“Of course,” said the attorney, “you will have to let this girl—Miss Gordon—go, for the detectives have threatened to watch her. It will be better for her and for the store. As for the girl who was arrested, my theory is that she had the compact when she came in the store. Although I can’t see for the life of me why a girl like that, who is obviously wealthy, should come in here to buy perfume, and then have her rouge stick in one of our paper bags.”

“Perhaps she likes our perfume,” said Baldwin, with a grin.

O’Brien laughed.

“Well, whatever her motive, I think we needn’t worry about the store being involved. I’ll take care of everything and make a report to you later.”

“All right,” said Baldwin, “you can run along. I want to see that things are straightened out here. Besides I’d like to talk to this girl, this Miss Gordon. From what you’ve said about the way she conducted herself during the investigation, she must be pretty clever. It’s rather tough on her, firing her this way. But I suppose I’ll have to. Where is she now?”

“In the next office,” said O’Brien. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Baldwin turned to the manager, when O’Brien had gone.

“You had better get a new girl for that counter right away.”

“Miss Gordon was a very good salesgirl, Mr. Baldwin,” said the manager.

“Well, it is too bad,” said Baldwin, “but it can’t be helped.”

The manager went out. Baldwin rose and crossed to the other office. He opened the door slightly and said:

“Come in, Miss.” Then he seated himself behind the manager’s desk. He didn’t like the job of discharging people. He regretted that he hadn’t left it to the manager. But he wanted the girl to leave without feeling that she had been treated unfairly.

He heard the office door close and looked up.

“Sit down, Miss—” he began and broke off. His mouth almost fell open in amazement. His eyes closed for an instant and then opened and stared. “Good God!” he thought. “Am I dreaming? Is this, can this be the girl I saw at the Harlem Breakfast Club, wearing ermine and diamonds ? Yes, I couldn’t forget her face. I stared at it too long that night ever to forget it! What in heaven’s name is she doing here?”

All his emotions that had been so stirred on first seeing Babe broke into flame again. He couldn’t find the words he wanted to say.

His one thought was that he must never let her go. He must hold her at all costs.