The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-05-10
My AriStOCratic
 Roommate


 One day a lady cau>e to my shop tastefully dressed and evidently to the manner born. She had the loveliest eyes ever saw in a woman and the softest musical voice. She selected one of my pretticst hats, and when it was set properly on the waves of her shin ing chestnut hair the effect was splen- did.
 A month later she came to me again, but for another purpose. There was a worried look In her beautiful eyes, and she kept glancing out of the window anxlously
 "where do you llver she asked.
 "In room up stairs"
 "AloneT"
 "Yes."
 "I have lost a great deal of money. , want to come and live with you and learn your business"
 was greatly astonlshed at such a request; but. seeing that she was In earnest. showed her to my room.
 Lend me one of your dresses" she said.
 | dld SO, and she put it on.
 "If you will come down Into the shop with me" | said. "til o'clock, we will get something to eat, and in the even ing will give you your first lesson"
 "Oh. mol will stay here till you return. l couldn't face people ln the shop. I would be sure to meet some of my old friends. ! will work on the hats here but | could not think of ap- bearing ln the shop"
 left hcr In my room, and in the evening we made hats together. She was an apt pupil and got on very fast. At times it would occur to mo that to take a stranger for a roommate was lnjudiclous. but knew she was lady and before we got into bed she sank on her knees and said her prayers. From that moment ceased to trouble my self about her. Indeed, my lonely room seemed to have lost It's loneliness. She was a great help to mo fin caring for the room. fin preparing food and in mak- ing hats. or, rather. in trimming them for the body of the hats l always pur- chased. The only thing outside the room that she appeared to look to with interest was the daily paper. which as soon as she came to me, at her request ordered left at our door every morn Ing. She would always take it up eagerly and scan the headings. lt was several days after her coming that l noticed her ccnsc work Co scan and read an article. holding her breath. As soon as I could get the paper | ran my eye over the page that had moved her and saw a brief notice that the wife of a wealthy man had been speculatng In stocks. had purlolned trust funds from her husband and had disappeared Co avoid arrest No names were given.
 knew now whom 1 harbOred. Ney' crthelcss piticd her. She was still to me the lovely lady. could readily un- dcrstand her sufrcrings since she had been with me and wondered how she could have borne herself SO well. pictured her agonized husband. her poor children How could she have been tcmpted2 I did not tell her that knew what had brought her to me. treated her even more kindly, consid' cratcly. 1T that were possible, than be fore.
 She had certainly selected safe hid ing place. Every day l expected to see uniformed policeman come into the shop or hear his tap on my chamber door, but the days passed into weeks, and no one came. while every day my roommate became more dear to me.
 had posted several letters for her, but no answer had ever come. One day she asked me to post one, and the next day she waylaid the postman fin the hall and received letter in return. She tore or the envelope eagerly, in- deed SO eagerly that 1t fell to the floor, and | saw that 1t had been addressed to me. As soon as she had sent the note she put her arms about me and burst into tears, which l knew by in- tuition were tears of relief.
 lN ul etAliNNt nlte oAANs
 Whats settledT
 "Our good name is saved. Give me my clothes. I will go from here in an hour. and you must go with me. You shall live with me. have the care of my dear children. be my companion. You shall enjoy a home, comforts, ey- erythlng you require"
 A few minutes before 10 o'clock, dressed in the costume she had worn when she came to me. she was in my shop looking at hats like my other customer. At 10 o'clock carriage drove up to the door. and after giving me her address and making an ap- polntment for me to be with her the next evening she went out and was driven away.
 The next evening went to her, and she told me her story Her husband had been speculatlng and had lost mon ey. Having a great deal of property. he bad temporarily used trust funds. knowing that as soon as he could sell his property be could replace the amount taken. Meanwhile if arrested for cmbpZZlcment he would lose hls