The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-09-11

Certainly Mrs. White said. Two
DAYS notice shall be sufficient on either
side"
And I may bring my luggage in ana
send that cabman away" Anna asked;
Dear me, what a relief II had mad
any nerves that man would nave
trampled upon them long ago.
"Cabmen are so trying, Mrs. White
assented. You need have no further
trouble. The man servant shall bring
your trunks in and pay the fare, too,
Il you like"
Anna drew out her purse at once.
You are really a good Samaritan,
she declared. Il am perfectly certain
that that man meant 10 be rude TO me-
he has been bottling il up all the way
. from West KensingtOn-
Mrs. White rang the bell
Come upstairs, she said, and
VIII show you your room. And would
you mind hurrying a little. You won't
want 10 be late the first evening, and
it's ten minutes past seven now. era
cious, there's the gong This way, my
dear-and-youH excuse my mention
ing IL. but q quiet blouse and a little
chiffon, you know, viii be- quite sufh-
Gent. It's your first evening. and early
impressions do count for so much. You
understand me, I'm sure"
Anna was a little puzzled, but she
only laughed.
perhaps, as I've only Just arrived"
she remarked, 4 might be forgiven il
] DO not change my skirt. I packed so
hurriedly that Il viii take me a long
time 70 find my things"
Certainly" Mrs. White assured her.
Certainly. I'll mention il. You're
tired, OF course This is your room.
The gong viii go at seyen-thirty. Don't
be late if you can help it.
Anna was not late. but her heart
sank within her when she entered the
drawing-room. II was not a hopeful
looking group. Two or three pOdgy
looking old men with wives to match,
half q dozen Overdressed girls and a
couple Of underdressed American ones,
who still wore the clothes in which
they had been tramping half over Lon
don since breakfast time. A sprink-
ling Of callow youths and couple of
pronounced young Jews, who were
talking loudly together in some unin-
telligible jargon Of the city. What had
she 10 do with such as these? She had
hard work 10 keep a smiling face as
Mrs White, who had risen TO greet
her, proceeded with formal and, from
Anna's point Of view, a wholly unnec-
essary round Of introductions. And
then suddenly-a relief. A young man
almost a boy, slight, dark, and with
his brothers deep gray eyes-came
across the room 10 nel.
You must be the Miss Pellissier of
whom David has told me so much" he
said, shyly. I am very glad that you
have come here. I heard from David
about you only this morning"
You are marvelously like your
brother" Anna said, beaming upon
him. I have a letter for you, and no
down and talk?"
He led her across the room toward
window recess, in which a tall, fair
young man was seated with an even
ing paper in his hand.
Let me introduce my friend to you"
Courtlaw said. Arthur, this is Miss
Pellissier-Mr. Brendon. Brendon and
I are great chums," he went on ner-
vously. Il don't think that the rest Of
the people here like us very well, do
they, Arthur, so we're obliged to be
friends"
Anna shook hands with Brendon-a
young man also, but older and more
self-possessed than Sydney Courtlaw
Sydney is quite right, Miss Pellis-
sier," he said. He and 1 don't seem
10 get on at all with our fellow-guests,
as Mrs. White calls them. You really
ought not 10 stay here and talk to us
It is a most inauspicious start for
you"
Dear me-" Anna laughed, ''how un-
fortunate, What ought I TO do?
Should I be forgiven, do you think, if
were to go and hold that skein Of wool
for the old lady in the yellow cap?"
Don't speak Of her irreverently,"
Brendon said, in an awed whisper
Her husband was a county councillor
and she has a niece who comes to see
her in a carriage. wish she wouldn't
look like that at US over her glasses"
Horace, the man servant, transform
ed now into the semblance Of a correct
~ CARRIED waiter. threw open the door.
Dinner is served, ma'am," he an
nOunced to Mrs. White
There was no rush. Everything was
done in a genteel and ordinary way;
but, on the other hand, there was no
lingering. Anna found herself next
Sydney Courtlaw, with his friend close
at hand. Opposite to her was a sallow-
visaged young man, whose small tie
seemed like a smudge of obtrusively
shiny black across the front of high.
close-drawn collar. AS a rule, Court
law told her softly, he talked right and
left and TO everybody throughout the
whole Of the meal Tonight he was al
most silent and seemed to devote his
whole attention 10 staring at Anna.
After the first courses, however she
scarcely noticed him. Her two new
friends did their best to entertain her.
II can't imagine, Miss Pellissier,"
Brendon said, leaning toward her,
whatever made you think of coming
10 stay if only for a week at a Monta-
Eue-street clearinghouse. Are you
going TO write a novel?"
Not T." she answered gayly. II came
10 London Unexpectedly and my friends
could not take me in. had a vague
sort Of idea that this was the region
where one finds apartments so 1 told
my cabman to drive in this direction
while I sat inside the vehicle and en-
firm q n n "a ion
He brought me past this house, and
thought I would call and leave your
brothers. letter. Then 1 saw Mrs.
White
mo more" Sydney Courtiaw begged.
laughingly. You were booked, of
course An unexpected vacancy,
wasn't It? Every one comes in on un-
expected vacancy"
And they go?"
when they get the chance It really
isn't so easy as It seems. We have
Cor-7n n the