rooms and I was hurrying along Tenth Street, careless as to my
destination, and feeling as though the whole world was crumbling about
my head because she wore a wedding-ring.

Certainly I was not in love with her, so far as I could analyze my
emotions. I had been conscious only of a desire to help her, merging
by degrees into pity for her friendlessness.

But the wedding-ring--what hopes, then, had begun to spring up in my
heart? I could not fathom them; I only knew that my exaltation had
given place to profound dejection.

As I passed up the street the taxicab which I had seen at the east end
came rapidly toward me. It passed, and I stopped and looked after it.
I was certain that it slackened speed outside the door of the old
building, but again it went on quickly, until it was lost to view in
the distance.

Had I given the pursuers a clue by my reappearance?

I watched for a few moments longer, but the vehicle did not return, and
I dismissed the idea as folly. In truth, there was no reason to
suppose that the man I had seen in Herald Square was connected with the
two others, or that any of the three had followed us. No doubt the
third man was but a street-loafer of the familiar type, attracted by
Jacqueline's unusual appearance.

And, after all, New York was a civilized city, and I could be sure of
the girl's safety behind the street door-lock and that of my apartment
door. So I refused to yield to the impulse to go back and assure