er Philadelphia experience, and yet when she thought
of his deserting her in this way she fell into a great rage. Her
vanity, as much as her love, was hurt. What could she do to justify or
set at rest her suspicions? Watch him personally? She was too dignified
and vain to lurk about street-corners or offices or hotels. Never!
Start a quarrel without additional evidence--that would be silly. He
was too shrewd to give her further evidence once she spoke. He would
merely deny it. She brooded irritably, recalling after a time, and
with an aching heart, that her father had put detectives on her track
once ten years before, and had actually discovered her relations with
Cowperwood and their rendezvous. Bitter as that memory
was--torturing--yet now the same means seemed not too abhorrent to
employ under the circumstances. No harm had come to Cowperwood in the
former instance, she reasoned to herself--no especial harm--from that
discovery (this was not true), and none would come to him now. (This
also was not true.) But one must forgive a fiery, passionate soul,
wounded to the quick, some errors of judgment. Her thought was that she
would first be sure just what it was her beloved was doing, and then
decide what course to take. But she knew that she was treading on
dangerous ground, and mentally she recoiled from the consequences which
might follow. He might leave her if she fought him too bitterly. He
might treat her as he had treated his first wife, Lillian.

She studied her liege lord curiously these days, wondering if it were
true that he had deserted her already, as he had deserted his first
wife thirteen years before, wondering if he could really take up with a
girl as common as Antoinette Nowak--wondering, wondering,
wondering--half afraid and yet courageous. What could be done with
him? If only he still loved her all would be well yet--but oh!

The detective agency to which she finally applied, after weeks of
soul-racking suspense, was one of those disturbingly human implements
which many are not opposed to using on occasion, when it is the only
means of solving a troublous problem of wounded feelings or jeopardized
interests. Aileen, being obviously rich, was forthwith shamefully
overcharged; but the services agreed upon were well performed. To her
amazement, chagrin, and distress, after a few weeks of observation
Cowperwood was reported to have affairs not only with Antoinette Nowak,
whom she did suspe