They had no quarrel to pick with Lester's conduct.
Only he had been seen in other cities, in times past, with this same woman.
She must be some one whom he was maintaining irregularly.
Well, what of it?
Wealth and youthful spirits must have their fling.
Rumors came to Robert, who, however, kept his own counsel. If Lester wanted to do this sort of thing, well and good.
But there must come a time when there would be a show-down.
This came about in one form about a year and a half after Lester and Jennie had been living in the north side apartment.
It so happened that, during a stretch of inclement weather in the fall, Lester was seized with a mild form of grip.
When he felt the first symptoms he thought that his indisposition would be a matter of short duration, and tried to overcome it by taking a hot bath and a liberal dose of quinine.
But the infection was stronger than he counted on; by morning he was flat on his back, with a severe fever and a splitting headache.
His long period of association with Jennie had made him incautious.
Policy would have dictated that he should betake himself to his hotel and endure his sickness alone.
As a matter of fact, he was very glad to be in the house with her.
He had to call up the office to say that he was indisposed and would not be down for a day or so; then he yielded himself comfortably to her patient ministrations.
Jennie, of course, was delighted to have Lester with her, sick or well.
She persuaded him to see a doctor and have him prescribe.
She brought him potions of hot lemonade, and bathed his face and hands in cold water over and over.
Later, when he was recovering, she made him appetizing cups of beef-tea or gruel.
It was during this illness that the first real contretemps occurred.
Lester's sister Louise, who had been visiting friends in St. Paul, and who had written him that she might stop off to see him on her way, decided upon an earlier return than she had originally planned.
While Lester was sick at his apartment she arrived in Chicago. Calling up the office, and finding that he was not there and would not be down for several days, she asked where he could be reached.
"I think he is at his rooms in the Grand Pacific," said an incautious secretary.
"He's not feeling well."
Louise, a little disturbed, telephoned to the Grand Pacific, and was told that Mr. Kane had not been there for several days—did not, as a matter of fact, occupy his rooms more than one or two days a week.
Piqued by this, she telephoned his club.
It so happened that at the club there was a telephone boy who had called up the apartment a number of times for Lester himself.
He had not been cautioned not to give its number—as a matter of fact, it had never been asked for by any one else.
When Louise stated that she was Lester's sister, and was anxious to find him, the boy replied,
"I think he lives at 19 Schiller Place."
"Whose address is that you're giving?" inquired a passing clerk.
"Mr. Kane's."
"Well, don't be giving out addresses.
Don't you know that yet?"
The boy apologized, but Louise had hung up the receiver and was gone.
About an hour later, curious as to this third residence of her brother, Louise arrived at Schiller Place.
Ascending the steps—it was a two-apartment house—she saw the name of Kane on the door leading to the second floor.
Ringing the bell, she was opened to by Jennie, who was surprised to see so fashionably attired a young woman.
"This is Mr. Kane's apartment, I believe," began Louise, condescendingly, as she looked in at the open door behind Jennie.
She was a little surprised to meet a young woman, but her suspicions were as yet only vaguely aroused.
"Yes," replied Jennie.
"He's sick, I believe.
I'm his sister.
May I come in?"
Jennie, had she had time to collect her thoughts, would have tried to make some excuse, but Louise, with the audacity of her birth and station, swept past before Jennie could say a word.
Once inside Louise looked about her inquiringly. She found herself in the sitting-room, which gave into the bedroom where Lester was lying.
Vesta happened to be playing in one corner of the room, and stood up to eye the new-comer.
The open bedroom showed Lester quite plainly lying in bed, a window to the left of him, his eyes closed.
"Oh, there you are, old fellow!" exclaimed Louise.
"What's ailing you?" she hurried on.