e.

"I couldn't find a soul who'd ever heard of a girl named Etta Blake.
Poor people are generally sociable and know everybody in the
neighborhood, but didn't anybody know her. Mr. Parke, the agent,
said the man paid his rent regular and he was sorry to lose him as a
tenant, but he didn't know where he'd gone. If his wife took
boarders he didn't know anything about it. The girl might have
rented a room--" Mrs. Mundy hesitated, looked at me uncertainly.
"Shall I ask Mr. Crimm to--to help me find her? If she's in town
he'd soon know where."

Something in her voice sent the blood to my face. "You mean--oh no,
you cannot, do not mean--"

"I don't know. It's usually the end. The only one they have to come
to when a man like Mr. Thorne's brother makes a girl lose her head
about him. After he tires of her, or when he's afraid there may be
trouble, there's apt to be a row and he quits. When he's gone the
girl generally ends--down there." Mrs. Mundy's hand made movement
over her shoulder. "Respectable people don't want to have anything
to do with girls like that, and it's hard for them to get work.
After a while they give up and go to what's the only place some of
them have to go to. Would you mind if I ask Mr. Crimm?"

I shook my head. "No, I would not mind."

Going over to a window, I opened it, and as the sunshine fell upon my
face it seemed impossible that such things as Mrs. Mundy feared were
true. But I knew now they were true, and shiveringly I twisted my
hands within my arms as if to warm my heart, which was cold with a
nameless something it was difficult to define. On one side of me the
little, elfish creature with her frightened eyes and short, curly
hair seemed standing; on the other, the girl to whom Harrie was
engaged. I could not help them. Could not help Selwyn. Could help
no one! If David Guard--at thought of him the clutch at my throat
lessened. David Guard could help them. He had promised to come
whenever I sent for him, and to him I could talk as to no one else on
earth.

"I will see Mr. Crimm to-night. It won't be new to him--the finding
of a girl who's disappeared. He's found too many. I'll be careful
what I tell him, and Mr. Thorne needn't worry." Mrs. Mundy got up.
"Didn't you say he was coming this afternoon?"

"He is coming to-night. I am going out this afternoon."

Mrs. Mundy walked slowly to the door. She would have enjoyed talking
longer, but I could not talk. A