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pinochle which Otto must lose to her father。 As they sat at their game she
was at the zither…table； dreamily playing May Breezes as she watched Otto
and thought how much more comfortable she was in his strong； loyal love
than in the unnatural strain of Mr。 Feuerstein's ecstasies。 ‘‘ ‘Work and
love and home；' '' she murmured； in time to her music。 ‘‘Yes； father is
right。 They ARE the best。''
August came in and said： ‘‘Hilda； here are two men who want to see
you。''
As he spoke； he was pushed aside and she； her father and Otto sat
staring at the two callers。 They were obviously detectives ‘‘plain
clothes men'' from the Fifth…Street Station House。 There could be no
chance of mistake about those police mustaches and jaws； those wide；
square…toed； police shoes。
‘‘My name is Casey and this is my side… partner； Mr。 O'Rourke；'' said
the shorter and fatter of the two as they seated themselves without waiting
to be asked。 Casey took off his hat； O'Rourke's hand hesitated at the
brim； then drew his hat more firmly down upon his forehead。 ‘‘Sorry to
break in on your little party；'' Casey went on； ‘‘but the Cap'n sent us to ask
the young lady a few questions。''
Hilda grew pale and her father and Otto looked frightened。
‘‘Do you know an actor named Feuerstein？'' asked Casey。
Hilda trembled。 She could not speak。 She nodded assent。
‘‘Did you see him to…day？''
‘‘Yes；'' almost whispered Hilda。
Casey looked triumphantly at O'Rourke。 Otto half rose； then sank
back again。 ‘‘Where did you see him？'' asked Casey。
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‘‘Here。''
‘‘Where else？''
Hilda nervously laced and unlaced her fingers。 ‘‘Only here；'' she
answered after a pause。
‘‘Ah； yes you did。 Come now； lady。 Speak the truth。 You saw him
at Meinert's。''
Hilda started violently。 The detectives exchanged significant glances。
‘‘No；'' she protested。 ‘‘I saw him only here。''
‘‘Were you out of the store this afternoon？''
A long pause； then a faint ‘‘Yes。''
‘‘Where did you go？'' Casey added。
The blood flew to Hilda's face； then left it。 ‘‘To Meinert's；'' she
answered。 ‘‘But only as far as the door。''
‘‘Oh！'' said Casey sarcastically； and O'Rourke laughed。 ‘‘It's no use
to hold back； lady；'' continued Casey。 ‘‘We know all about your
movements。 You went in Meinert'sin at the family entrance。''
‘‘Yes；'' replied Hilda。 She was shaking as if she were having a chill。
‘‘But just to the door； then home again。''
‘‘Now； that won't do；'' said Casey roughly。 ‘‘You'd better tell the
whole story。''
‘‘Tell them all about it； Hilda；'' interposed her father in an agonized
tone。
‘‘Don't hold back anything。''
‘‘OhfatherOttoit was nothing。 I didn't go in。 HeMr。
Feuersteincame here； and he looked so sick； and he begged me to come
over to Meinert's for a minute。 He said he had something to say to me。
And then I went。 But at the door I got to thinking about all he'd done；
and I wouldn't go in。 I just came back home。''
‘‘What was it that he had done； lady？'' asked O'Rourke。
‘‘I won't tell；'' Hilda flashed out； and she started up。 ‘‘It's nobody's
business。 Why do you ask me all these questions？ I won't answer any
more。''
‘‘Now； now； lady；'' said Casey。 ‘‘Just keep cool。 When you went；
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what did you take a knife from the counter for？''
‘‘A knife！'' Hilda gasped； and she would have fallen to the floor had
not Otto caught her。
‘‘That settles it！'' said Casey； in an undertone to O'Rourke。 ‘‘She's it；
all right。 I guess she's told us enough？''
O'Rourke nodded。 ‘‘The Cap'n'll get the rest out of her when he puts
her through the third degree。''
They rose and Casey said； with the roughness of one who is afraid of
his inward impulses to gentleness： ‘‘Come； lady； get on your things。
You're going along with us。''
‘‘No！ No！'' she cried in terror； flinging herself into her father's arms。
Brauner blazed up。 ‘‘What do you mean？'' he demanded； facing the
detectives。
‘‘You'll find out soon enough；'' said Casey in a blustering tone。 ‘‘The
less fuss you make； the better it'll be for you。 She's got to go； and that's
all there is to it。''
‘‘This is an outrage；'' interrupted Otto； rushing between Hilda and the
detectives。
‘‘You daren't take her without telling her why。 You can't treat us like
dogs。''
‘‘Drop it！'' said Casey contemptuously。 ‘‘Drop it； Dutchy。 I guess we
know what we're about。''
‘‘Yesand I know what _I_'m about；'' exclaimed Otto。 ‘‘Do you
know Riordan； the district leader here？ Well； he's a friend of mine。 If
we haven't got any rights you police are bound to respect； thank God；
we've got a ‘pull'。''
‘‘That's a bluff；'' said Casey； but his tone was less insolent。 ‘‘Well； if
you must know； she's wanted for the murder of Carl Feuerstein。''
Hilda flung her arms high above her head and sank into a chair and
buried her face。 ‘‘It's a dream！'' she moaned。 ‘‘Wake mewake me！''
Otto and Brauner looked each at the other in horror。 ‘‘Murder！''
whispered Brauner hoarsely。 ‘‘My Hildamurder！''
Otto went to Hilda and put his arms about her tightly and kissed her。
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‘‘She's got to come；'' said Casey angrily。 ‘‘Now； will she go quietly
or shall I call the wagon？''
This threat threw them into a panic。 ‘‘You'd better go；'' said Otto in
an undertone to Hilda。 ‘‘Don't be frightened； dear。 You're innocent and
they can't prove you guilty。 You're not poor and friendless。''
At the pressure of his arms Hilda lifted her face； her eyes shining at
him through her tears。 And her heart went out to him as never before。
From that moment it was his； all his。 ‘‘My love； my dear love；'' she said。
She went to the closet and took out her hat。 She put it on before the
mirror over the mantelpiece。 ‘‘I'm ready；'' she said quietly。
In the street； she walked beside Casey； her father and Otto were close
behind with O'Rourke。 They turned into Sixth Street。 Half a block
down； in front of Meinert's； a crowd was surging； was filling sidewalk and
street。 When they came to the edge of it； Casey suddenly said ‘‘In here''
and took her by the arm。 All went down a long and winding passage；
across an open court to a back door where a policeman in uniform was
on guard。
‘‘Did you get her； Mike？'' said the policeman to Casey。
‘‘Here she is；'' replied Casey。 ‘‘She didn't give no trouble。''
The policeman opened the door。 He let Casey； Hilda and O'Rourke
pass。 He thrust back Brauner and Otto。 ‘‘No； you don't；'' he said。
‘‘Let us in！'' commanded Otto； beside himself with rage。
‘‘Not much！ Get back！'' He had closed the door and was standing
between it and them； one hand meaningly upon the handle of his sheathed
club。
‘‘I am her father；'' half…pleaded； half… protested Brauner。
‘‘Cap'n's orders；'' said the policeman in a gentler voice。 ‘‘The best
thing you can do is to go to the station house and wait there。 You won't
get to see her here。''
Meanwhile Casey； still holding Hilda by the arm； was guiding her
along a dark hall。 When they touched a door he threw it open。 He
pushed her roughly into the room。 For a few seconds the sudden blaze of
light blinded her。 Then
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Before her； str