of which was exciting comment, and it further smirched Lorelei's
reputation. Wharton ignored it utterly, but Merkle was prompt in
his indignation and sympathy. This unshaken confidence in her
afforded Lorelei far more comfort than Bob's unconcerned attitude,
which might be merely the result of his own lax standards. Upon
the other men she knew the effect of the story was quickly
noticeable, and she was forced to be on guard at all times.
Several whom she considered sincere admirers proved to be quite
the opposite; some whom she had counted as friends dropped her
entirely; others of a different sort undertook to press their
acquaintance beyond prudent bounds.

Jim was appropriately indignant, but helpless, and Mrs. Knight
unweariedly blamed everything upon her daughter's desertion of the
family circle, predicting more evil to follow unless Lorelei came
home at once. She also dwelt upon the fact that Peter was steadily
failing and was in immediate need of both medical and surgical
attention. The doctor had pronounced sentence, prescribing a total
change of living and a treatment by foreign specialists.

In some unaccountable way the story of Nobel Bergman's humiliation
became public and afforded the basis for a newspaper article that
brought him to Lorelei's dressing-room in a fine fury. Even after
she had convinced him of her innocence his resentment was so
bitter that she expected her dismissal at any time.

Other press stories followed; the girl suddenly found herself
notorious; scarcely a day passed without some disagreeable mention
of her. There was published a highly imaginative but
circumstantial account of a weak-minded youth whom she had driven