第72章 AGGIE AT BAY(2)

Yet, the disdain of the girl seemed only to increase momently.

She showed plainly that she regarded this brass-buttoned official as one unbearably insolent in his demeanor toward her.

Nevertheless, she condescended to reply, with an exaggeration of the aristocratic drawl to indicate her displeasure.

"I was introduced to Miss Turner," she explained, "by Mr.Richard Gilder.Perhaps you have heard of his father, the owner of the Emporium.""Oh, yes, I've heard of his father, and of him, too," Burke admitted, placatingly.

But the girl relaxed not a whit in her attitude of offense.

"Then," she went on severely, "you must see at once that you are entirely mistaken in this matter." Her blue eyes widened further as she stared accusingly at the Inspector, who betrayed evidences of perplexity, and hesitated for an answer.Then, the doll-like, charming face took on a softer look, which had in it a suggestion of appeal.

"Don't you see it?" she demanded.

"Well, no," Burke rejoined uneasily; "not exactly, I don't!" In the presence of this delicate and graceful femininity, he experienced a sudden, novel distaste for his usual sledge-hammer methods of attack in interrogation.Yet, his duty required that he should continue his questioning.He found himself in fact between the devil and the deep sea--though this particular devil appeared rather as an angel of light.

Now, at his somewhat feeble remark in reply to her query, the childish face grew as hard as its curving contours would permit.

"Sir!" she cried indignantly.Her little head was thrown back in scornful reproof, and she turned a shoulder toward the official contemptuously.

"Now, now!" Burke exclaimed in remonstrance.After all, he could not be brutal with this guileless maiden.He must, however, make the situation clear to her, lest she think him a beast--which would never do!

"You see, young lady," he went on with a gentleness of voice and manner that would have been inconceivable to Dacey and Chicago Red; "you see, the fact is that, even if you were introduced to this Mary Turner by young Mr.Gilder, this same Mary Turner herself is an ex-convict, and she's just been arrested for murder."At the dread word, a startling change was wrought in the girl.

She wheeled to face the Inspector, her slender body swaying a little toward him.The rather heavy brows were lifted slightly in a disbelieving stare.The red lips were parted, rounded to a tremulous horror.

"Murder!" she gasped; and then was silent.

"Yes," Burke went on, wholly at ease now, since he had broken the ice thus effectually."You see, if there's a mistake about you, you don't want it to go any further --not a mite further, that's sure.So, you see, now, that's one of the reasons why I must know just who you are." Then, in his turn, Burke put the query that the girl had put to him a little while before."You see that, don't you?""Oh, yes, yes!" was the instant agreement."You should have told me all about this horrid thing in the first place." Now, the girl's manner was transformed.She smiled wistfully on the Inspector, and the glance of the blue eyes was very kind, subtly alluring.Yet in this unbending, there appeared even more decisively than hitherto the fine qualities in bearing of one delicately nurtured.She sank down in a chair by the desk, and forthwith spoke with a simplicity that in itself was somehow peculiarly potent in its effect on the official who gave attentive ear.

"My name is Helen Travers West," she announced.

Burke started a little in his seat, and regarded the speaker with a new deference as he heard that name uttered.

"Not the daughter of the railway president?" he inquired.

"Yes," the girl admitted.Then, anew, she displayed a serious agitation over the thought of any possible publicity in this affair.

"Oh, please, don't tell any one," she begged prettily.The blue eyes were very imploring, beguiling, too.The timid smile that wreathed the tiny mouth was marvelously winning.The neatly gloved little hands were held outstretched, clasped in supplication."Surely, sir, you see now quite plainly why it must never be known by any one in all the wide, wide world that Ihave ever been brought to this perfectly dreadful place--though you have been quite nice!" Her voice dropped to a note of musical prayerfulness.The words were spoken very softly and very slowly, with intonations difficult for a man to deny."Please let me go home." She plucked a minute handkerchief from her handbag, put it to her eyes, and began to sob quietly.

The burly Inspector of Police was moved to quick sympathy.

Really, when all was said and done, it was a shame that one like her should by some freak of fate have become involved in the sordid, vicious things that his profession made it obligatory on him to investigate.There was a considerable hint of the paternal in his air as he made an attempt to offer consolation to the afflicted damsel.

"That's all right, little lady," he exclaimed cheerfully."Now, don't you be worried--not a little bit.Take it from me, Miss West....Just go ahead, and tell me all you know about this Turner woman.Did you see her yesterday?"The girl's sobs ceased.After a final dab with the minute handkerchief, she leaned forward a little toward the Inspector, and proceeded to put a question to him with great eagerness.

"Will you let me go home as soon as I've told you the teensy little I know?""Yes," Burke agreed promptly, with an encouraging smile.And for a good measure of reassurance, he added as one might to an alarmed child: "No one is going to hurt you, young lady.""Well, then, you see, it was this way," began the brisk explanation."Mr.Gilder was calling on me one afternoon, and he said to me then that he knew a very charming young woman, who----"Here the speech ended abruptly, and once again the handkerchief was brought into play as the sobbing broke forth with increased violence.Presently, the girl's voice rose in a wail.

"Oh, this is dreadful--dreadful!" In the final word, the wail broke to a moan.