Show j mj i t f 1 j j 1 r t n 1 di v TIlE gIrl in fn tile the blue cotton frock came cameo o out t regularly as clockwork every ery mornin morn morn- in at to i with a pall pail of water and cleaned the steps T There ere Were a 11 lot of two steps narrow narrow ones at the front door and five te wider o ones es reaching down to to the gate and the road beyond The lanky young man with the pale face who ho rented the best two rooms at No l 1 Hill street treet Bloomsbury often came up the road in the early morning when the girl was wasl wasa l a cleaning the steps lie He marveled mar in a 11 tired impartial sort of wa way how it was that she could always manage to sing as she scrubbed scrubbed and scoured red and wrung out the wet flannel The lanky young youn man man was a journalist not a very verv successful so and far lie be r had a great reat deal deat of work which he he hated bated lIe He hail never spoken to her beyond passIng pass pass- Ing the time of day until one bItter De cem r mornIng when he heard her coughing She stopped in her work to cough as he walked up the road and he noticed how Bale she was she generally had such a color 1 I. I JIe stopped on the bottom step Arent Aren't you well he be asked abruptly for he be missed her cheerful sInging She looked up up at Its only the cough she said laconi- laconi dally cay and the lanky journalist noticed for t the first time that she had really beautiful ul eyes He lo looked ked at the thin blue dress she wore Why dont don't you wear warmer clothes he be asked She flushed and laughed a lIttle Servants always have to wear print frocks she said i There was something mocking in her voice and the lanky journalist went on his I way into the house with a feeling of an- an The fhe morn morning in following l his s comment about her ber cough he looked at her interestedly in- in I t She was certainly a vet very y class good girl for a servant lIe he noticed that she hal had small well kept hands besides beautiful eyes and neat hands feet that did not look lookas as if they were used to hard or rough work and yet he knew that she cleaned his boots IlS as well as the steps and that his hoots boots were often coated with mud Things w were re quiet at the office that eve eve- fling nin- and he came home to the dinner which he called supper because he ate te it alone and generally in his shirt sleeves d' d J He kicked off his llis wet boots while the girl girl was arranging the table and left th them m at right angles on the rug ru- ruthe the girl Irl stooped and picked them up The he lanky journalist watched her is your name he asked The girl hesitated she looked somehow surprised They Tiley call caU me Jane here she said at length The fhe girl looked at hIm and then down at the footgear which she held still Its time you had some new boots she said coolly The lanky journalist stared then he lost his temper and told her to mind her own business But he be bought a pair of new boots boots- a nice pair with glace tops and patent leather and he Paid a guinea for them The first day he wore wore them he watched Jane from behind his hill newspaper when she brought his supper for the boots were standing side by side in all their smart newness s like children in their party frocks waiting to be admired but she whisked r then up and carried th them m away without comment The lanky journalIst fe felt t absurdly die die- disappointed appointed it seemed somehow like a 11 guinea wasted At the end of the week when he paid his bill he fancied that the landlady eyed bim him rather anxiously she walked to the thedoor door hesitated and then came back I I hope bope Mr Ir Gordon she said heal hesi- that there are no complaints r ComplaInts TIle The la lanky ky journalist was genuinely surprised cd he had lIved at No 1 f for r two years ears and could not remember that he had llad ever once once- found fault with the menage Mrs Gribb looked apologetic Mr Ir Smithson has bas been complaining she Fhe explained unctuously In fact fact hes he's I given el elin in llis notice so I thought per per- hap e broke off plaintively el GRIBB closed the door and came nearer Its owing owin to Jane she sa said id conI con con- I Jane The lanky journalist was wall interested in- in now Yes Mr Ir Gordon Mr Smith Smithson on complained complained com com- that she was impertinent to hIm I spoke to Jane about it it and she said that she should leave if he did not and she's such a good girl sirl I may say she's nn an absolute absolute lute treasure so I told Mr 1 Smithson I would accept his notice I can an always get guests in my house bouse I am glad t to say but nowadays servants are not so plentiful Alt Ah said the lanky journalist absen ab- ab sen So I thought Id I'd better mention it i ito to you Mr Ir Gordon Mrs Gribb continued impressively The girl is young youn and if she's ehe's ever been impertinent to to you T G Good od Lord no She never speaks to tome me Mrs Gribb Cribb bei be med The lanky journalist looked at Jane curiously the the next time she ca came e into his is room She carried her head a 11 trifle higher than usual he thought but but- when their eyes met as she set the tr tray down there was just a suspicion of a smile In tIers hers The lanky journalist plucked up UI courage So Mr Smithson's leaving is lie he