have　drowned。　　So　far　as　he　could　determine；　she：　had　not　even　sunk　once　beneath　the　surface。　　Nevertheless；　she　displayed　no　evidence　of　vitality；　though　he　chafed　her　hands　for　a　long　time。　　The　shore　here　was　very　lonely；　it　would　take　precious　time　to　summon　aid。　　It　seemed；　notwithstanding；　that　this　must　be　the　only　course。　　Then　just　as　the　man　was　about　to　leave　her；　the　girl　sighed；　very　faintly；　with　an　infinite　weariness；　and　opened　her　eyes。　　The　man　echoed　the　sigh；　but　his　was　of　joy；　since　now　he　knew　that　his　strife　in　the　girl's　behalf　had　not　been　in　vain。
  Afterward；　the　rescuer　experienced　no　great　difficulty　in　carrying　out　his　work　to　a　satisfactory　conclusion。　Mary　revived　to　clear　consciousness；　which　was　at　first　inclined　toward　hysteria；　but　this　phase　yielded　soon　under　the　sympathetic　ministrations　of　the　man。　　His　rather　low　voice　was　soothing　to　her　tired　soul；　and　his　whole　air　was　at　once　masterful　and　gently　tender。　Moreover；　there　was　an　inexpressible　balm　to　her　spirit　in　the　very　fact　that　some　one　was　thus　ministering　to　her。　　It　was　the　first　time　for　many　dreadful　years　that　any　one　had　taken　thought　for　her　welfare。　　The　effect　of　it　was　like　a　draught　of　rarest　wine　to　warm　her　heart。　　So；　she　rested　obediently　as　he　busied　himself　with　her　complete　restoration；　and；　when　finally　she　was　able　to　stand；　and　to　walk　with　the　support　of　his　arm；　she　went　forward　slowly　at　his　side　without　so　much　even　as　a　question　of　whither。
  And；　curiously；　the　man　himself　shared　the　gladness　that　touched　the　mood　of　the　girl；　for　he　experienced　a　sudden　pride　in　his　accomplishment　of　the　night；　a　pride　that　delighted　a　starved　part　of　his　nature。　　Somewhere　in　him　were　the　seeds　of　self…sacrifice；　the　seeds　of　a　generous　devotion　to　others。　　But　those　seeds　had　been　left　undeveloped　in　a　life　that　had　been　lived　since　early　boyhood　outside　the　pale　of　respectability。　　To…night；　Joe　Garson　had　performed；　perhaps；　his　first　action　with　no　thought　of　self　at　the　back　of　it。　　He　had　risked　his　life　to　save　that　of　a　stranger。　　The　fact　astonished　him；　while　it　pleased　him　hugely。　　The　sensation　was　at　once　novel　and　thrilling。　　Since　it　was　so　agreeable；　he　meant　to　prolong　the　glow　of　self…satisfaction　by　continuing　to　care　for　this　waif　of　the　river。　He　must　make　his　rescue　complete。　　It　did　not　occur　to　him　to　question　his　fitness　for　the　work。　　His　introspection　did　not　reach　to　a　point　of　suspecting　that　he；　an　habitual　criminal；　was　necessarily　of　a　sort　to　be　most　objectionable　as　the　protector　of　a　young　girl。　　Indeed；　had　any　one　suggested　the　thought　to　him；　he　would　have　met　it　with　a　sneer；　to　the　effect　that　a　wretch　thus　tired　of　life　could　hardly　object　to　any　one　who　constituted　himself　her　savior。
