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 ting off the old man with an allowance, they were also going to let his insurance lapse. Now, about that time, a queer thing was happening with that young wife—queer if you keep on staring at just what you see from Astor Street. Christina got a hankering for decency."

"You mean she liked Win Scofield?"

"She liked being his wife—if only for the novelty. The old man, for himself, was nothing to her. She was crazy about Keeban."

"Yet married Win Scofield."

My friend' told her to. Probably he was coming to one of the times when he was getting tired of her, anyway; he took her up, off and on; off times, he picked up with other girls. So, till he wanted her again, he thought he'd park her with the Scofield family and let her gather half a million for him."

"What did she think when she first saw you?"

"Oh, she knew about me, sure enough. Part of 'my friend's' plan in planting her in society must have been to help his scheme with me; she was his inside wire on that job and went through with her end so smoothly that no one suspected, no one even mentioned her; she wasn't even "Among those present" printed in the paper