Virgie paid for her purchase, then worked her way around, going from counter to counter, until she reached the side entrance, when she went slyly out, waited until she saw a car approaching, hailed it, and in another moment went rolling down the street, believing that she had eluded the keen eyes that were on the watch for her.

Not so, however; for the man, having heard the car stop, darted around the corner, and espied her in it just as it was about turning into another street.

He could not overtake it, and with a muttered expression of annoyance, he was obliged to wait for the next one.  But he saw no more of Virgie that day, for she took a transfer, and when about a mile from her home changed cars and at length reached her own door, confident that she had escaped her pursuer for that time.

A day or two afterward she saw a personal in one of the daily papers that both puzzled and alarmed her.

F.V.A., whom I met on the corner of W. and C. streets, will communicate with M.A., Lock Box 95, she will learn something to her advantage.

This was the advertisement, and Virgie knew at once that she had been recognized by that man muffled in the cloak.

“That means me,” she said, growing deadly white, “and I was not mistaken. He has come back.  How dare he?  What can he want of me?  But I will never see him.  I will have nothing to say to him.  I will hide myself from him.  It is evident he has not discovered where I live, else he would have been here before this, and I will take care that he does not find me out.”

After that she was very careful about going out, always closely veiling her face, and wearing a long circular to conceal her form, when she was obliged to do so, which was not often, as, with rare exceptions, her business with Mr. Knight could be mostly transacted by correspondence.

Thus several months passed without her seeing or hearing anything more of the person who had so disturbed her, until at last she believed he must have left the city, and she gave herself no further concern about him.

Chapter XXIV.

The Tie Is Broken.

There was no lack of employment now for Virgie.  She had plenty to occupy heart, and brain, and hands, and of such a congenial nature that she reaped great benefit from it both mentally and physically.

Of course nothing could ever blot out from her memory the terrible trouble and suffering that she had had to endure, but her work brought its own enjoyment so that she no longer spent such wretched days and nights as formerly.  Her baby was every day growing interesting and a source of great comfort to her, while her life generally was tending to bring out the latent qualities of her character, the energy and self-reliance, the skill and talent which otherwise might never have developed into activity.

More than a year went by, while every month she was earning a handsome sum, having been permanently engaged by Mr. Knight to keep him supplied with those novelties which she was so skillful in originating.