  In　this　manner；　Joe　Garson；　the　notorious　forger；　led　the　dripping　girl　eastward　through　the　squalid　streets；　until　at　last　they　came　to　an　adequately　lighted　avenue；　and　there　a　taxicab　was　found。　　It　carried　them　farther　north；　and　to　the　east　still；　until　at　last　it　came　to　a　halt　before　an　apartment　house　that　was　rather　imposing；　set　in　a　street　of　humbler　dwellings。　　Here；　Garson　paid　the　fare；　and　then　helped　the　girl　to　alight；　and　on　into　the　hallway。　　Mary　went　with　him　quite　unafraid；　though　now　with　a　growing　curiosity。　　Strange　as　it　all　was；　she　felt　that　she　could　trust　this　man　who　had　plucked　her　from　death；　who　had　worked　over　her　with　so　much　of　tender　kindliness。　　So；　she　waited　patiently；　only；　watched　with　intentness　as　he　pressed　the　button　of　a　flat　number。　　She　observed　with　interest　the　thick；　wavy　gray　of　his　hair；　which　contradicted　pleasantly　the　youthfulness　of　his　clean…shaven；　resolute　face；　and　the　spare；　yet　well…muscled　form。
  The　clicking　of　the　door…latch　sounded　soon；　and　the　two　entered；　and　went　slowly　up　three　flights　of　stairs。　On　the　landing　beyond　the　third　flight；　the　door　of　a　rear　flat　stood　open；　and　in　the　doorway　appeared　the　figure　of　a　woman。
  〃Well；　Joe；　who's　the　skirt？〃　　this　person　demanded；　as　the　man　and　his　charge　halted　before　her。　　Then；　abruptly；　the　round；　baby…like　face　of　the　woman　puckered　in　amazement。　　Her　voice　rose　shrill。　　〃My　Gawd；　if　it　ain't　Mary　Turner！〃
  At　that；　the　newcomer's　eyes　opened　swiftly　to　their　widest；　and　she　stared　astounded　in　her　turn。
  〃Aggie！〃　she　cried。
  CHAPTER　VII。　WITHIN　THE　LAW。
  In　the　time　that　followed；　Mary　lived　in　the　flat　which　Aggie　Lynch　occupied　along　with　her　brother；　Jim；　a　pickpocket　much　esteemed　among　his　fellow　craftsmen。　　The　period　wrought　transformations　of　radical　and　bewildering　sort　in　both　the　appearance　and　the　character　of　the　girl。　　Joe　Garson；　the　forger；　had　long　been　acquainted　with　Aggie　and　her　brother；　though　he　considered　them　far　beneath　him　in　the　social　scale；　since　their　criminal　work　was　not　of　that　high　kind　on　which　he　prided　himself。　　But；　as　he　cast　about　for　some　woman　to　whom　he　might　take　the　hapless　girl　he　had　rescued；　his　thoughts　fell　on　Aggie；　and　forthwith　his　determination　was　made；　since　he　knew　that　she　was　respectable；　viewed　according　to　his　own　peculiar　lights。　　He　was　relieved　rather　than　otherwise　to　learn　that　there　was　already　an　acquaintance　between　the　two　women；　and　the　fact　that　his　charge　had　served　time　in　prison　did　not　influence　him　one　jot　against　her。　On　the　contrary；　it　increased　in　some　measure　his　respect　for　her　as　one　of　his　own　kind。　　By　the　time　he　had　learned　as　well　of　her　innocence；　he　had　grown　so　interested　that　even　her　folly；　as　he　was　inclined　to　deem　it；　did　not　cause　any　wavering　in　his　regard。
  Now；　at　last；　Mary　Turner　let　herself　drift。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　she　had　abandoned　herself　to　fate　in　that　hour　when　she　threw　herself　into　the　river。　Afterward；　without　any　volition　on　her　part；　she　had　been　restored　to　life；　and　set　within　an　environment　new　and　strange　to　her；　in　which　soon；　to　her　surprise；　she　discovered　a　vivid　pleasure。　　So；　she　fought　no　more；　but　left　destiny　to　work　its　will　unhampered　by　her　futile　strivings。　　