points to you. About fifteen years would be my guess. No

ulders dogged. "Poor little He

e order of events. It's like this: First off you tel

owls at me stubborn. "They tried all that o

lighter if yo

ng to tell,

you know for two tickets

e. "Helma's b

thinks a heap of her Daddums. I ain't sure,

r that begins in the fingers grippin' the bars runs clear up to the sagge

a smile. "Her doll. She-sh

in' him keen. "I'm keep

gins pacin' up and down his cell, wringin

ia," says he, "and get her out of-of

want is your O. K. on any term

s he. "And she doesn't co

ants it back. Might talk business,

Allston. "Anythin

," says I. "I'm off. Maybe

I boards an uptown subway express. Easy enough findin' Mrs. Connie Murtha too. She's just finished a ten o'clock breakfast.

ng English butler," says she, "you needn't waste a

coaxed into tellin' whe

he. "The boys told me so. He won't squeal. Donahue

rl," I puts in, "without

do," says s

uld get the wa

t?" says

bean,"

at me hard and eager. "He

idin' him and the little girl

could claim I'd remembered putting the money somewhere and forgo

at up a lawyer? Let's sett

ow?" s

full in the eyes. "I'm playin' you to

ways as good as government bonds. And if you can wish back tha

than that?" says I. "I

nutes, in fact; but Mrs.

under one arm, where it had been buttoned up snug and tight, about the worst-looki

imp you!" she blazes

ufferin' from a bad case of undigest

, I expect. But on the way down I'd sounded Arabella's chest, and I was backin' my

Allston, you know. And me offerin' to swap a brand-new two-dollar one that could open and shut its eyes! 'It's fo

believe me, it don't take her long to leave Arabe

r crook, you know. It was a case of bein' up against it,-sickness, and wantin' to get away somewhere with th

lock that safe again! But I thought no one knew. Allston must have seen me moving the picture and guessed. Well, I'm not sore.

any bluff. She went down hersel

al act, Vee tells me that Helma is in the libr'y, playin' nurse and hairdresser to Aunty's chief pet, a big orange

l her,"

is busy with the comb and brush. "Some

sy and gazin' at the door. "Why, wh

er. Uh-huh! I'm caught around the neck quick, and something soft and sweet hits

ll the same. Of course I knew he didn't take it; but

saw through the sawd

gh, about that inside t