e from within.

"Why, that is not Mr. Strong's voice," said the Sylphide, still half
laughing. "Grady my coat!--Bonner, who is Grady my coat? We ought to go
away."

Bonner still looked quite puzzled at the sound of the voice which she
had heard.

The bedroom door here opened and the individual who had called out
"Grady, my coat," appeared without the garment in question.

He nodded to the women, and walked across the room. "I beg your pardon,
ladies. Grady, bring my coat down, sir! Well, my dears, it's a fine day,
and we'll have a jolly lark at----"

He said no more; for here Mrs. Bonner, who had been looking at him
with scared eyes, suddenly shrieked out, "Amory! Amory!" and fell back
screaming and fainting in her chair.

The man, so apostrophised, looked at the woman an instant, and, rushing
up to Blanche, seized her and kissed her. "Yes, Betsy," he said, "by
G--it is me. Mary Bonner knew me. What a fine gal we've grown! But it's
a secret, mind. I'm dead, though I'm your father. Your poor mother
don't know it. What a pretty gal we've grown! Kiss me--kiss me close, my
Betsy? D---- it, I love you: I'm your old father."

Betsy or Blanche looked quite bewildered, and began to scream too--once,
twice, thrice; and it was her piercing shrieks which Captain Costigan
heard as he walked the court below.

At the sound of these shrieks the perplexed parent clasped his hands
(his wristbands were open, and on one brawny arm you could see letters
tattooed in blue), and, rushing to his apartment, came back with an
eau-de-Cologne bottle from his grand silver dressing-case, with the
fragrant contents of which he began liberally to sprinkle Bonner and
Blanche.

The screams of these women brought the other occupants of the chambers
into the room: Grady from his kitchen, and Strong from his apartment in
the upper story. The latter at once saw from the aspect of the two women
what had occurred.

"Grady, go and wait in the court," he said, "and if anybody comes--you
understand me."

"Is it the play-actress and her mother?" said Grady.

"Yes--confound you--say that there's nobody in chambers, and the party's
off for to-day."

"Shall I say that, sir? and after I bought them bokays?" asked Grady of
his master.

"Yes," said Amory, with a stamp of his foot; and Strong going to the
door, too, reached it just in time to prevent the entrance of Captain
Costigan, who had mounted the stair.

The ladies from the theatre did not ha