ld have had me in
prison some time ago."

Burke winced, but he made shift to conceal his realization of the truth
she had stated to him.

"Huh!" he exclaimed gruffly. "I've seen them go up pretty easy."

Mary met the assertion with a serenity that was baffling.

"The poor ones," she vouchsafed; "not those that have money. I have
money, plenty of money--now."

"Money you stole!" the Inspector returned, brutally.

"Oh, dear, no!" Mary cried, with a fine show of virtuous indignation.

"What about the thirty thousand dollars you got on that partnership
swindle?" Burke asked, sneering. "I s'pose you didn't steal that!"

"Certainly not," was the ready reply. "The man advertised for a partner
in a business sure to bring big and safe returns. I answered. The
business proposed was to buy a tract of land, and subdivide it. The
deeds to the land were all forged, and the supposed seller was
his confederate, with whom he was to divide the money. We formed a
partnership, with a capital of sixty thousand dollars. We paid the money
into the bank, and then at once I drew it out. You see, he wanted to get
my money illegally, but instead I managed to get his legally. For it was
legal for me to draw that money--wasn't it, Mr. Demarest?"

The District Attorney by an effort retained his severe expression of
righteous disapprobation, but he admitted the truth of her contention.

"Unfortunately, yes," he said gravely. "A partner has the right to draw
out any, or all, of the partnership funds."

"And I was a partner," Mary said contentedly. "You, see, Inspector, you
wrong me--you do, really! I'm not a swindler; I'm a financier."

Burke sneered scornfully.

"Well," he roared, "you'll never pull another one on me. You can gamble
on that!"

Mary permitted herself to laugh mockingly in the face of the badgered
official.

"Thank you for telling me," she said, graciously. "And let me say,
incidentally, that Miss Lynch at the present moment is painlessly
extracting ten thousand dollars from General Hastings in a perfectly
legal manner, Inspector Burke."

"Well, anyhow," Burke shouted, "you may stay inside the law, but
you've got to get outside the city." He tried to employ an elephantine
bantering tone. "On the level, now, do you think you could get away with
that young Gilder scheme you've been planning?"

Mary appeared puzzled.

"What young Gilder scheme?" she asked, her brows drawn in bewilderment.

"Oh, I'm wise--I'm wise!"