The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-09
Whispering
Pines


way to the Office unobserved and,
| going frankly up to the clerk, in
formed him that she had some tele-
grams to send and that she would be
out for some little time. Would he see
| that Miss Huckins was not neglected
| in her absence?
"I will see to it," said he. Then, as
she turned to so, he ventured to add:
''It is quite dark now. If you Would
But he received no encourage and
allowed his suggestion to remain I'M
| finished.
She looked grateful for this and was
| pulling down her veil when she per-
| ceived two or three men on the other
| side of the room watching her in evil
dent wonder. Stepping back to the
desk, she addressed the clerk again,
| this time with marked distinctness:
II have been very i'll, 1 know, and
not always quite myself. But the
shock of this accident to my nurse has
cleared my brain and made me capa-
BILE again of attending to my own af-
fairs. You can trust me; I can do my
errands all right, but perhaps I had
better have one Of the boys go with
me-"
The clerk, greatly relieved, rang his
bell. With the first step into the street
Carmers freshly freed mind began its
work. Where is the railroad sta
tion?'' she inquired of the boy who was
trotting along at her side.
"Over there" he answered vaguely.
'Take me to it"
The sight of the station, from which
her for a moment with its hustle and
many lights, but she rallied under the
stress of her purpose and, entering,
found the telegraph Office, from which
she sent this message, directed to her
physician at home, DR.. Carpenter;
Look for me on early train. All is clear
to me now, and 1 must return. Preserve
silence till we meet
This she signed with a pet name
known only to themselves and dating
back to her childish days.
Then she bought ticket and
studied the time table. When quite
satisfied she returned to the hotel.
She was met in the doorway by the
physician who was attending the nurse.
He paused when he saw her and
asked few questions, which she was
penetrating enough to perceive were
more for the purpose of testing her
own condition than to express interest
in his patient. She answered quietly
and was met by a surprise and curios
ity which evincee that he was greatly
drawn toward her case. This alarmed
her. She did not wish to be the OBJ
ject Of any ones notice. On the con-
trary, she desired to obliterate her.
self, to be- counted out so far as all
these people were concerned. But,
above all, she was anxious not to rouse
suspicion So she stopped and talked
as naturally as she could about Miss
Huckins' accident and what the pros
poets were for the night. These were
favorable. or so the doctor declared,
but the injured woman's condition call
ed for great care, and he would send
over a capable nurse at once. Mean
while the maid who was with her
would do very we'll. She herself need
have no worry.
"You are very good" said Carmel.
81 am tired and when once get to bed
shall certainly sleep. shall give or
ders not to be disturbed. Isn't that
right?"
'Shall I accompany you to the door
of your room?' he asked.
She shook her head, with a smile
Il am quite capable of finding my
room. hope Miss Huckins will be as
this moment. But, doctor"-she had
been struck by & strange possibility
81 should like to settle one little mat
ter before we part. The money have
may not be quite safe In my hands.
My memory might leave me again,
and then Miss Huckins might suffer.
If you will take charge of some of it
on her account I shall feel relieved"
ut would be a wise precaution," he
admitted. "But you could just as well
leave it at the DESK
$50 cam she smiled Then, as his
eye remained fixed on her: "You are
wondering if 1 have friends. We both
have, and I have Just come from tele-
graphing to one of them. You can
leave us with an easy mind. All that
dread is that Miss Huckins will worry
about me If her consciousness should
return during the night
1T will not return so soon. Next
week we may look for it. Then you
can be by to reassure her if she asks
for YOU
The doctor, lifting his hat, took his
departure. The Interview might have
lasted five minutes. She felt as though
it had lasted an hour
She followed, the doctors advice and
left half the money she had in charge
OF the clerk. Then she went upstairs.
She was not seen to come down again,
but when the S:45 train started out of
the station that night it had for pas
senger young, heavily yelled girl, who
went straight to her section. A bal
cony running by her window had IA
vored her escape.
She was missed the next morning,
and an account Of her cratic flight
reached the papers and was published
far and wide. But the name OF Miss
Caroline Campbell conveyed nothing
to the public.
l.