This ingenuous method of diversion was put to an end by the entrance of
Mary, who stopped short on seeing the limp figure huddled in the chair.

"A visitor, Agnes?" she inquired.

At the sound of her voice, and before Aggie could hit on a fittingly
elegant form of reply, the girl looked up. And now, for the first
time, she spoke with some degree of energy, albeit there was a sinister
undertone in the husky voice.

"You're Miss Turner?" she questioned.

"Yes," Mary said, simply. Her words rang kindly; and she smiled
encouragement.

A gasp burst from the white lips of the girl, and she cowered as one
stricken physically.

"Mary Turner! Oh, my God! I----" She hid her face within her arms and
sat bent until her head rested on her knees in an abasement of misery.

Vaguely startled by the hysterical outburst from the girl, Mary's
immediate thought was that here was a pitiful instance of one suffering
from starvation.

"Joe," she directed rapidly, "have Fannie bring a glass of milk with an
egg and a little brandy in it, right away."

The girl in the chair was shaking soundlessly under the stress of her
emotions. A few disjointed phrases fell from her quivering lips.

"I didn't know--oh, I couldn't!"

"Don't try to talk just now," Mary warned, reassuringly. "Wait until
you've had something to eat."

Aggie, who had observed developments closely, now lifted her voice in
tardy lamentations over her own stupidity. There was no affectation of
the fine lady in her self-reproach.

"Why, the poor gawk's hungry!" she exclaimed! "And I never got the dope
on her. Ain't I the simp!"

The girl regained a degree of self-control, and showed something of
forlorn dignity.

"Yes," she said dully, "I'm starving."

Mary regarded the afflicted creature with that sympathy born only of
experience.

"Yes," she said softly, "I understand." Then she spoke to Aggie. "Take
her to my room, and let her rest there for a while. Have her drink the
egg and milk slowly, and then lie down for a few minutes anyhow."

Aggie obeyed with an air of bustling activity.

"Sure, I will!" she declared. She went to the girl and helped her to
stand up. "We'll fix you out all right," she said, comfortingly. "Come
along with me.... Hungry! Gee, but that's tough!"

Half an hour afterward, while Mary was at her desk, giving part of her
attention to Joe Garson, who sat near, and part to a rather formidable
pile of neatly arranged papers, Aggie reporte