El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-31

come as soon as she could this
- morning." asked Helen. as
/ Warren shrugged into his overcoat in
! the hall.
Yes, but don't suppose she'll get
] here before To- He took the cigar
J from his mouth and gave her a hasty
kiss. IN call you up around II to find
I out if she comes. But she'll turn up, all
right. It's harder for them to get job
/ when they're that age"
Helen went back to clear off the
| breakfast dishes. She piled them in the
sink and left them for the new girl to
! wash. Then she busted the front room,
gave the order to the grocery man, and
| it was 10 before she realized it. Yet
| Nary OCOnnor had not come.
But at II the dOOrbeu rang, and, with
a sigh of relief. Helen hurried to
It was Mary O'Connor. with suit
! case, package and umbrella She was
smiling broadly But Instantly Helen
I felt something was wrong. She looked
different. somehow, and her voice was
different.
Good morning, good morning." she
repeated blandly- I told your husband
I'd be here this morning; so here I am, o.
setting down her suitcase and bundle
and leaning heavily against the wall.
"But / can't begin work today. PHI
leave these things and come In the
morning.
You can't begin todayr Helen ex-
claimed. in establishment. Why, I've
been depending upon you 1 haven't
anyone to do the work.
but you see, dearie"-Helen stared
in amazement at this term, but Mary
OCOnnOr went on blandly-"yOu see,
I've got to go over to Brooklyn today
on some business. really can't come
( fore tomorrow.
Then why didn't you tell US that
low a1 on
promised Mr.. Curtis you'd be here the
first thing this morning"
80 I did. dearie," with a smile that
now seemed to Helen curiOusly insane.
And I'm here. amt I.
Just then Helen got a whiff of her
breath. She had been drinking 1t was
unmis takable. Helen drew back with a
feeling of unmingled dismay, disgust
and pity. She remembered now what
Warren had said about so many middle
aged servants drinking.
What should she dog Should she dis
charge her nOW2 Yet she had such ex-
ceIlent references. Could this be only
an incident which might not occur
again. With a good home and steady
work. she might be all right. In sec
ond all this flashed through Helens
mind, while Mary O'COnnor still leaned
against the wall. and smiled namely at
her.
At least she would keep her until
she could telephone to Warren. If he
would only Come-he Would know what
to 90.
where shall put my things. dearie?7
asked Mary
Helen shrank from the obnoxious
"dearie,'' but it would be useless to re-
prove her now
You can set them in here. Mary
opening the door of the maids room
but I don't want you to go lust yet.
Mr.. Curtis IS coming home IN q few
moments and I want you to speak to
him first"
All right" amiably, but I've got a
friend downstairs, Mrs Casey She's q
very fine woman" cOnfidentially. "She
owns three houses in Newark, and her
daughter took a beauty prize. I worked
for Mrs Casey Two years. I'd like for
you to meet her, and 1 don't want to
keep her downstairs. Dearie, won't you
send for her to come up2"
.'Why-why, yes" stammered Helen.
more bewndereG than ever. What did
it mean? Who was Mrs. Casey and why
was she waiting downstairs At any
rate, she would have to let her come up.
Before she could reach the telephone
the bell rang shrilly- 1t was the hall
boys voice.
Mrs. Curtis, there's a woman wait
ing here who wants to know, if Mary
OCOnnOr is coming down"
You can tell her to come up and
wait here" said Helen.
And when, a moment later. Helen
opened the door this time she was al
most frightened at the weird looking
woman that stood there. A ponderOus-
" fat woman in a shabby, black dress, Z
with a red blotched face, under a be-
draggled black bonnet She came in
heavily, without speaking.
This is Mrs Casey" beamed Mary I
She owns three houses in Newark
and worked for her two years, didn't /
That she did" in a deep. bass voice. (
shes a fine girl, too"
viii you both wait in here2' faltered !
Helen. Tive got to telephone a mo- /
ment-"
AN right. dearie." assented Mary, I
cheerfully. We can wait bit, lust so /
gets to Brooklyn fore the bank closes. I
You see. I've a little saving bank ac- /
count over there, and I've got to tend Z
to that"
Leaving the two women sitting side !
by side in the dining room, Helen hur-
ried in to the telephone, closing the
door so they could not hear In a sec
ond she had called up Warren's office /
and had him on the wire
"Oh, the most awful thing has hap
pened," eXcitedly. THAT woman has
come and she's been drinkingi Oh, she
talks so queeri And the most dreadful
woman is with her! I'm almost fright I
ened-I don't know what to do! Can't
you come up right away and see herr?
For once Warren responded willing Z
~ Perhaps there was something in
Helen's voice that made him feel her
real need of him.
All right, Kitten I'll take the sub
way and be there in a jiffy."
When Helen went back to the dining
room, Mary, with her bland, inane smile,
asked;
Don't you want ne to help you,