mains, I shall go--I shall leave the
house--I will not stay under the same roof with the lewd creature!"

"Very well, then, run along," said Ames, taking the humiliated
Kathleen by the shoulders and turning her about. "I will settle this
without your assistance." Then he motioned to the house detectives to
depart, and turned to Haynerd and Carmen. "Come in here," he said,
leading the way to the little waiting room, and opening the door.

"Lord! but you belong down stairs with the rest," he ejaculated as he
faced Carmen, standing before him pale but unafraid. "There isn't one
down there who is in your class!" he exclaimed, placing his hands upon
her shoulders and looking down into her beautiful face. "And," he
continued with sudden determination, "I am going to take you down, and
you will sit at the table with me, as my special guest!"

A sudden fear gripped Haynerd, and he started to interpose. But Carmen
spoke first.

"Very well, Mr. Ames," she said quietly. "Take me down. I have a
question to ask Mr. Wales when we are at the table."

An expression of surprise and inquiry came into Ames's face. "Mr.
Wales?" he said wonderingly. "You mean Congressman--"

Then he stopped abruptly, and looked searchingly at Carmen and her
companion. Haynerd paled. Carmen stood unflinching. Ames's expression
of surprise gave place to one dark and menacing.

"You were behind that screen when Congressman Wales and I--"

"Yes," returned Carmen calmly. "I overheard all you said. I saw you
bribe him."

Ames stood like a huge, black cloud, glowering down upon the slender
girl. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You are going to tell him that the fifty thousand dollars are just a
loan, and that he may vote as he chooses, aren't you?" she said. "You
will not ruin his life, and the lives of his wife and babies, will
you? You would never be happy, you know, if you did." Her voice was as
quiet as the morning breeze.

"So!" the giant sneered. "You come into my house to play spy, eh? And
if I had not caught you when I did you would have written another
interesting article for the Social Era, wouldn't you? By God! I'll
break you, Haynerd, and your infernal sheet into a million pieces if
you dare print any such rot as this! And as for you, young lady--"

"You can do nothing to me, Mr. Ames; and you don't really want to,"
said Carmen quickly. "My reputation, you know--that is, the one which
you people have given me--is just as black as it co