said Yes She straightened a knife kniCe on the tho 4 I An Appealing Love Story All tingle With Life Is Here Told I by a a. Mistress o of f the Art I and She he Has Gilded the Gray o of f a London Boarding House With th Romance i y ys i s 1 J J. J r v a tr Ir 1 t t A I f f. f I r i s d 0 t v rp There she asked happily will l that do to go on with ts T S r cloth I I boxed his ears cars she added calmly then she laughed I never ne saw sawa a man look so surprised surprise The lanky journalist flushed Smithson was red red-fa red faced d and fat with greasy black blackhair hair and a wide mouth the lanky journalist jour jour- thought it consummate cheek on his bis part to have e dared merit a 11 box on the ears He tried to kiss you of Df course he be sub sub- or lIe He suggested it she said So I asked him if lIe he could not not distinguish between a woman of his own class fwd mine He seems seems' to imagine that because I clean the steps and an his boots boots- she broke off dis- dis tastefully Its not worth orth discussing she added as walked out of the room I I vas always thought the man was a cad said the lanky journalist but it is doubtful doubt doubt- fut ful whether she heard him A few nights later the lanky journalist had llad a couple of tickets for a theatre given to him bini lIe brought them home when he bo came in for his tea and stuck them up upon upon on the shelf The lanky was fed up with theatreS theatreS' he had bad been to so many so when Jane brought in his tea he asked if she would care to have bate them lIe asked hesitatingly because he be was really rt rather afraid of Jane but she took the offer very well Thank you you she said said but I have ha no noone 01 one to go with and I do not care to go by myself II The he lank lanky journalist looked nt at her and then he looked over the work waiting for hIm to ilo he took took adeep a adeep deep breath and decided that the work could wait If jou O will allow me to go 0 with you OU he said salil I should be only too t o pleased stared starel for quite ten seconds she looked at him in such absolute silence that he be began to get red led she gave gavell a little laugh You would not be pleased if iC I were to take you at your word she said ROSE nOSE to his lis feet he looked angry HE now and more lanky than tha usual as he stood there iiI in the cheery room glowering down at her That That is an an- undeserved d sneer he said said hotly My Iy offer was quite genuine I Iam Iam am not a 11 like cad Smithson I have never ne compared you with Mr Ir not Smithson-not even in my mind and I Iam Iam am quite sure that if J went with you ou tonight tonight to- to night we should probably enjoy ourselves very cry much It would be tomorrow when you rou will probably see me cleanIng the steps again that you would won wonder er why onearth on earth you were so foolish Coolish i Oh Ob it isn't only you I she broke out as he would have spoken But all men You take a woman out on the spur of the moment and everything e is all right till tIlI per you meet your mother or sister and then then- She walked out of the room and the thel l lanky j journalist swore softly as he threw v the theatre tickets into the lire Half an hour later she brought him a atele tele telegram The lanky journalist was sItting in an armchair with his feet stuck up up- upon on another another an- an other he had bad made up a roaring fire and mixed himself some hot to toddy y When he saw the telegram he be scowled he knew what it meant leaving the arm arm- chair and tb the fi nd struggling again into again into the guinea boots and an overcoat overcoat lie He read the message and threw it into the grate Xo No answer lie he growled lie He laced up the new boots and andl swore because thy they pinched pinched- him he be hauled him self into his greatcoat and Swore again be be cause there thele was illS a button Jutton off and he be had hadnot hadnot not remembered to ask Jane to sew it onor on on for or him When he be reached the office he was not in the best of tempers flitted Bitted hither and an office boy bore down clown upon Gordon The chief wants you The lanky journalist obeyed the summons summons sum sum- mons leisurely he did not particularly care for his chief privately he be thought lie he could have o filled the editorial chair occupied by that august person far more capably TIlE TIIE chief was a man of few words when G Gordon entered he pushed some papers across across the table ta le toward him Find out what you ou can about this case he said Theres more mOle behind it than ap appears ars The notes are all there there- two columns for the mornIng paper The lanky journalist gathered up the loose sheets and walked out of the room glancing through them as he went lIe had known similar cases before before-a woman of position and title mIssing from loss home of memory feared InquIries had b been en instituted for the last three weeks by relatives who hoped to keep the whole affair from the public but something something some some- thing of the story had leaked out as such stories invariably do and more than one newspaper was already hot on the trail Women and their doings bore borea the lanky journalist he considered the the whole sex hysterical and irresponsIble he re rend d the name Of the missing girl with a lIttle