ok up the Kewpie, seated herself, and
prepared to look as independent and indifferent as possible.

"Susan!--Oh, help!"

It brought Sue to her feet. There was terror in the cry, and wild
appeal.

The next moment, white-faced, and walking unsteadily, Mrs. Milo came
from the drawing-room. "Oh, help me!" she begged. "I didn't tell her
anything! I didn't! I didn't! How could she find us! That terrible
woman!" She made weakly to the stone bench that was nearest, and
sat--as Tottie followed her into sight and halted in the doorway,
leaning carelessly.

CHAPTER XI

Miss Mignon St. Clair was a lady of resource. Given a telephone
number, and a glimpse of a gentleman who was without doubt of the
cloth, and she had only to open the Classified Telephone Directory at
"Churches," run down the list until she came to the number Mrs. Milo
had given her, and the thing was done. She disregarded Ikey's repeated
"I don't knows" over the wire, donned an afternoon dress for her
morning's work (Tottie was ever beforehand with the clock in the matter
of apparel), and set forth for the Rectory, arriving--by very good
fortune--as Mrs. Milo herself was alighting out of a taxicab.

Now she grinned impudently at the group in a the Close. "How-dy-do,
people!" she hailed. "--Well, nobody seems to know me today! I'll
introduce myself--Miss Mignon St. Clair." She bowed. Then to the
figure crouched on the bench, "Say, how about it, Lady Milo?"

"Oh, you must go!" cried Mrs. Milo, rising. "You must! I'll see
you--I promise--but go!"

Tottie came out. "Oh, wa-a-ait a minute! Why, you ain't half as
hospitable as I am. I entertained the bunch of you yesterday, and let
you raise the old Ned." She sauntered aside to take a look at the dial.

"Oh! Oh!" Mrs. Milo dropped back to the bench, shutting out the sight
of her visitor with both trembling hands.

Sue went to stand across the dial from Tottie. "What can we do for
you?" she asked pleasantly.

Tottie addressed Mrs. Milo. "Your daughter's a lady," she declared
emphatically. And to Sue, "Nothin' 's been said about squarin' with
me."

"Squaring?"

"Damages."

"Damages?"--more puzzled than ever.

But Balcome understood. He advanced upon Tottie, shaking a fist. "You
mean blackmail!"

"Now go slow on that!" counseled Tottie, dangerously. "I aim to keep a
respectable house."

"And I'm sure you do," returned Sue, mollifyingly.

It warmed Tottie into a con