and as he raised it from the floor he caught a glimpse of the face,
and he stood gazing in rapt and intense admiration.

"I did not mean that you should see that," said Mrs. Speir.

"You did not mean me to see it?"

"Not at present."

"But I have seen it."

"I cannot help it."

"One question: Whose portrait is that?"

"It is a portrait of Amalie."

"Your child?"

"Yes."

"She is indeed a beautiful girl," came the declaration.

CHAPTER VIII.

JACK'S GREAT DETECTIVE WORK--"WALK INTO MY MESHES,"
SAID THE DETECTIVE--A ROGUE WALKS IN--THE FORGED
ACCEPTANCE--CLOSING DOWN FOR A CONFESSION.

There came a look of pride through the glittering tears as the mother
responded:

"Yes, she was a beautiful girl, but alas! I fear her beauty has proved
her ruin."

"Madam, you can dismiss that fear; I have set in motion a series of
tricks which will enable me, I am assured, to restore your daughter to
your love and arms unharmed."

"Alas! I wish I could share your hopefulness; I cannot. You are a noble
man, you have proved it, and more, you have proved that you are one of
the most honorable of men. I am grateful, but I am hopeless. If my
daughter were alive, as you say, she would come to me."

"There is no doubt, madam, that your daughter is restrained of her
liberty or she would come, but mark my words: within one week I will
bring her to you unharmed. I cannot tell you now all I have learned, but
you can accept my word; I will make good my promise."

When our hero left the presence of Mrs. Speir, wild, strange hopes were
surging in his heart. He had never given much thought to ladies,
beautiful or otherwise, only as they were a part of his duties, but when
he had once gazed upon the face of the beautiful Amalie Speir there came
a great change over him. There was something in the expression of her
face, so bright and intelligent, so different from any face he had ever
gazed upon.

We have often said, and we declare again, that beautiful faces are no
rarity in America. One cannot walk the streets or even enter a public
conveyance without being able to pass the time watching a beautiful
face, and the types of beauty to be met with are varied, but not as
varied as the expressions. It is the expressiveness of a face after all
that constitutes its beauty, and among our girls who are compelled to
earn their livelihood in factories and offices, one will behold faces
delicate and features classically beautiful.