ou?"

"Look at me!" I said, in imperious tones. "Do I look like one who would
give him up, because of Familey objections?"

"How brave you are!" she observed. "Bab, I am green with envy. When I
think of the way he looked at you, and the tones of his voice when he
made love to that--that creature, I am posatively SHAKEN."

We sat in somber silence. Then she said:

"I darsay he detests the Heroine, doesn't he?"

"He tolarates her," I said, with a shrug.

More silense. I rang for Hannah to bring some ice water. We were in my
BOUDOIR.

"I saw him yesterday," said Jane, when Hannah had gone.

"Jane!"

"In the park. He was with the woman that plays the Adventuress. Ugly old
thing."

I drew a long breath of relief. For I knew that the Adventuress was at
least thirty and perhaps more. Besides being both wicked and cruel, and
not at all femanine.

Hannah brought the ice-water and then came in the most madening way and
put her hand on my Forehead.

"I've done nothing but bring you ice-water for to days," she said. "Your
head's hot. I think you need a musterd foot bath and to go to bed."

"Hannah," Jane said, in her loftyest fashion, "Miss Barbara is woried,
not ill. And please close the door when you go out."

Which was her way of telling Hannah to go. Hannah glared at her.

"If you take my advice, Miss Jane," she said. "You'll keep away from
Miss Barbara."

And she went out, slaming the door.

"Well!" gasped Jane. "Such impertanence. Old servant or not, she ought
to have her mouth slaped."

Well, I told Jane the plan and she was perfectly crazy about it. I had
a headache, but she helped me into my street things, and got Sis's rose
hat for me while Sis was at the telephone. Then we went out.

First we telephoned Carter Brooks, and he said tomorrow morning would
do, and he'd give a couple of reporters the word to hang around father's
office at the mill. He said to have Adrian there at ten o'clock.

"Are you sure your father will do it?" he asked. "We don't want a
flivver, you know."

"He's making a principal of it," I said. "When he makes a principal of a
thing, he does it."

"Good for father!" Carter said. "Tell him not to be to gentle. And tell
your Actor-friend to make a lot of fuss. The more the better. I'll see
the Policeman at the mill, and he'll probably take him up. But we'll get
him out for the matinee. And watch the evening papers."

It was then that a terrable thought struck me. What if Adr