h and pseudo social
prominence, who once made a serious attempt to enter Chicago society.
It is not necessary to name the man, for all who are acquainted with
recent events in Chicago will know who is meant. The latest rumor to
affect his already nefarious reputation relates to two women--one the
daughter, and the other the wife, of men of repute and standing in the
community. In these latest instances it is more than likely that he
has arrayed influences of the greatest importance socially and
financially against himself, for the husband in the one case and the
father in the other are men of weight and authority. The suggestion
has more than once been made that Chicago should and eventually would
not tolerate his bucaneering methods in finance and social matters; but
thus far no definite action has been taken to cast him out. The
crowning wonder of all is that the wife, who was brought here from the
East, and who--so rumor has it--made a rather scandalous sacrifice of
her own reputation and another woman's heart and home in order to
obtain the privilege of living with him, should continue so to do."

Aileen understood perfectly what was meant. "The father" of the
so-called "one" was probably Haguenin or Cochrane, more than likely
Haguenin. "The husband of the other"--but who was the husband of the
other? She had not heard of any scandal with the wife of anybody. It
could not be the case of Rita Sohlberg and her husband--that was too
far back. It must be some new affair of which she had not the least
inkling, and so she sat and reflected. Now, she told herself, if she
received another invitation from Lynde she would accept it.

It was only a few days later that Aileen and Lynde met in the gold-room
of the Richelieu. Strange to relate, for one determined to be
indifferent she had spent much time in making a fetching toilet. It
being February and chill with glittering snow on the ground, she had
chosen a dark-green broadcloth gown, quite new, with lapis-lazuli
buttons that worked a "Y" pattern across her bosom, a seal turban with
an emerald plume which complemented a sealskin jacket with immense
wrought silver buttons, and bronze shoes. To perfect it all, Aileen
had fastened lapis-lazuli ear-rings of a small flower-form in her ears,
and wore a plain, heavy gold bracelet. Lynde came up with a look of
keen approval written on his handsome brown face. "Will you let me
tell you how nice you look?" he said, sinki