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ue　way　to　half　the　aristocracy　of　four　or　five　of　the　surrounding　states。　　Now；　although　still　a　woman　of　brilliant　parts；　she　was　the　keeper　of　a　select　house　of　assignation　in　this　meager　city　of　perhaps　two　hundred　thousand　population。　　How　had　it　happened？　How　could　it　possibly　have　come　about？　She　had　been　in　her　day　a　reigning　beauty。　　She　had　been　born　to　money　and　had　married　money。　　Her　first　husband；　John　Alexander　Fleming；　who　had　inherited　wealth；　tastes；　privileges；　and　vices　from　a　long　line　of　slave…holding；　tobacco…growing　Flemings；　was　a　charming　man　of　the　Kentucky…Virginia　society　type。　　He　had　been　trained　in　the　law　with　a　view　to　entering　the　diplomatic　service；　but；　being　an　idler　by　nature；　had　never　done　so。　　Instead；　horse…raising；　horse…racing；　philandering；　dancing；　hunting；　and　the　like；　had　taken　up　his　time。　　When　their　wedding　took　place　the　Kentucky…Virginia　society　world　considered　it　a　great　match。　　There　was　wealth　on　both　sides。　　Then　came　much　more　of　that　idle　social　whirl　which　had　produced　the　marriage。　　Even　philanderings　of　a　very　vital　character　were　not　barred；　though　deception；　in　some　degree　at　least；　would　be　necessary。　　As　a　natural　result　there　followed　the　appearance　in　the　mountains　of　North　Carolina　during　a　charming　autumn　outing　of　a　gay　young　spark　by　the　name　of　Tucker　Tanner；　and　the　bestowal　on　him　by　the　beautiful　Nannie　Flemingas　she　was　then　calledof　her　temporary　affections。　　Kind　friends　were　quick　to　report　what　Fleming　himself　did　not　see；　and　Fleming；　roue　that　he　was；　encountering　young　Mr。　Tanner　on　a　high　mountain　road　one　evening；　said　to　him；　〃You　get　out　of　this　party　by　night；　or　I　will　let　daylight　through　you　in　the　morning。〃　Tucker　Tanner；　realizing　that　however　senseless　and　unfair　the　exaggerated　chivalry　of　the　South　might　be；　the　end　would　be　bullets　just　the　same；　departed。　　Mrs。　Fleming；　disturbed　but　unrepentant；　considered　herself　greatly　abused。　　There　was　much　scandal。　　Then　came　quarrels；　drinking　on　both　sides；　finally　a　divorce。　　Mr。　Tucker　Tanner　did　not　appear　to　claim　his　damaged　love；　but　the　aforementioned　Ira　George　Carter；　a　penniless　never…do…well　of　the　same　generation　and　social　standing；　offered　himself　and　was　accepted。　　By　the　first　marriage　there　had　been　one　child；　a　girl。　　By　the　second　there　was　another　child；　a　boy。　　Ira　George　Carter；　before　the　children　were　old　enough　to　impress　Mrs。　Carter　with　the　importance　of　their　needs　or　her　own　affection　for　them；　had　squandered；　in　one　ridiculous　venture　after　another；　the　bulk　of　the　property　willed　to　her　by　her　father；　Major　Wickham　Hedden。　　Ultimately；　after　drunkenness　and　dissipation　on　the　husband's　side；　and　finally　his　death；　came　the　approach　of　poverty。　　Mrs。　Carter　was　not　practical；　and　still　passionate　and　inclined　to　dissipation。　However；　the　aimless；　fatuous　going　to　pieces　of　Ira　George　Carter；　the　looming　pathos　of　the　future　of　the　children；　and　a　growing　sense　of　affection　and　responsibility　had　finally　sobered　her。　The　lure　of　love　and　life　had　not　entirely　disappeared；　but　her　chance　of　sipping　at　those　crystal　founts　had　grown　sadly　slender。　A　woman　of　thirty…eight　and　still　possessing　some　beauty；　she　was　not　content　to　eat　the　husks　provided　for　the　unworthy。　　Her　gorge　rose　at　the　thought　of　that　neglected　state　into　which　the　pariahs　of　society　fall　and　on　which　the　inexperienced　so　cheerfully　comment。　　Neglected　by　her　own　set；　shunned　by　the　respectable；　her　fortune　quite　gone；　she　was　nevertheless　determined　that　she　would　not　be　a　back…street　seamstress　or　a　pensioner　upon　the　bounty　of　quondam　friends。　　By　insensible　degrees　came　first　unhallowed　relationships　through　friendship　and　passing　passion；　then　a　curious　intermediate　state　between　the　high　world　of　fashion　and　the　half　world　of　harlotry；　until；　finally；　in　Louisville；　she　had　become；　not　openly；　but　actually；　the　mistress　of　a　house　of　ill　repute。　　Men　who　knew　how　these　things　were　done；　and　who　were　consulting　their　own　convenience　far　more　than　her　welfare；　suggested　the　advisability　of　it。　　Three　or　four　friends　like　Colonel　Gillis　wished　roomsconvenient　place　in　which　to　loaf；　gamble；　and　bring　their　women。　　Hattie　Starr　was　her　name　now；　and　as　such　she　had　even　become　known　in　a　vague　way　to　the　policebut　only　vaguely　as　a　woman　whose　home　was　suspiciously　gay　on　occasions。

