re she might be performing, nor ever at any time to
make known his relationship to her. She now saw in this breaking
of a rule, which heretofore he had inviolably adhered to, clear
evidence that the man had suddenly become a menace, and she was
in great haste to get him out of touch with her colleagues before
anything could be done to disgrace her.

In so sudden and so pressing an emergency she could think of no
excuse but an errand by which to get him out of the theatre, and
of no errand but one--the stage jewels which Messrs. Trent & Son
were making for her. She therefore sat down quickly at the prompt
table, and, drawing a sheet of paper to her, wrote hurriedly:

_Messrs. Trent & Son:_

GENTLEMEN--Please give the bearer my jewels--or such of them
as are finished, if you have not done with all--that he may
bring them to me immediately, as I have instant need of them.

Yours faithfully,

MARGARET LARUE.

This she passed over to the stage manager, with a request to "Please
read that, Mr. Lampson, and certify over your signature that it is
authentic, and that you vouch for having seen me write it." After
which she got up suddenly, and said as calmly as she could: "Mr.
Super Master, I want to borrow one of your men to go on an important
errand to Trent & Son for me. This one will do," signalling out
her brother. "Spare him, please. This way, my man--come quickly!"

With that she suddenly caught up the note she had written--and which
the stage manager had, as requested, certified--and, beckoning her
brother to follow, walked hurriedly off the stage to a deserted point
in the wings.

"Why have you done this dreadful thing?" she demanded in a low,
fierce tone as soon as he came up with her. "Are you a fool as well
as a knave that you come here and risk losing your only support by
a thing like this?"

"I wanted to see you--I had to see you--and it was the only way," he
gave back in the same guarded tone. "The wife is dead. She died last
night, and I've got to get money somewhere to bury her. I'd no one
to send, since you've taken Ted away and sent him to school, so I had
to come myself."

The knowledge that it was for no more desperate reason than this
that he had forced himself into her presence came as a great relief
to Miss Larue. She hastened to get rid of him by sending him to
Trent & Son with the note that she had written, and to tell him
to carry the p