ere soon----"

"Tell me now--I insist," said the lawyer with growing impatience.

"Please--please don't ask me!" she pleaded.

Mr. Jeffries made an angry gesture.

"As I told you, Brewster, her whole story is a fabrication trumped up
for some purpose--God knows what object she has in deceiving us! I only
know that I warned you what you always may expect from people of her
class."

The judge said nothing for a moment. Then quietly he whispered to the
banker:

"Go into my study for a few moments, will you, Jeffries?"

The banker made a gesture, as if utterly disgusted with the whole
business.

"I am going home," he said testily. "I've had a most painful
evening--most painful. Let me know the result of your investigation as
soon as possible. Good night. Don't disturb me to-night, Brewster.
To-morrow will do."

He left the room in high dudgeon, banging the door behind him. Annie
burst into a laugh.

"Don't disturb him!" she mimicked. "He's going to get all that's coming
to him."

Shocked at her levity, the lawyer turned on her severely.

"Do you want me to lose all faith in you?" he asked sternly.

"No, indeed," she answered contritely.

"Then tell me," he demanded, "why do you conceal this woman's name from
me?"

"Because I don't want to be the one to expose her. She shall tell you
herself."

"That's all very well," he replied, "but meantime you are directing
suspicion against yourself. Your father-in-law believes you are the
woman; so does Captain Clinton."

"The captain suspects everybody," she laughed. "It's his business to
suspect. As long as you don't believe that I visited Underwood that
night----"

The judge shook his head as if puzzled.

"Candidly, I don't know what to think." Seriously, he added: "I want to
think the very best of you, Annie, but you won't let me."

She hesitated a moment and then, quickly, she said:

"I suppose I'd better tell you and have done with it--but I don't like
to----"

At that moment a servant entered and handed the lawyer a card.

"The lady wants to see you at once, sir."

"To see me," asked the lawyer in surprise: "are you sure she hasn't come
for Mr. Jeffries?"

"No, sir; she asked for you."

Annie sprang forward.

"Is it Mrs. Jeffries?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Let me see her, judge," she exclaimed eagerly; "I'll tell her who it is
and she can tell you--she's a woman--and I'd rather. Let me speak to
her, please!"

Addressing the ser