Cowperwood；　with　his　appetite　for　the　wonders　of　life；　his　appreciation　of　the　dramas　which　produce　either　failure　or　success；　could　not　help　being　interested　in　this　spoiled　woman　who　was　sailing　so　vaguely　the　seas　of　chance。　　Colonel　Gillis　once　said　that　with　some　strong　man　to　back　her；　Nannie　Fleming　could　be　put　back　into　society。　　She　had　a　pleasant　appealshe　and　her　two　children；　of　whom　she　never　spoke。　　After　a　few　visits　to　her　home　Cowperwood　spent　hours　talking　with　Mrs。　Carter　whenever　he　was　in　Louisville。　　On　one　occasion；　as　they　were　entering　her　boudoir；　she　picked　up　a　photograph　of　her　daughter　from　the　dresser　and　dropped　it　into　a　drawer。　　Cowperwood　had　never　seen　this　picture　before。　　It　was　that　of　a　girl　of　fifteen　or　sixteen；　of　whom　he　obtained　but　the　most　fleeting　glance。　　Yet；　with　that　instinct　for　the　essential　and　vital　which　invariably　possessed　him；　he　gained　a　keen　impression　of　it。　　It　was　of　a　delicately　haggard　child　with　a　marvelously　agreeable　smile；　a　fine；　high…poised　head　upon　a　thin　neck；　and　an　air　of　bored　superiority。　　Combined　with　this　was　a　touch　of　weariness　about　the　eyelids　which　drooped　in　a　lofty　way。　　Cowperwood　was　fascinated。　　Because　of　the　daughter　he　professed　an　interest　in　the　mother；　which　he　really　did　not　feel。

A　little　later　Cowperwood　was　moved　to　definite　action　by　the　discovery　in　a　photographer's　window　in　Louisville　of　a　second　picture　of　Berenicea　rather　large　affair　which　Mrs。　Carter　had　had　enlarged　from　a　print　sent　her　by　her　daughter　some　time　before。　Berenice　was　standing　rather　indifferently　posed　at　the　corner　of　a　colonial　mantel；　a　soft　straw　outing…hat　held　negligently　in　one　hand；　one　hip　sunk　lower　than　the　other；　a　faint；　elusive　smile　playing　dimly　around　her　mouth。　　The　smile　was　really　not　a　smile；　but　only　the　wraith　of　one；　and　the　eyes　were　wide；　disingenuous；　mock…simple。　　The　picture　because　of　its　simplicity；　appealed　to　him。　　He　did　not　know　that　Mrs。　Carter　had　never　sanctioned　its　display。　　〃A　personage；〃　was　Cowperwood's　comment　to　himself；　and　he　walked　into　the　photographer's　office　to　see　what　could　be　done　about　its　removal　and　the　destruction　of　the　plates。　　A　half…hundred　dollars；　he　found；　would　arrange　it　allplates；　prints；　everything。　Since　by　this　ruse　he　secured　a　picture　for　himself；　he　promptly　had　it　framed　and　hung　in　his　Chicago　rooms；　where　sometimes　of　an　afternoon　when　he　was　hurrying　to　change　his　clothes　he　stopped　to　look　at　it。　　With　each　succeeding　examination　his　admiration　and　curiosity　grew。　　Here　was　perhaps；　he　thought；　the　true　society　woman；　the　high…born　lady；　the　realization　of　that　ideal　which　Mrs。　Merrill　and　many　another　grande　dame　had　suggested。

