The San Francisco call., 1906-12-16
COPYRdGHT 1905
- BY HARPER
-AasO BROTHER;S


until now, a mere fabrication OF the
conversation, helping to make her
easier in Miss Tabor's presence, but
as IL Increased in shriliness, she Seemed
20 be losing control of herself, as IL
her laughter were getting away with
her: she was not far from hysteria,
when il stopped with gasp. and she
sat up straight in her chair, white and
rigid.
There" she said, listening intentiy.
"Ain't that him?' Steps sounded upon
the pavement below; paused for Sec
ond at the foot OF the stairs; there was
the snap of a match; then the steps
sounded again, retreating. She sank
back in her chair Imply. 1T was only
some one stoppin' to light his cigar in
the entry. 1t wasn't Joe Louden's step.
anyway"
were bent upon the woman wonder
ingly.
ard know it tonight" was the an
swer. delivered with a sharp and pain
full giggie. II got plenty reason to-"
Ariel did not respond. She leaned
little closer 20 the roses upon the desk,
letting them touch her face. and
breathing deeply OF their fragrance to
neutralize a perfume which pervaded
the room; an odor as heavy and cheap
sweet as the face OF the woman who
had saturated her handkerchief with
it; a scent which went with her per-
fectIy and made her unhappiiy definite;
suited to her clumsily dyed hair, to
her soiled white shoes, to tho hot red
hat smothered in plurage, TO the rest
less stub-6ngere6 hands, to the tat,
plated rings, of which she wore great
quantity, though, surprisingly enough,
the large diamonds In her ears were
pure, and OF very clear water.
II was she who broke the silence
coughing genteelly at the same time,
is. I wonder who il is gifts up all them
cornical sayipgs?" Apparently she had
no genuine desire for light upon this
mystery, as she continued, immediate
ly: II have a gentleman friend that's
always gittin' 'em off. Well he says,
Thou strikest me to the heart'-all
kinds of cracks like that He's real
comicai. And yet" she went on in an
altered voice, 'I don't like him much.
I'd be glad il I'd never seen him."
The change of tone was so marked
that Ariel hooked at her keenly. to find
herself surprised into plying this
strange client OF Joe's; for tears had
sprung to the woman's eyes and slid
along the lids, where she tried
vainly TO restrain them. Her face
had altered too, like her voice, hag-
gard lines suddenly appearing about
the eyes and mouth as If they had just
been penciled there; the truth issuing
from beneath her pfnchbeck simula-
tionS. like a tragic mask revealed by
the displacement of tawdry covering.
Il expect you think I'm real foolish"
she said, "but ! ben waitin' so awful
long-and I got a good deal of worry on
my mind till I see Mr.. Louden.'
Il am sorry" Ariel turned from the
roses and faced her and the heavy
perfume. II hope he will come soon"
'I hope so,' said the other. ITS
something to do with me that keeps
him away, and the longer he is the
more 1T scaresf me- She shivered and
set her teeth together. IT'S kind of
hard, waitin. ! cert'nly got my share
Of troubles
Don't you think that Mr.. Louden will
be able TO take care of them for your
can't. nobody can She was crying
openly now, wiping her eyes with her
nusk-soaked handkerchief. I'VE had
to send fer him yesterday afternoon
ITO come to Beaver Beach, do you
mean?" asked Ariel, leaning forward.
Yes, ma'am. 1t all begun out there,
-leastways IL begun before that with
me- II was all my fault. I deserve
all that's comm to me, guess. done
wrong-I done wrong. I'd oughtn't
never to of went out there yesterday"
She checked herself sharply, but, aft
er a moments pause, continued. en-
couraged by the grave kindness of
the delicate face in the shadow of the
wide white hat. I'D oughtn't to of
went" she repeated. "Oh, 1 reckon I'll
never. never learn enough TO keep out
o. trouble, even when see ft comm.
But that gentleman friend of mine
Mr. Nashville Cory's his name-he kind
o coaxed me into it. and he's right
comical when he's with ladies, and he's
good company-and he says. 'Claudine,
well dance the light fantastic he says,
and l kind o. wanted something cheer
fluid ben workin' steady quite
spell, and it looked like he wanted to
show me a good time, so I went, and
that's what started it" Now that she
had begun, she babbled on with her
story, at times incoherently; full of ex-
cuses, made to herself more than to
Ariel, pitifuIly endeavoring to con-
vince herself that the responsibility for
the muddle she had made was not hers.
Mr.. Cory, told me my husband was
drinkin' and wouldn't know about 1t,
and, Besides he says, what's the odds?'
OF course I knowed there was trouble
between him and Mr.. Fear-that's my
husband good while ago, when Mr..
Fear up and laid him out. That was be-
fore me and Mr.. Fear got married; I
hadn't even ben to Canaan then;
was on the stage. ] was on the
stage quite while in Chicago before
I got acquainted with my husband"
You were on the stage?" Ariel ex-
claimed, involuntarily.
Yes, maam. Livin' pitchers at
Goldberg's Rat'skeller, and amunchoop
nights l nearly always done a sketch
with a gentleman friend. That's the
way I met Mr.. Fear; he seemed to be
real struck with me right away, and
soon as I got through my turn he asst
me to order whatever ] wanted. He's
always gen'lemanlike when he amt
had too much, and even then he vurry,
yurry seldom acks rough unless he's
jealous. That was the trouble yes
terday. I never would of gone to the
beach II I'd dreamed what was comm,
When we got there 7 saw Mike-that's
the gentleman that runs the beach
lookin' at my company and me kind of
anxious, and pretty soon he got me
away from Mr.. Gerry and told me
what's what. Seems this Cory only
wanted me TO go with him to make my
husband mad, and he'd took good care
that Mr.. Fear heard I'd be there with
him, And he'd ben hangin' around
me. every time he struck town lost