room. Elmendorf had slipped out twice during the evening, was in and out
like a flitting shadow, and on each return had brought Mrs. Lawrence
new and more significant tidings. Florence had bathed her face and done
all she could to make herself presentable, and was preparing to go down,
when informed that Forrest was gone. And later that night Mrs. Lawrence
deluged her, as she had her brother, with the details of Forrest's
scandalous doings.

Wells was out when Allison visited the library the following morning,
but the janitor was on hand to do reverence to the great director and
trustee. "Who was in the private office last night, Maloney?" said he,
sternly. And, distressed to think that anybody could suppose he'd allow
any one there who had no business, Maloney promptly answered, "Sure
nobody, sorr, barrin' Miss Wallen and Mr. Forrest. He come back twice
and took her home. Misther Elmendorf was here, sorr----" But Allison did
not wait to hear about him. Seated at her desk when he entered, Jenny
promptly arose in respect to the distinguished arrival, but he merely
growled an inquiry for Mr. Wells, looked her sharply over, and banged
out again, leaving the poor girl with vague sense of new trouble to add
to the weight of care she was already bearing. As he tramped away down
town, Allison told himself he was not sorry that he had so crushing a
piece of circumstantial evidence with which to demolish Forrest's
aspirations, yet down in the depths of his heart he knew he was sorry,
for he had grown to like him well. Just what course to pursue he had
not determined. He would see Wells, see the Hotel Belmont people, see
one or two parties referred to by Mr. Elmendorf as "highly respectable
and responsible" who could tell him far more in the same strain, then
see his brother trustees and dispose of Miss Wallen's case. Meantime,
Florence was kindly, affectionately urged not to see Mr. Forrest in the
event of his calling. And so Elmendorf's schemes were working grandly.
He could well afford now to let them seethe and bubble. He could hold
his peace and position at home, give renewed attention to those grander
projects for the elevation of the down-trodden and the down-treading of
the elevated, keep out of Forrest's way, and occupy himself in the
cultivation of his new acquaintance Major Cranston, in the enjoyment of
the privileges accorded him in Cranston's library, and in the incidental
conversion to the true political faith of t