AGGIE AT BAY.

Burke, after the lawyer had left him, watched the door expectantly for
the coming of the girl, whom he had ordered brought before him. But,
when at last Dan appeared, and stood aside to permit her passing into
the office, the Inspector gasped at the unexpectedness of the vision.
He had anticipated the coming of a woman of that world with which he was
most familiar in the exercise of his professional duties--the underworld
of criminals, some one beautiful perhaps, but with the brand of
viciousness marked subtly, yet visibly for the trained eye to see. Then,
even in that first moment, he told himself that he should have been
prepared for the unusual in this instance, since the girl had to do with
Mary Turner, and that disturbing person herself showed in face and form
and manner nothing to suggest aught but a gentlewoman. And, in the next
instant, the Inspector forgot his surprise in a sincere, almost ardent
admiration.

The girl was rather short, but of a slender elegance of form that was
ravishing. She was gowned, too, with a chic nicety to arouse the envy of
all less-fortunate women. Her costume had about it an indubitable air,
a finality of perfection in its kind. On another, it might have appeared
perhaps the merest trifle garish. But that fault, if in fact it ever
existed, was made into a virtue by the correcting innocence of
the girl's face. It was a childish face, childish in the exquisite
smoothness of the soft, pink skin, childish in the wondering stare of
the blue eyes, now so widely opened in dismay, childish in the wistful
drooping of the rosebud mouth.

The girl advanced slowly, with a laggard hesitation in her movements
obviously from fear. She approached the desk, from behind which the
Inspector watched, fascinated by the fresh and wholesome beauty of this
young creature. He failed to observe the underlying anger beneath the
girl's outward display of alarm. He shook off his first impression by
means of a resort to his customary bluster in such cases.

"Now, then, my girl," he said roughly, "I want to know----"

There came a change, wrought in the twinkling of an eye. The tiny,
trimly shod foot of the girl rose and fell in a wrathful stamp.

"How dare you!" The clear blue eyes were become darkened with anger.
There was a deepened leaf of red in either cheek. The drooping lips
drooped no longer, but were bent to a haughtiness that was finely
impressive.

Before the offended indignation