hrink away.
A half-dozen steps and I had shoved in between them. The presumptuous
youths sprawled to opposite points of the compass and I had drawn her
hand through my arm. I could feel it tremble, but I carried her onward
exultantly, masterfully. A man takes his own when he finds it. Then at
the next street-lamp I stopped and released her. Within the circle of
the light we stood and gazed into each other's eyes.

The Lady Allegra who was! It seems odd to think of her now as Alice
Allaire--a pretty enough name but not particularly romantic. And when
she changes it to Thorp, as she has just promised to do--But perhaps I
am going a bit too fast. However, her story is simplicity itself.

My dear girl is an orphan, and six months ago she went to live with her
guardian and uncle, David Magnus. But the situation quickly became
intolerable. The attentions of the odious creature Olivers were openly
encouraged by Dr. Magnus, and the child, although friendless and in a
strange city, had no recourse but to run away. Surely, her voice would
secure her a living! But the weeks passed and her store of money was
running dangerously low. The Houston Street vaudeville had been the one
chance that had offered, and she had hoped to make it good. But that
first appearance had been her last. After the fiasco of which I had
been a witness she had been discharged on the spot. We smile as we
recall it now, but it had been a terrible catastrophe to contemplate at
the time. What would you have done?

We went straight to Indiman, and he listened with close attention.

"You have property, then?" he asked.

Miss Allaire looked troubled. "There is money. I even think it must be
a large estate. But I don't know; my uncle never spoke of my affairs."

"One of those cases where it is virtually impossible to prove
anything," said Indiman to me. "Nevertheless, Magnus would be quite
satisfied to have the absence of his niece made a permanent one--it
saves the bother of making any explanations whatever."

"The phonographic records were the only clew," I observed. "At least he
thought so."

"Yes, and consequently he has been working all this while to get them
away from me. We're ready now to make a deal, but I'd like to know what
stakes are on the table before playing a card."

"There was an ante of ten thousand dollars, you remember."

"Quite so. Well, Miss Allaire, if you are willing to have me play the
partie in your behalf--"

"I could ask fo