was faithful to a man; she was
being a woman. At first she grew pale, tense, quiet, and seemed to be
going into a decline. Then that stage passed; and the roseleaf flush
returned to her cheeks, the purple fire deepened in her eyes, the
quivering life in all her supple young body.

Night after night loneliness had no fears for her. If she heard a
whistle on the avenue, the honk of a car--the familiar old signals of
the boys and girls, she smiled her disdain, and curling comfortably
in her great chair, bent her lovely head over her books.

In the beginning her dreams were all of Daren Lane, of the strangeness
and glory of this soldier who spent so many secret hours with her. And
when the time came that she did not see him so often her dreams were
just as full. But gradually, as the days went by, other figures than
Lane's were limned upon her fancy--vague figures of heroes, knights,
soldiers. He still dominated her romances, though less personally. She
built around him. Every day brought her new strange desires.

One evening in August when Bessy sat alone the telephone bell rang
sharply. She ran to take down the receiver.

"Hello, hello, that you, Bessy?" came the hurried call in a girl's
voice.

"Rose! Oh, how are you?"

"Fine. But say, Angel, I can't take time to talk. Something doing. Are
you alone?"

"Yes, all alone, old girl."

"Listen, then, and get this.... I'm here, you know, telephone girl at
the Exchange. Just heard your father on the wire. Some one has
betrayed the secret of the club. There's a warrant out for the arrest
of the boys. For gambling. You know there's a political vice drive on.
Some time to-night they'll be raided.... But early. Bess, are you
getting this?"

"Sure. Hurry--hurry," replied Bessy, in excitement.

"I tried to get Dick on the wire, but couldn't. Same with two more of
the boys. But I did get wise to this. Gail and Lorna have a date at
the club to-night.... Never mind how I found out. Dick has thrown me
down for Gail. I'm sore as a pup. But I don't want your father to
pinch those girls.... Now, Bess, I'm tied here. But you get a move on.
Don't waste time. You can save them. You must. Do something. If you
can't find somebody, go straight to the club. You know where the key
for the outside entrance is kept. Hurry and it'll be safe. Good-bye."

Bessy stood statue-like for a moment, her big eyes glowing, changing,
darkening with rapid thought, then she flew upstairs to her room,