gain with no response. Nellie was sitting inside,
mentally picturing the eagerness that caused Fairfax to come
a-pounding like that. She had decided not to answer.

Ripton called a stage hand.

"Tell him that Nellie isn't seeing anybody to-night," he whispered.
"Do it quick. Get him out of here."

"Shall I throw him out, sir?" demanded the man, with a wry face. "Poor
little chap!"

"Just tell him that Nellie will see him for a few minutes after the
play." Then, as the man moved away:--"They've got no business having
husbands, Mr. Fairfax. Damned nuisances."

Fairfax had his hand to his lips. He was thinking of Nellie's "perfect
devil."

"I fancy he doesn't cut much of a figure in her life," said he, in a
tone of relief.

In the meantime the stage hand had accosted Harvey, who had been
joined by the anxious Mr. Butler.

"Miss Duluth ain't seeing any one to-night, sir," he said. "She gave
strict orders. No one, sir."

Harvey's blue eyes were like delft saucers. "She'll see me," he said.
"I'm her husband, you know."

"I know that, sir. But the order goes, just the same."

"Is she ill?"

"Yes, sir. Very ill," said the man, quickly.

Butler was gnawing his moustache.

"Rubbish!" he said, sharply. "Come away, you. She's got a visitor in
there. Can't you see the lay of the land?"

The little husband turned cold, then hot.

"A--a man visitor?"

"Certainly," snapped the aggrieved Mr. Butler. "What else?"

Without another word, Harvey brushed past the stage hand and began
rattling the door violently.

"Nellie!" he shouted, his lips close to the paint.

In a second the door flew open and the astonished actress stood there
staring at him as if he were a ghost. He pushed the door wide open and
strode into the dressing-room, Nellie falling back before him. The
room was empty save for the dismayed Rebecca.

"There!" he exclaimed, turning to address Butler in the doorway, but
Butler was not there. The stage hand had got in his way.

"Wha--what, in the name of Heaven, are you doing here, Harvey?" gasped
Nellie.

"How are you, Nell? Nothing serious, I hope."

"Serious?" she murmured, swallowing hard, her wits in the wind.

"Ain't you ill?"

"Never was better in my life," she cried, seeing what she thought was
light. "Who brought you to town with such a tale as that? I'm fine.
You've been fooled. If I were you, I'd take the first train out and
try to find out who----"

"It's all right, Butler," he cal