It　was　not　so　long　after　this　again　that；　chancing　to　be　in　Louisville；　he　discovered　Mrs。　Carter　in　a　very　troubled　social　condition。　　Her　affairs　had　received　a　severe　setback。　　A　certain　Major　Hagenback；　a　citizen　of　considerable　prominence；　had　died　in　her　home　under　peculiar　circumstances。　　He　was　a　man　of　wealth；　married；　and　nominally　living　with　his　wife　in　Lexington。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　spent　very　little　time　there；　and　at　the　time　of　his　death　of　heart　failure　was　leading　a　pleasurable　existence　with　a　Miss　Trent；　an　actress；　whom　he　had　introduced　to　Mrs。　Carter　as　his　friend。　　The　police；　through　a　talkative　deputy　coroner；　were　made　aware　of　all　the　facts。　　Pictures　of　Miss　Trent；　Mrs。　Carter；　Major　Hagenback；　his　wife；　and　many　curious　details　concerning　Mrs。　Carter's　home　were　about　to　appear　in　the　papers　when　Colonel　Gillis　and　others　who　were　powerful　socially　and　politically　interfered；　the　affair　was　hushed　up；　but　Mrs。　Carter　was　in　distress。　　This　was　more　than　she　had　bargained　for。

Her　quondam　friends　were　frightened　away　for　the　nonce。　　She　herself　had　lost　courage。　　When　Cowperwood　saw　her　she　had　been　in　the　very　human　act　of　crying；　and　her　eyes　were　red。

〃Well；　well；〃　he　commented；　on　seeing　hershe　was　in　moody　gray　in　the　bargain〃you　don't　mean　to　tell　me　you're　worrying　about　anything；　are　you？〃

〃Oh；　Mr。　Cowperwood；〃　she　explained；　pathetically；　〃I　have　had　so　much　trouble　since　I　saw　you。　　You　heard　of　Major　Hagenback's　death；　didn't　you？〃　Cowperwood；　who　had　heard　something　of　the　story　from　Colonel　Gillis；　nodded。　　〃Well；　I　have　just　been　notified　by　the　police　that　I　will　have　to　move；　and　the　landlord　has　given　me　notice；　too。　　If　it　just　weren't　for　my　two　children〃

She　dabbed　at　her　eyes　pathetically。

Cowperwood　meditated　interestedly。

〃Haven't　you　any　place　you　can　go？〃　he　asked。

〃I　have　a　summer　place　in　Pennsylvania；〃　she　confessed；　〃but　I　can't　go　there　very　well　in　February。　　Besides；　it's　my　living　I'm　worrying　about。　　I　have　only　this　to　depend　on。〃

She　waved　her　hand　inclusively　toward　the　various　rooms。　　〃Don't　you　own　that　place　in　Pennsylvania？〃　he　inquired。

〃Yes；　but　it　isn't　worth　much；　and　I　couldn't　sell　it。　　I've　been　trying　to　do　that　anyhow　for　some　time；　because　Berenice　is　getting　tired　of　it。〃

〃And　haven't　you　any　money　laid　away？〃

〃It's　taken　all　I　have　to　run　this　place　and　keep　the　children　in　school。　　I've　been　trying　to　give　Berenice　and　Rolfe　a　chance　to　do　something　for　themselves。〃

At　the　repetition　of　Berenice's　name　Cowperwood　consulted　his　own　interest　or　mood　in　the　matter。　　A　little　assistance　for　her　would　not　bother　him　much。　　Besides；　it　would　probably　eventually　bring　about　a　meeting　with　the　daughter。

〃Why　don't　you　clear　out　of　this？〃　he　observed；　finally。　　〃It's　no　business　to　be　in；　anyhow；　if　you　have　any　regard　for　your　children。　　They　can't　survive　anything　like　this。　　You　want　to　put　your　daughter　back　in　society；　don't　you？〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　almost　pleaded　Mrs。　Carter。

〃Precisely；〃　commented　Cowperwood；　who；　when　he　was　thinking；　almost　invariably　dropped　into　a　short；　cold；　curt；　business　manner。　Yet　he　was