ce.

Presently Hafiz woke up, stretched his fluffy, snowy limbs, yawned,
pink-mouthed, then looked up out of gem-clear eyes, blinking
inquiringly at his young mistress.

"Hafiz," she said, "if I don't find employment very soon, what is to
become of you?"

The evening paper, as yet unread, lay on the sofa beside her. She
picked it up, listlessly, glancing at the headings of the front page
columns. There seemed to be trouble in Mexico; trouble in Japan;
trouble in Hayti. Another column recorded last night's heat and gave
the list of deaths and prostrations in the city. Another column--the
last on the front page--announced by cable the news of a fashionable
engagement--a Miss Winifred Stuart to a Mr. Clive Bailey; both at
present in Paris--

She read it again, slowly; and even yet it meant nothing to her,
conveyed nothing she seemed able to comprehend.

But halfway down the column her eyes blurred, the paper slipped from
her hands to the floor, and she dropped back into the hollow of the
sofa, and lay there, unstirring. And Hafiz, momentarily disturbed,
curled up on her lap again and went peacefully to sleep.

CHAPTER XV

To her sisters Athalie wrote:

"For reasons of economy, and other reasons, I have moved to
1006 West Fifty-fifth Street where I have the top floor. I
think that you both can find accommodations in this house
when you return to New York.

"So far I have not secured a position. Please don't think I
am discouraged. I do hope that you are well and successful."

Their address, at that time, was Vancouver, B. C.

* * * * *

To Clive Bailey, Jr., his agent wrote:

"Miss Athalie Greensleeve called at the office this morning
and returned the keys to the apartment which she has
occupied.

"Miss Greensleeve explained to me a fact of which I had not
been aware, viz.: that the furniture, books, hangings,
pictures, porcelains, rugs, clothing, furs, bed and table
linen, silver, etc., etc., belong to you and not to her as I
had supposed.

"I have compared the contents of the apartment with the
minute inventory given me by Miss Greensleeve. Everything is
accounted for; all is in excellent order.

"I have, therefore, locked up the apartment, pending orders
from you regarding its disposition,"--etc., etc.

* * * * *

The tall shabby house in Fifty-fourth Street was one of a