. "Nothing could be easier. You've
got no luggage but that bag. I'll take it up to the Grand Central
Station and check it, and bring the check back here. You can send for
it when you please."

"But what about me?" said Mildred.

"I was coming to that. You walk out of here, say, about half an hour
after I go in the taxi. You walk through to the corner of Lexington
Avenue and Thirty-seventh Street--there aren't any cabs to be had
there. I'll be waiting in the taxi, and we'll make a dash up the East
Side and I can drop you at some quiet place in the park and go on--and
you can walk to your new address. How does that strike you?"

Mildred expressed her admiration. The plan was carried out, as Mrs.
Belloc--a born genius at all forms of intrigue--had evolved it in
perfection on the spur of the moment. As they went up the far East
Side, Mrs. Belloc, looking back through the little rear window, saw a
taxi a few blocks behind them. "We haven't given them the slip yet,"
said she, "but we will in the park." They entered the park at East
Ninetieth Street, crossed to the West Drive. Acting on Mrs. Belloc's
instructions, the motorman put on full speed--with due regard to the
occasional policeman. At a sharp turning near the Mall, when the taxi
could be seen from neither direction, he abruptly stopped. Out sprang
Mildred and disappeared behind the bushes completely screening the walk
from the drive. At once the taxi was under-way again. She, waiting
where the screen of bushes was securely thick, saw the taxi that had
followed them in the East Side flash by--in pursuit of Mrs. Belloc
alone.

She was free--at least until some mischance uncovered her to the little
general. At Mrs. Brindley's she found a note awaiting her--a note from
Stanley Baird:

DEAR MILDRED:

I'm of for the Far West, and probably shall not be in town again until
the early summer. The club forwards my mail and repeats telegrams as
marked. Go in and win, and don't hesitate to call on me if you need
me. No false pride, PLEASE! I'm getting out of the way because it's
obviously best for the present.

STANLEY.

As she finished, her sense of freedom was complete. She had not
realized how uneasy she was feeling about Stanley. She did not doubt
his generosity, did not doubt that he genuinely intended to leave her
free, and she believed that his delicacy was worthy of his generosity.
Still, she was constantly fearing lest circumstances sho