moue of contempt l Evelyn contempt elyn St Ht Clair Masterman only of Si Sir William Masterman- Masterman description Height a f feet t 8 S fair fah hair gray e eyes es wearing a tail tailored red suits suit of blue lue cloth and black fox furs the morning she left home and so on und so on- on He flicked over o the papers disinterestedly what a a coup to bring a man IDan out on a bitter wintry nIght What a the lanky journalist stood suddenly still in the bare passage A flaring jet gas above abo his llis head revealed te- te his face startled interested He held the papers he be carrIed closer to the gas pasted on to one of them was the the photograph of a young woman woman- a 11 young woman whose face was famIlIar fo him and yet yet- The lanky journalist gave ga a sudden stilled stIfled exclamation t his y ja fell in utter r amazement for the girl in the portrait was no other than Jane the treasure who cleaned the steps of Mrs Gribb Grib at Xo No 1 The fhe lanky journalist took a taxi to Bloomsbury the extravagance seemed warranted warranted war war- ranted ill in the face Of such a discovery Either June Jane was the double of Lady Evelyn eln St. St Clair or or she was the missing girl Irl herself The lanky journalist went up the stairs to lo his bis room two at a time and rang the bell furiously It was answered by the kitchen maid maM with a 11 smut on her ber nose and a loose sole soleto soleto to her r that flapped at every step The lankY journalist said swearwords under hIs breath before be asked for fOI a jug of water There was already one on the table but the kitchen maId departed willingly enough to fetch another When she came back she volunteered information that Junc was outlIer out ller lIer evenings evening's when she lIkes she grumbled Mrs Gribb say suy nothing to her for fear shed she'd leave You dont don't mt like Jane asked the journalist casually Xo No I 1 dont don't and that that's 8 a fa too fact too t-too stuck up by alf that she is I Humph I lIe eyed her thoughtfully Why do you think she is stuck up he be asked The he girl irl tossed lies her tousled head Lots of reasons she said ambiguously got aU all er clothes marked for one one- such underclothes you ou never ne see the like all lace and even en er you ought to see er 1 I should lIke to see one one said the lanky journalist quickly The girl grinned r i g i 7 S YAU W v i M i f i L. L c k D i J 3 c r e Ill show yer sll she said She creaked away to return a moment later with something some some- thin thing screwed in the grimy p palm lm of her hand There yare she said llo lanky journalist took the dainty trifle she held toward him him it it seemed mostly lace lae with a muslin square in the middle In one corner were some initials he made them out slowly slowly-E St. St C. C M. M A A flash Bash of triumph lit his thin face with wilh apparent indIfference lie he thrust the little handkerchief into his bis pocket He stared at the portrait with hard critical critical cal eyes There was no no doubt as to the identity of Jane Dress her as the pictured woman was dressed in a 11 low cut gown and pearls and the two were wele i identical What n a triumph for him bim to be able to go goto goto to Sir William and tell hIm of the whereabouts whereabouts where where- of his slaughter Some boorish instinct made the lanky journalist long to humble the pride of the woman who cleaned his boots an and the flight of steps He would give a great gleat deal to pay her ller out for her un undeserved snub with regard regald to the theatre lIe put the I papers carefully away in his bis coat pocket he waited by the fire file heard the jangling area bell ring then he thought it might be Jane and went out and slowly down the stairs lie He- Hemet met her ber in the hall below She was dressed still in her ber walking walking- clothes very plainly in a blue serge costume cos- cos tume and small dark hat bat and a colored knitted scarf twisted about her ller throat The lanky journalist said Good Goode nin ning I She would would have passed him but he be barred her way wa Why wouldn't you iet let me take you Ou to the thea theatre tre 1 l lie c asked llis Ilis eyes ees searched her ber face as he spoke lie he was trying to commit commit com com- mit each ach dainty feature to memory I have ha already told you Kindly let me pass Sudden anger Tilled the lanky journalist be bated the dignity wi with h which she treated 11 him m. m With an an abrupt movement mo he seized her ber round the waist and kissed her roughly The next moment he was reeling back under the shock of a sharp box on the ears lie He stood stood crimson and ashamed waiting for her to sleak She was very ery white but her eyes flashed Bashed You called Mr Smithson II a cad she said panting I ought to have known that only birds of a feather would flock Bock in this house bouse Her voice broke us as if on a sob she he ran pat past him an and up the stairs AS EARLY as decency would woul permit lIe he went round to Sir WIlliam Masterman's and sent in his card cald The ser servant nt as vas polIte but not very confident con con- that his master would woul see ee Mr Ir Gordon Gor- Gor don on After inc having been left for ten minutes to cool I Ids iI heels in the hall Gordon was as ad- ad Sir William sat by a huge fire a gouty foot stuck out |