back by a ribbon band--carried out the illusion completely. Her
complexion was so fair and fresh, her sensitive lips so red and full,
and delicately chiseled, such a look of childish innocence was in her
light blue eyes, that he wondered what she could be doing among such
questionable company. He concluded that the couple had wandered in by
mistake, not knowing the true character of the place. Turning to
Warner, he said in an undertone.

"Look at that young girl--the blonde with white plumes--coming this way
escorted by the man with the smooth face and gray hair! Surely she is
not an habitue of this joint!"

The lawyer laughed as he quickly drew Elfie's attention to the new
arrivals.

"Really, old chap--you're so green you're funny! Don't you know who she
is? Why--that's Laura Murdock--the cleverest of them all!"

CHAPTER II.

If Laura Murdock was not quite so young as she looked, she was far from
appearing her real age, which was twenty-five. A casual observer at
most, would have accorded her twenty. In her case Nature had been
unusually kind. Her skin was soft as a new-born infant's, her
complexion fresh as the unplucked rose, her expression innocent and
unsophisticated. A priest unhesitatingly would have given her
absolution without confession. Her baby face, her childish prettiness
and air of unaffected ingenuousness, her good taste in dress, her
natural refinement, and cleverness in keeping men guessing had been,
indeed, the chief keystones of her success. And, most remarkable of
all, perhaps, was that she had been able to retain this prettiness and
girlishness after what she had gone through, for, at the time this
narrative opens, Laura Murdock had already lived a career which would
have made a wreck of most women.

Born in Melbourne, of English parents, she came at an early age from
Australia to San Francisco. Her father was connected in a business
capacity with one of the local theatrical companies, and the young girl
naturally drifted to the stage. She had only a mediocre histrionic
talent, but what was perhaps more important, she had uncommon good
looks, and she soon found that beauty was not only a valuable asset,
but a sure lever to success. The critics praised her, not because she
acted well, but because she dressed exquisitely, and pleased the eye.
Managers and authors flattered her. Soon she found, to her amazement,
that she was the success of the hour. Stage Johnnies raved about her;
sen