The Mena weekly star., 1911-10-26
Miss Hope Suggests.

MISS FfOPS OS9HSStSs
 No sooner had Miss Maclaire van
 had than Keith's thoughts turned to-
 sd Hope Waite. She would need
 meone fin her loneliness to take her
 ind from off her brothers deat1,
 ,d tesides, much had occurred q
 nterest since the 'uneral which he
 ,sired to talk over with her. Be-
 .ora even these considerations he was
 sconing aware of pleasure in the
 srYs company altogether foreign to
 his mystery which they were en-
 esvoring together 10 solve. He
 resrDed to be with her, to look into
 ha face, to mark how clearly the diff
 ering soul changed her from Christie
 Sisclaire He could not help but like
 be latter, yet somehow was conscious I d totally different atmospheres sur
 ounding the two. With one he could
 be fippant, careless, even deceitful, l but the other aroused only the best
 that was in him. her own sincerity l making him sincere.
 1 Yet there was reluctance in his 'teps as he approached the door of | T5," laggardness he could not ex- plain, but which vanished swiftly enough at Hopes greeting, and the sdden smile with which she recog- wed him
 T was sure you would come" she dsc,ared frankly, and I took an early lunch so as to be certain and be here. | has seemed long time since"
 And you might have even thought Sfi forgotten," he answered, releasing her land reluctantly, If you could save looked into the dining-room since. instead of staring out of these windows"
 Why? How forgotten?" her eyes opening wide in surprise.
 T had the pleasure of taking supps' with Miss Maclaire"
 "Oh." the exclamation decidedly ex pressive
 Yes, l come at once to you with me confession. However, our meet ing was purely accidental. and so l hope for pardon"
 Pardon from me? Why. what diff iereace can it possibly make to me?"
 Nould you have me consort with the enemy?" he asked. scarcely daring 10 press his deeper meaning.
 "Oh, no, of course not What did you talk about? Do you mind telling?"
 Not in the least; our conversation was entirely impersonal. She was .elllng me about Hswley; what won iertully good man he Is. have be- gun to suspect the fellow has fas- mated the poor girl-he Is a good looking devil, possessed of tongue dripping with honey"
 Surely you do not mean she has Iailen in love with him." and Hope shuddered at the thought, Why why that would be impossible for Tor good woman"
 Standards of morality are not al- ways the same," he defended grayely. Miss Maclaire's environment has been vastly different from yours, Hope. She is a variety hall singer; probably, from her own account, wall since childhood; and Hawley has come to her in the character Of fiend appealing both to her intere9 md sympathy. l do not know she iS n loye with him, merely suspect sht nay be; certainly she is ready to do battle on his behalf at the slightest She believes in him, de- ends him, and resents the slightest nsinuation directed against him. He 'ven escorts her back and forth from Der work"
 You ks.Sw this?"
 T certainly do" and he laughed at me recollection. "Fsirbain met us coming out of the dining-room know what a delightful, blunt, blunder Ing fellow he is! Well, Miss Christie must have made an impression even on his bachelor heart, for he actually requested the privilege of escorting her to the Trocadero, and back to the hotel after the performance tonight -hinted at lunch. the gay old dog and pranced about like a stage-door Johnnie. It was treat to watch her race when he blurted 1t all out, snap ping his sentences as if he swung whip-lash. She excused herself on lhe score of previous engagement
 But that was not necessarily with Hawley."
 T asked her directly, after the doc tor had disappeared
 You must have become very famil lar" questioning once again in hei voice,
 So Miss Maolaire evidently thought, Judging from her manner However she answered frankly enough, and even defiantly added the information that the gentleman had something to 'mpart to her of the utmost import anee. sareastieally asking me if l aian't wish could be there and over near. But sit down. Hope. until l tell you all that has occurred"
 He went over the various events in eetaii. watching eagerly the expres- on upon her face AS she listened in- lent ?. only occasionally interrupung NltE some pertinent inquiry. The light Tell 60 that she sat partially in the eseow, where her eyes could not be cad. get ne experienced no difaculty ID experiencing the various moods ith which she met his narrative the