"No. In my blind infatuation I thought of him as a veritable god; but later, after my husband divorced me and Farley Drew began to show himself in his true colors, I learned that he depended for a livelihood upon fleecing and blackmailing young men whose weaknesses for vice he had encouraged. Then once I overheard a conversation between him and his valet which revealed to me that he was actually in league with recognized criminals. Even that did not kill the last spark of my love for him, and I was still determined that his moral obligation to me should be paid. No matter how sullied his name was, I demanded that he give it to me; for he had dragged my own in the dust." She paused and then asked: "What I have told you is no news, is it? You know of the swindles and blackmail?"
"Yes, Mrs. Gael. Farley Drew has just been taken into custody; and one at least of his accomplices has confessed."
"And that poor little fool upstairs ran away to-night to go to him? I should not have waited so long; I should have told you before." She raised her eyes once more supplicatingly to his. "Oh, Sergeant Odell, you will let me go? I could not bear the reproach in her eyes if she knew the truth, even though I am not responsible for her infatuation."
"Yes," agreed Odell after a moment's reflection. "You may go, Mrs. Gael; but I want you to think well over the stand you have taken in regard to withholding the help you are in a position to give me. Remember, if another death occurs in this family you may be indirectly responsible."
"I—I cannot help that," she cried; and the hunted expression came once more into her face. "These people are nothing to me; and what little I could tell you would
