e this great
change occurred in her quiet and uneventful life, and which led, as far
as the poor soul was concerned, to such disastrous results.

"Here she is to the life," added the funny creature, placing the photo
before Polly--"as respectable, as stodgy, as uninteresting as it is well
possible for a member of your charming sex to be; not a face, you will
admit, to lead any youngster to temptation or to induce him to commit a
crime.

"Nevertheless one day all the tenants of the Rubens Studios were
surprised and shocked to see Mrs. Owen, quiet, respectable Mrs. Owen,
sallying forth at six o'clock in the afternoon, attired in an
extravagant bonnet and a cloak trimmed with imitation astrakhan
which--slightly open in front--displayed a gold locket and chain of
astonishing proportions.

"Many were the comments, the hints, the bits of sarcasm levelled at the
worthy woman by the frivolous confraternity of the brush.

"The plot thickened when from that day forth a complete change came over
the worthy caretaker of the Rubens Studios. While she appeared day after
day before the astonished gaze of the tenants and the scandalized looks
of the neighbours, attired in new and extravagant dresses, her work was
hopelessly neglected, and she was always 'out' when wanted.

"There was, of course, much talk and comment in various parts of the
Rubens Studios on the subject of Mrs. Owen's 'dissipations.' The tenants
began to put two and two together, and after a very little while the
general consensus of opinion became firmly established that the honest
caretaker's demoralisation coincided week for week, almost day for day,
with young Greenhill's establishment in No. 8 Studio.

"Every one had remarked that he stayed much later in the evening than
any one else, and yet no one presumed that he stayed for purposes of
work. Suspicions soon rose to certainty when Mrs. Owen and Arthur
Greenhill were seen by one of the glass workmen dining together at
Gambia's Restaurant in Tottenham Court Road.

"The workman, who was having a cup of tea at the counter, noticed
particularly that when the bill was paid the money came out of Mrs.
Owen's purse. The dinner had been sumptuous--veal cutlets, a cut from
the joint, dessert, coffee and liqueurs. Finally the pair left the
restaurant apparently very gay, young Greenhill smoking a choice cigar.

"Irregularities such as these were bound sooner or later to come to the
ears and eyes of Mr. Allman, the