The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-04-06
CHAPTER /.


standing at the side of his table In.
the French restaurant where he fire.
quently dined. Her round. smooth
cheeks were flushed, and on the lower
lids OF her splendid dark eyes tears Of
| shame trembled and threatened to fall.
Behind her stood waiter. of impas-
| sive countenance. who was adding up
| the figures on a check, his movement
full of suggestion.
The playwright understood the sit
uation at once. The young lady had
| ordered dinner and, having eaten II.
found that she could not pay for It.
Warrington rose.
What may the trouble be-" he
asked coldly.
| I'll have lost my purse. and ] lave
no money to pay the waiter" She
made this confession bravely and
| frankly.
One of the trembling tears escaped
| and rolled down the blooming cheek.
| Warrington surrendered
| The girl fumbled i'm her handbag and
| produced card. which she gave to
| Warrington-"Ka Katherine Challoner."
Waiter, let me see the check" he
said. 1t amounted to $2.lo. Warning
| ton smiled. Scarcely large enough
| to cause all this trouble" he added
reassuringly. Il will attend to it,"
"Oh, IL is so horribly embarrassing!
What must you think of me?' She
twisted her gloves with nervous
strength which threatened to rend
| them.
BE seated" he said, drawing cut the
| opposite chair.
| A wave OF alarm spread over her face.
She clasped her hands.
| Sir. IL you are gentleman"
Warrington interrupted her by CIV
| ing her his card, which was addressed.
| She glanced at ii through blur OF
tears. then sat down.
I'm asking you to be seated" he ex-
| planned, 1T was in order that you
| might wait in comfort while / dis
patched a messenger to your home.
| Doubtless you have a brother father.
| or some male relative. who will come
| at once to your assistance" Which
proved that Warrington was prudent.
| But instead of Frightening as he
| in her chair, while her eyes widened
| with horror, as IL she saw something
frightful in prospective.
What the deuce could be the matter
j now? he wondered, as he witnessed
| this inexplicable change.
| No mol You must not send a mes
senger!" she protested
But"
mo, no." tears yelling into her
beautiful eyes again. They We're beau
tiful, he was forced to admit.
But" he persisted. you wished the
/
His tone became formal again.
II have reasons. Oh, heavens! l
am the most miserable woman In all
the world" She suddenly bowed her
head upon her hands and her should
ers rose and fell with silent sobs.
Warrington finally concluded that 1t
was his duty to escort the young lady
safely to her home. A cab was sum-
| moned and they drove to q fashionable
residence on Central Park, West. Step
by step the girl confided to Warning
ton that her mother was dead and
that the night before her father who
was defauter--a thief--had fed to
South America. She was alone in the
\ world.
He seated himself for a few mo-
ments in the reception room of the
luxurious dwelling to which she had
| taken him.
The girl sat down before small
writing table. She reached among some
papers and finally found what she
sought.
Mr.. Warrington, all this has been
In very bad taste: ! frankly confess It,
| There are two things you may do:
| leave the house in anger, or remain to
| forgive me this imposition"
Il fail to understand" He was not
only angered, but bewildered.
II have deceived you"
You mean that you have lured me
mere Dy d trick' lHat you nave prayed
upon my sympathies TO crafty. :"
wait a moment" she interrupted
proudly, her dark cheeks darkening
| richly. "A trick, 1t is true; but there
are extenuating circumstances What
have told you has happened, only 1t was
not tCaAy nor yesterday. Please re-
main seated till / have done. am
poor; was educated in the cities
have named; have to earn my liv-
ing"
She rose and came over to his chair
| She gave him a letter.
Read this; you will fully under
stand"
Warrington experienced mild chill
as he saw a letter addressed to him,
and his rude scribble at the bottom
| of 1t.
Miss Challoner-I beg to state that I
have neither the time nor the inclina-
ton to bother with amateur actresses.
Richard Warrington.
1T was scarcely polite. was it 2" she
| asked. with tinge OF irony. 1T was
| scarcely diplomatic. either, you will adj
nit. simply asked you for work.
| Surely. an honest effort to obtain en-
ployment ought not to be met with in
science"
He stared dumbly at the evidence in
his hand. He recalled distinctly the
rage that was I'm his heart when he
penned this note. The stage manager
had lost some valuable manuscript that
had to be rewritten from memory, the
notes having been destroyed
For weeks" said the girl, II have
tried to get hearing. Manager after
manager I sought: all refused to see
me. / have suffered a hundred af-
fronts, all In silence. Your manager I
saw, but he referred me to you. know
Ing that probably I should never And
you. But / was determined. So I
| wrote. that was your answer. con-
fess that at the time / was terribly an
CRY, for courtesy Is a simple thing and
within each Of every one"
To receive lesson in manners from
a young woman, when that young
woman is handsome and talented, is
not very pleasant experience.
II know that you are a busy man,
that you are besieged with applications.
You ought, at least. to have formal
slips, such as editors have. have
confidence in my ability to act. the
confidence which talent gives to all per-
sons. After receiving your letter was
more than ever determined to see you.
So / resorted to this subterfuge. It
was all very distasteful to me; but !
possess a vein of willfulness. This is
. not my home. 1t is the home Of q friend
who was kind enough to turnait over to
me this night, relying upon my Wit to
bring about this meeting"
1T was neatly DONE" was Warning
toms comment He was not angry now
Il