"Oh, I'm so frightened!" she gasped.
"Tut, tut!" the Inspector chided. "Now, I tell you there's
nothing at all for you to be afraid of."
"I'm afraid!" the girl asserted dismally. "I'm afraid you
will--put me--in a cell!" Her voice sank to a murmur hardly
audible as she spoke the words so fraught with dread import to
one of her refined sensibilities.
"Pooh!" Burke returned, gallantly. "Why, my dear young lady,
nobody in the world could think of you and a cell at the same
time--no, indeed!"
Instantly, the girl responded to this bald flattery. She fairly
radiated appreciation of the compliment, as she turned her eyes,
dewy with tears, on the somewhat flustered Inspector.
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed, with naive enjoyment.
Forthwith, Burke set out to make the most of this favorable
opportunity.
"Are you sure you've told me all you know about this woman?" he
questioned.
"Oh, yes! I've only seen her two or three times," came the ready
response. The voice changed to supplication, and again the
clasped hands were extended beseechingly.
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