income and the enforcement of the law; nearer and quite as poignant,
was the specter of an ignominious retreat from the comfort of George
Remington's house to her former lodging, which she was shrewd enough to
realize would follow close on the return of her cousin's wife.

All morning she had beaten off the invisible host with that
courage--worthy of a better cause--with which women of her class
confront the assaults of reality; and the sight of Martin Jaffry coming
up the broad front walk met her like a warm waft of security. She flung
open the door and met him with just that mixture of deference and relief
which the situation demanded.

She was terribly anxious about poor Genevieve, of course, but not
so anxious that she couldn't perceive how Genevieve's poor uncle had
suffered.

"What, no breakfast! Oh, you poor man! Come right out into the
dining-room."

Mrs. Brewster-Smith might have her limitations, but she was entirely
aware of the appeasing effect of an open fire and a spread cloth
even when no meal is in sight; she was adept in the art of enveloping
tenderness and the extent to which it may be augmented by the pleasing
aroma of ham and eggs and the coffee which she made herself. And oh,
those _poor_ women, what _disaster_ they were bringing on themselves by
their prying into things that were better left to more competent minds,
and what pain to _other_ minds! So _selfish_, but of course they didn't
realize. Really she hoped it would be a lesson to Genevieve. The dear
girl was so changed that she didn't see how she was going to go on
living with her; though, of course, she would like to stand by dear
George--and a woman did so appreciate a home!

At this point the enveloping tenderness of Mrs. Brewster-Smith
concentrated in her fine eyes, just brushed the heart of her listener
as with a passing wing, hovered a moment, and dropped demurely to the
tablecloth.

In the meantime two sorely perplexed citizens were grappling with the
problem of the disappearance of two highly respectable women from their
homes under circumstances calculated to give the greatest anxiety to
faithful "party" men. It hadn't needed Penny's professional acquaintance
with Chief Buckley to impress the need of secrecy on that official's
soul. "Squeal" on Noonan or Mike the Goat? Not if he knew himself.
Naturally Mr. Remington must have his wife, but at the same time it was
important to proceed regularly.

"And the day before election,