For　the　first　time　in　her　life；　thanks　to　the　hospitality　of　Aggie　Lynch；　secretly　reinforced　from　the　funds　of　Joe　Garson；　Mary　found　herself　living　in　luxurious　idleness；　while　her　every　wish　could　be　gratified　by　the　merest　mention　of　it。　　She　was　fed　on　the　daintiest　of　fare；　for　Aggie　was　a　sybarite　in　all　sensuous　pleasures　that　were　apart　from　sex。　She　was　clothed　with　the　most　delicate　richness　for　the　first　time　as　to　those　more　mysterious　garments　which　women　love；　and　she　soon　had　a　variety　of　frocks　as　charming　as　her　graceful　form　demanded。　　In　addition；　there　were　as　many　of　books　and　magazines　as　she　could　wish。　　Her　mind；　long　starved　like　her　body；　seized　avidly　on　the　nourishment　thus　afforded。　　In　this　interest；　Aggie　had　no　sharewas　perhaps　a　little　envious　over　Mary's　absorption　in　printed　pages。　　But　for　her　consolation　were　the　matters　of　food　and　dress；　and　of　countless　junketings。　　In　such　directions；　Aggie　was　the　leader；　an　eager；　joyous　one　always。　　She　took　a　vast　pride　in　her　guest；　with　the　unmistakable　air　of　elegance；　and　she　dared　to　dream　of　great　triumphs　to　come；　though　as　yet　she　carefully　avoided　any　suggestion　to　Mary　of　wrong…doing。
  In　the　end；　the　suggestion　came　from　Mary　Turner　herself；　to　the　great　surprise　of　Aggie；　and；　truth　to　tell；　of　herself。
  There　were　two　factors　that　chiefly　influenced　her　decision。　The　first　was　due　to　the　feeling　that；　since　the　world　had　rejected　her；　she　need　no　longer　concern　herself　with　the　world's　opinion；　or　retain　any　scruples　over　it。　　Back　of　this　lay　her　bitter　sentiment　toward　the　man　who　had　been　the　direct　cause　of　her　imprisonment；　Edward　Gilder。　　It　seemed　to　her　that　the　general　warfare　against　the　world　might　well　be　made　an　initial　step　in　the　warfare　she　meant　to　wage；　somehow；　some　time；　against　that　man　personally；　in　accordance　with　the　hysterical　threat　she　had　uttered　to　his　face。
  The　factor　that　was　the　immediate　cause　of　her　decision　on　an　irregular　mode　of　life　was　an　editorial　in　one　of　the　daily　newspapers。　　This　was　a　scathing　arraignment　of　a　master　in　high　finance。　　The　point　of　the　writer's　attack　was　the　grim　sarcasm　for　such　methods　of　thievery　as　are　kept　within　the　law。　　That　phrase　held　the　girl's　fancy；　and　she　read　the　article　again　with　a　quickened　interest。　　Then；　she　began　to　meditate。　She　herself　was　in　a　curious；　indeterminate　attitude　as　far　as　concerned　the　law。　　It　was　the　law　that　had　worked　the　ruin　of　her　life；　which　she　had　striven　to　make　wholesome。　　In　consequence；　she　felt　for　the　law　no　genuine　respect；　only　detestation　as　for　the　epitome　of　injustice。　　Yet；　she　gave　it　a　superficial　respect；　born　of　those　three　years　of　suffering　which　had　been　the　result　of　the　penalty　inflicted　on　her。　　It　was　as　an　effect　of　this　latter　feeling　that　she　was　determined　on　one　thing　of　vital　importance：　that　never　would　she　be　guilty　of　anything　to　pit　her　against　the　law's　decrees。　She　had　known　too　many　hours　of　anguish　in　the　doom　set　on　her　life　because　she　had　been　deemed　a　violator　of　the　law。　　No；　never　would　she　let　herself　take　any　position　in　which　the　law　could　accuse　her。。。。　But　there　remained　the　fact　that　the　actual　cause　of　her　long　m