DEAR MRS. JEFFRIES: I received your letter telling me that my presence at your house to-night would be distasteful to you. As you can imagine, it was a great shock. Don't you understand the harm this will do me? Everybody will notice my absence. They will jump to the conclusion that there has been a rupture, and my credit will suffer immediately with your friends. I cannot afford to let this happen now. My affairs are in such condition that it will be fatal to me. I need your support and friendship more than ever. I have noticed for some time that your manner to me has changed. Perhaps you have believed some of the stories my enemies have circulated about me. For the sake of our old friendship, Alicia, don't desert me now. Remember what I once was to you and let me come to your reception to-night. There's a reason why I must be seen in your house. Yours devotedly, ROBERT UNDERWOOD. Alicia's face flushed with anger. Turning to the maid, she said: "There's no answer." The girl was about to close the door when her mistress suddenly recalled her. "Wait a minute," she said; "I'll write a line." Taking from her dainty escritoire a sheet of perfumed notepaper, she wrote hurriedly as follows: "If you dare to come near my house to-night, I will have you put out by the servants." Quickly folding the note, she crushed it into an envelope, sealed it, handed it to the girl, and said: "Give that to the messenger." The servant disappeared and Alicia resumed her work of drawing on her gloves in front of her mirror. How dare he write her such a letter? Was her house to be made the headquarters for his swindling schemes? Did he want to cheat more of her friends? The more she thought of all he had done, the angrier she became. Her eyes flashed and her bosom heaved with indignation. She wondered what her husband, the soul of honor, would say if he suspected that she had permitted a man of Underwood's character to use his home for his dishonest practices. She was glad she had ended it now, before it was too late. There might have been a scandal, and that she must avoid at any cost. Mr. Jeffries, she felt certain, would not tolerate a scandal of any kind. All at once she felt something brush her cheek. She turned quickly. It was her husband, who had entered the room quietly. "Oh, Howard," she exclaimed peevishly; "how you frightened me! You shouldn't startle me like that." A tall, distinguished-looking man with white mustache and pointed beard stood admiring her in silence. His erect figure, admirably set off in a well-cut dress coat suggested the soldier. "What are doing alone here, dear?" he said. "I hear carriages outside. Our guests are arriving." "Just thinking, that's all," she replied evasively. He noticed her preoccupied look and, with some concern, he demanded: "There's nothing to worry you, is there?" "Oh, no--nothing like that," she said hastily.