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woman. Oh, you don’t know yet how bad I can be—and I will, too—if you don’t help me out this time!”

“Go to your room, and get over your tantrum. You’ll get no money from me to-night.”

Mrs. Selden rose, and practically pushed her daughter through the doorway to the hall.

Madeleine went—seeing there was no hope of achieving her desire, but she went off muttering vengeance, and with a face white with passion.

In her boudoir again, she called her maid.

“Claudine,” she said, “you must lend me some money—just for this evening. Come now—there’s a dear.”

“Willingly, Madame—but, alas, I have none.”

“That’s not true—you were paid only yesterday.”

“But I sent it away—to my poor sister——

“Claudine, you’re lying. Now—see here—if you don’t let me have some money—I’ll tell your friend Carl about——

“No, Madame—no, I beg of you——

The French maid turned pale with apprehension, and looked beseechingly at her determined mistress.

“Yes, I will—I surely will! Now, you know you have some——

“Only fifty dollars, Madame—as God is my witness, that’s all I have.”

“Pah! that would do me no good at all! Keep your fifty—but, Claudine, get me Mrs. Sayre on the telephone. And after you get her—leave the room.”

“Yes, Madame.”

Madeleine stretched out on her chaise longue, smiled a little as she waited.

She looked like some sleek well fed cat, about to seize on its unsuspecting prey.

Perhaps students of such things would have said her