ter of the lease was settled. Boland
told me plainly when I last talked with him that if I would arrange to
have Patience Welcome here on Saturday night so that Harry Boland could
see her he would give me a new lease with no increase in rental."

"I understand," replied Miss Masters to whom this was news. "The idea of
arranging this meeting is, I am informed, to convince Harry that the girl
has been playing with him--that she is one of your employes."

"That's it," replied Druce. "I've made all the plans and the girl will be
here on Saturday night. I've arranged to have her mother here, too. And
to make it good I expect to bring in the other sister--the girl Elsie--at
the last moment. Young Boland will believe that the whole Welcome family
is working for me."

"I see," said Miss Masters. "It's a pretty smooth scheme, but Mr. Boland
thinks it's rather too daring. That's why he's sent me here, to see that
nothing goes wrong. You are to give me all the details of your plans and
through me Mr. Boland is to be kept informed as to what is going on."

"Well, he's a deep one," said Druce. "I don't like his introducing a
third party into my plans very well, but I guess I've got to take it.
I've got to have that lease."

"Yes," replied Miss Masters, "that's the way John Boland has it figured
out."

"Say, girlie," Druce went on, assuming a confidential air, "Old Boland
sure must have a lot of confidence in you."

Again Miss Masters smiled enigmatically. "Yes," she admitted, "Mr. Boland
has reason to know I can take care of myself in nearly every situation."

"I'm beginning to think you're as deep as Boland is."

"Yes?" Miss Masters tantalized him with another of her smiles. "Now," she
went on, "tell me about this. You say you're going to have the other
Welcome girl here. How do you expect to arrange that?"

Druce grinned triumphantly. "That's dead easy," he said. "You see I'm
married to her." He had expected to startle Miss Masters with this
information, but he was disappointed. She merely arched her brows
slightly. "Then you marry them, do you?" "Yes, when I have to. It's the
easiest way." "Then this girl--Elsie--is living in your--a--a--hotel?"

"No," replied Druce hesitatingly, "she's gone away." Then he added
quickly, "but she'll be back."

"Gone away? I don't understand." "Oh, we had a family row this morning. I
told her that if she wanted to get along in Chicago she'd have to discard
her Millville morals and be