The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10

at peacock naturally, and-and-well,
ask Tom what he thinks of my style
when I'm on parade. AT any rate, it
was the maids fault. She took down
the coat and hat and held them for me
as though they were mine What
could 1 do 'cept just slip into the silk
lined beauty, and set the toque on my
head? The fool girl that owned them
was having another maid mend tear
in her skirt, over in the corner; the lit
tie place was crowded. Anyway. L had
both the coat and hat on and was out
into the big anteroom in a jiffy.
What nearly wrecked me was the cut
Of that coat. 1t positively made me
shiver with pleasure when / passed
and saw myself in that long mirror
Ny. but I was great, The hang of that
coat, the long, incurving sweep in the
back, and the high fur collar up to
ones nose-even if it is a turned-up
nose-oh.
! stayed and looked a second too long.
for Just as I was pulling the fiaring
hat a bit over my face the doors
swung as an old lady came in, and
there behind her was that same curl
Gus mans face with the cap above it.
Trapped? Me? Not much. l didn't
wait a minute. but threw the doors
open with gesture that might have
belonged to the Queen of Spain. 1
almost ran into his arms He gave an
exclamation. / looked him straight in
the eyes, as hooked the collar close to
my throat and swept past him.
He weakened. That coat was too
7.Flx y, !, T.
too. AS ran down the stairs its in
fiuence so worked on me that / didn't
know just which Vanderbilt I was
got out on the sidewalk all right,
and was just about to take a car when
the turnstile swung round and there
was that same man with the cap. His
face was a funny mixture of doubt and
determination. But il meant the Cor
rection for me.
Nance olden, it's over" I said to
myself.
But it wasn't. For it was then that
/ caught sight of the carriage. It was
a fat, low. comfortable, elegant, sober
carriage. wide and welI-kept, with
rubber-tired wheels. And the two
heavy horses were fat and elegant and
SOOGAs lOOs anu W4QC anu Ncll-hGpl. L
didn't know it was the Bishops then
I didn't care whose 1t was. It was
empty, and it was mine. I'd rather go
to the Correction-being too young to
get to the place you're bound for, Tom
Dorgan-in IT than in the patrol wagon.
At any rate it was all the chance I
had.
/ slipped in, closing the door sharply
behind me. The man on the box-he
was wide and well-kept, too-was tired
: waiting. I suppose, for he continued to
doze gentlysshis high coachman's collar
: upsover his ears. 1 cursed that collar,
which had prevented his hearing the
doorS close. for then he might have
driven of.
BIT It was great inside; soft and
warm, the cushions of dark plum, the
seat wide and roomy. church paper,
some notes for the Bishops next SER
mon and copy of Quo Vadls. I Just
snuggled down, trust me. leaned far
back and lay low. When / did peek
out of the window saw the man with
the brass buttons and the cap turning
to go inside again.
Victory He had lost the scent.
Who would look for Nancy Olden in
the Bishops carriage?
Now. you know how early I got up
yesterday to catch the train SOS Tom
and I could come in with the people
and be naturally mlngling with them
And you remember the dance the night
before? / hadn't had more than three
hours sleep, and the snug warmth of
that coach was just nuts to me, after
the freezing ride into town. 1 didn't
dare get out for fear of some other
man in q c4p and buttons somewhere
on the lookout. I knew they couldn't
be on to my hiding place or they'd
have nabbed me before this After a
bit didn't want to get out, was so
warm and comfortable-and elegant.
o Tom, you should have seen your
Nance in that coat and In the Bishops
carriagei
First thing / knew was dreaming
you and I were being married. and YOU
had brass buttons all over you, and I
had the cloak all right. but II was a
wedding-dress, and the chinchilla was
a wormy sort Of orange blossoms. ana
and walked when the handle OF the
door turned and the Bishop got in.
Asleep That's what! I'd actually
been asleep.
And what did I do nowf
That's easy-fell asleep again.
There wasn't anything else to do. Not
really asleep this time. you know. tust