Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-10


She steps noiselessly into the adjoining
room. 1t is little larger than the one
she has quilted The round center table
Is Uttered with books and papers; an
empty tumbler and one or two mines
adorn the narrow mantel shelf, the win
dow, guiltless of any curtains. is flung
wide open to admit what air is stirring
in the sultry street, and there on hard
horsehair sofa a young man is sleeping
soundly, his head resting against hand
that shows white and almost transparent
against the clustering dark locks.
Rupert Dunstan, the husband of the
! pretty slim girl III the next room. is him
self very handsome fellow: but as his
Wlte's friend looks at the almost ethereal
! beauty OF his unconscious face her own
grows very grave and pitiful The hollow
temples. the sharpcned nostrils, the bril-
liant scarlet burning in the thin cheeks
even the length and beauty of the dropped
curling lashes would tell their own sad
story TO eyes far less experienced than
Sister Jeans, even ii her ears were not
! quick enough to catch the futtering IL
regularity OF his breathing. She turns
softly away with a strange choking sen
sation in her thoat. She is smiling. how
, ever, when she rejoins her friend, and
takes back the empty basket.
He will be ready for his tea after such
long sleep she says cheerfully. Give
him the Strawberries with my love, and
tell him to eat lots of bread and butter
with them. BY the way, is he going on
with those phosphates?"
The distressed color rises in the young
wife's cheeks.
NO, not just now they seemed to do
him good; but-they are so expensive"
| Her friend lays a hand ON each of her
slim shoulders and turns Cissy back into
the bedroom.
Get your hat" she says rapidly. "You
| naughty girl, not to tell me! He must
. not leave them off Cissy; cannot YOU see
that if he gets much weaker good news
will have almost as disastrous effect upon
| him as bad? Come with me now-I can
lend YOU the money"
But, JEANNE, cannot" the poor child
| protests teartully. We can never pay
| you back -and he would hate it so if he
| knew
He won't know! Come. I am late
now, and cannot go and come back my
| self, or | would
| Her tone is too imperious to be dis
obeyed and they leave the house together.
Half an hour later young Mrs. Dunstan
is speeding back with the precious medi
cines, and Sister Jean is realizing, with a
little smile at the oddly of the situa-
ton that she is long way from home,
and has left herself without IA penny in
her pocket.
She is halfway down Ludgate Hill
when she makes the discovery, and pauses
with the half-formed resolution of turn
/ ing back to borrow trihe from the
chemist She has lately quilted. He knows
her well, being in the habit of making up
her prescriptions and supplying her with
all manner of drugs.
But it is very hot, and she feels more
inclined to walk on than to turn back.
As she threads her way through a crowd
outside newspaper office in Fleet street,
a voice which strikes her as strangely
familiar falls on her ear, and as several
men separate and pass her she encounters
the glance of Il pair of brilliant dark eyes
which look at her with needless indiffer-
ence at first. Then as she bows. their
owner stops short and takes off his hat.
Miss Carlyle! l really beg your par
don | did not know you in the least
Miss Carlyle holds out her hand
How do you do, Mr.. Barclay?
thought you were one of the preiudiced
ones, and objected to my costume"
"Or to your basket? May | relieve YOU
of 2"
mo, thank you, it is empty, and so of
no value to any but the owner"
1t seems natural to fall into a testing
style of conversation with this man. and
as she looks up at him she breaks into an
irepressible little laugh.
"On second thoughts l will sell it cheap.
Any offers? ?"
He shakes his head.
Thanks, it is not my size. Have YOU
been playing Lady Bountiful in this
heat ?"
Indeed have" she answers ruefully,
"and as the heat naturally produced
melting mood l have given away every
penny possess"
The black eyes flash, and Jerry Barclay
joins in the laugh.
For a wonder" he cries gaily, as he
plunges his hands into his pockets. Il
am the proud possessor of a few shillings
Can l be of service as purse bearer?"
Please" she answers gratefully. 81
will borrow the cab fare to Oxford Circus,
if you can spare it."
He has pulled out some silver, and is
regarding it quizzicaily.
only to Oxford Circus?" ne echoes,
with an air of relief. ooh, yes, it will
run to that But am going in for a
cup of tea, won't you join meI"
She assents, smiling, and he conducts
her to a restaurant and supplies her with
tea and bread and butter and plateful
of strawberries and cream, disposing of
the same kind of meal himself with APP
parent relish.
Il should not have thought you went
in for that style of thing" she says in
voluntarily, as he puts down his spoon
and gazes pensively at his empty plate.
NO" he answers, with a slight curl of
his lin 81 dare say that ike most of my