“Y-yes… Madame,” stammered the blonde, turning a;piteous regard on her interlocutor.

“Leave your mistress wear the same duds she’s got on. That’ll please the gentlemen who like high-toned furnishings and maybe raise the price,” said the shrew, with an evil smile wreathed on her rouged ups, “and as for you, Marie, you’re soft and blond-the boys’ll like to see somethin’ of your figure. When you’ve done your mistress nicely, take off your dress, hear me?”

Marie sank to her knees and, clasping her hands before the stony-faced termagant, pleaded brokenly, “Oh, Madame… such shame I-I-cannot do it! Let my mistress and me go we’ll pay you well… please… don’t make us! It… it … is too horrible!”

The woman regarded her for a long moment; then, turning, she opened the door and called harshly, “Joe!”

At once the older guard entered the room, his face a mask of lecherous anticipation.

Pointing to the kneeling Marie, still in her attitude of supplication, the woman said, “This blond doesn’t want to go through with it! Give her a little lesson and take her dress off!”

“Sure, Lil,” said the man, licking his lips and slowly advancing toward the trembling Marie.

Marcia, regaining her courage, moved forward to hold off the torturer, when the woman, drawing a pearl-handled revolver from the bodice of her gown, pointed it at her and said, “I’d sure as hell hate to spoil your looks, honey, but if you interfere you’ll get a slug between your eyes!”

Marcia, utterly aghast, stifled a cry of terror and stood rooted in her steps.

Joe advanced, caught Marie’s wrists in his left hand and dragged her to her feet.

The golden-haired soubrette had donned a pretty green silk dress, with half sleeves that revealed the lower forearms and her beautifully chiseled wrists; her dainty feet were shod in open toed sandals and her splendidly molded, firm rounded calves and thighs were sheathed in gossamer flesh-toned silk stockings, a present from Mrs. Thomaston. With her golden hair framing her heart-shaped, demure face and drawn at the back into a lustrous, thick chignon, she was enchantingly lovely; her sweet blue eyes, dainty retroussй nose and petulant red lips giving her a countenance of ravishing, meek beauty, the type which stirs the blood of a virile male.