e subject. "What does your
father do?"

"He's a glass-blower."

"Here in Cleveland?"

"No, he works in Youngstown."

"Is your mother alive?"

"Yes, sir."

"You live with her?"

"Yes, sir."

He smiled at the "sir." "Don't say 'sir' to me, sweet!" he pleaded
in his gruff way. "And don't insist on the Mr. Kane. I'm not 'mister'
to you any more. You belong to me, little girl, me." And he pulled her
close to him.

"Please don't, Mr. Kane," she pleaded. "Oh, please don't. I can't!
I can't! You mustn't."

But he sealed her lips with his own.

"Listen to me, Jennie," he repeated, using his favorite expression.
"I tell you you belong to me. I like you better every moment. I
haven't had a chance to know you. I'm not going to give you up. You've
got to come to me eventually. And I'm not going to have you working as
a lady's maid. You can't stay in that place except for a little while.
I'm going to take you somewhere else. And I'm going to leave you some
money, do you hear? You have to take it."

At the word money she quailed and withdrew her hand.

"No, no, no!" she repeated. "No, I won't take it."

"Yes, you will. Give it to your mother. I'm not trying to buy you.
I know what you think. But I'm not. I want to help you. I want to help
your family. I know where you live. I saw the place to-day. How many
are there of you?"

"Six," she answered faintly.

"The families of the poor," he thought.

"Well, you take this from me," he insisted, drawing a purse from
his coat. "And I'll see you very soon again. There's no escape,
sweet."

"No, no," she protested. "I won't. I don't need it. No, you mustn't
ask me."

He insisted further, but she was firm, and finally he put the money
away.

"One thing is sure, Jennie, you're not going to escape me," he said
soberly. "You'll have to come to me eventually. Don't you know you
will? Your own attitude shows that. I'm not going to leave you
alone."

"Oh, if you knew the trouble you're causing me."

"I'm not causing you any real trouble, am I?" he asked. "Surely
not."

"Yes. I can never do what you want."

"You will! You will!" he exclaimed eagerly, the bare thought of
this prize escaping him heightening his passion. "You'll come to me."
And he drew her close in spite of all her protests.

"There," he said when, after the struggle, that mystic something
between them spoke again, and she relaxed. Tears were in her eyes, but
he did not see them. "Don't you see how