Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-02

recognized her voice and the voice OF her
companion at once. And then their eyeN
met.
Mrs. Barker drew back, but did not utter
a cry. Mrs. Horncastle, with eyes even
brighter than her companions. smiled. The
red suddenly returned to Mrs. Barker's
cheek.
This is my ROOM she said Indignantly,
with a sweeping gesture around the walls,
II should judge So" said Mrs. Horncastle,
following the gesture, but" she added
quietly. they put me into it. 1t appears,
however, they did not expect you"
Mrs. Barker saw her mistake. mo, no.
she said alphabetically, "of course not" Then
she added, with nervous volubility, sitting
Town and Juggling at her gloves: You see,
| just ran down from Marysville to take a
look at my fathers old house on my way
to Hymettus. | hope | haven't disturbed
you. Perhaps" she said with sudden eager
ness, you were asleep when | came in
mo" said Mrs. Horncastle, Il was not
sleeping nor dreaming. / heard you come
in"
Some Of these men are such idiots" said
Mrs. Barker, with a half hystorical laugh
'They seem to think II q woman accepts the
least courtesy from them they've a right to
be familiar, But | fancy that fellow was a
little astonished when l shut the door In
his face"
II fancy lie was returned Mrs. Horncas.
tie dryly. but 1 shouldn't call Mr.. Van
Loo an idiot. He has the reputation Of
being a cautious business man
Mrs. Barker bit her lip. Her companion
had been recognized. She rose with a slight
firt of her skirt. 81 suppose I must go and
get a room; there was nobody in the office
when | came. Everything is badly managed
here since my father took away the best
servants to Hymettus." She moved with af-
fected carelessness toward the door, when
Mrs. Horncastle. without rising from her
seat, said:
why not stay hcre?"
Mrs. Barker frightened for a moment.
oh she said, with polite depreciation, II
conldn't think of turning you out"
81 don't intend you SHALL" said Mrs. Horn
castle. 1--WE will stay here together until
you go with me to Hymettus or until Mr..
Van Loo leaves the hotel. He will hardly
attempt to come in here again If | remain
Mrs. Barker, with a half laugh, sat down
irresolutely. Mrs. Horncastle gazed at her
curiously. She was evidently a novice in
this sort of thing. But, strange to say-and
I leave the ethics of this for the sex to set
tlo-the fact did not soften Mrs. Horncas-
ties heart, nor In the least qualify her at
titude toward the younger woman. After
an awkward pause Mrs. Barker rose again.
We'll, it's very good of you, and-and-Ill
just run out and wash my hands and get
tho dust off me and come back"
"No, Mrs. Barker said Mrs. Horncastle,
rising and approaching her, You Will first
wash your hands of this Mr.. Van Loo, and
get some of the dust Of the rendezvous of
you before you do anything else: You can
do 1t by simply telling him, should you
meet him in the hall, that / was sitting here
when he came in and heard everything.
Depend upon it. he won't trouble you again.
But Mrs. Barker, though inexperienced in
love, was a good fighter. The best of the
sex are. She dropped into the rocking chair
and began rocking backward and forward
while still Juggling at her gloves, and said,
in u gradually warming voice: 81 certainly
shall not magnify Mr.. Van Loo's Stiffness
to that Importance. And ! have yet to learn
what you mean by talking about a rendez-
vous. And I want to know" she continued,
suddenly stopping her rocking and fitting
the rockers impertinently behind her, as,
with her elbows squared on the chair arms,
she tilted her own face defiantly up into Mrs.
Horncastle's. how a woman In your posi-
tion-who don't live with her husband
dares to talk to me-"
There was a lull before the storm. Mrs.
Horncastle approached nearer. and. laying
her hand on the back of the chair, leaned
over her, and, with a white face, and a me-
tallic ring in her voice, said: at is just
because | am a woman in my position that
do! 1t Is because / don't live with my
husband that 7 can tell you what it will be
when you no longer live with yours-which
will be the inevitable result of what you are
now doing. 1t is because | was in this po-
sition that the very mar who is pursuing
you because he thinks you are discontented
with your husband once thought he could
pursue me because I had left mine. You
! are here with him alone, without the knowl-
edge OF your husband; call it folly, caprice,
vanity, or what you like, it can have but
one end-to put you in my place at last, to
be considered the fair game afterward for
any man who may succeed him. You can
test him and the truth of what | say by tell.
ing him now that I heard all"
! Suppose he doesn't care what you have
heard?' said Mrs. Barker sharply. Suppose
he says nobody would believe you, if tell
ing is your game. Suppose he is a friend
of my husband and he thinks him a much
better guardian of my reputation than a
woman like you. Suppose he should be the
first one to tell my husband of the foul
SANDER invented by your
For an instant Mrs. Horncastle was taken
aback by the audacity of the woman before
her. She knew the simple confidence and
boyish trust of Barker In his wife, in spite
of their sometimes strained relations, and
she knew how difficult 1t would be to shake
1t. And she had no idea Of betraying Mrs.
Barker's secret to him. though she had made
this scene in his interest. She had wished
to save Mrs. Barker from a compromising
situation even II there was a certain vim
dictiveness in her exposing her to herself.
Yet she knew IL was quite possible now. II
Mrs. Barker had immediate access to heI
husband, that she would convince him OF
her peaceful innocence. Nevertheless, she
nAu SIlll great confluence III van ~ % "a
of scandal and his utter unmanliness. She
knew he was not In love with Mrs. Barker
and this puzzled her when she considered
the evident risk he was running now. Hei
face, however, betrayed nothing. She DIRE"
back from Mrs. Barker and with an indif'
ferent and graceful gesture toward the door
said, as she leaned against the mantel, G.
then, and see this much-abused gentleman
and then go together with him and make
peace with your husband-even on those
terms. If / have saved you from the con
sequences of your folly i shall be willing tt
bear even his blame
"Whateyer do" said Mrs. Barker, ris'ni
hotly. 81 shall not stay here any longer I
be lnsulted." She founced out OF the room
and swept down the staircase into the Office
Here she found an oyerworked clerk, an
with crimson cheeks and flashing eyes
wanted to know why in her own father
hotel she had found her W sitting roon
engaged, and had been obliged TO wait hal
an hour before she could be shown into
decent apartment to remove heI hat an
cloak; and how it was that even the gentle
man who had kindly escorted her had evi
IDENTIFY been unable to procure her any as
~sistance. She she said this in a somewha
high voice, which might have reached tn
ears OF that gentleman had he been in tn
vicinity. But he was not. and she wa
forced 10 meet the somewhat daZel apologize
OF the clerk alone, and 10 tn
chambermaid to a room only a few pace
p distant from the one she had quilted. Her
she hastily removed her outer buster an
hat. and washed h~r hands and consulte