Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-11-28

j., friend-see If you don't"
The waiter arrived with soup, and
that created a diversion. A second
waiter brought champagne-and fol
time there was SO much noise that
| the rest of the diners-the room had
been filling up rapidly-turned to look
at the party at the double tables. Miss
Granger could hear no more than a
few confused and very much mixed W
sentences. Kitty was trifling with he1
soup, and looking about her in vague
hunted way. Charlie whispered some
thing to one of the girls, who glanced
at Kitty and nodded at him. Miss
Changers pulses began to quicken
The girl was tall, dark, handsome
and apparently-very strong! Little
Kitty would be quite helpless if ii
came to struggle. And yet the child
was clearly too frightened to make an
outcry.
The dinner went on, course by
course Miss Changers, and everybody
else's. The. teacher watched Kitty
covertly, and saw that she was firm
in her refusal to drink-even the
champagne. Charlie suddenly ceased
importuning her.
"All right, Kit" he said, pleasantly.
Bring the lady some water, waiter.
But when the water was brought,
and Kitty had thirstily. emptied the
glass almost at one draught, he filled
it with champagne, and the child, lift
ing it almost unconsciously had half
emptied again, before she fully realiz-
ed her mistake.
you've crossed the Rubicon now, "
said one of them. MAY as we'll finish
it up"
To the diners at the other table,
Kitty was a pretty member of thea
trical company starting on tour, and
playing at coyness. Miss Granger
was the only one who understood!
And all of a sudden, Kitty knew
this! She looked across at the shabby,
angular figure alone at the corner
table, and telegraphed her cry for help.
Miss Granger was constitutionally
timid. Charlie" was tall, and dark.
and imposing. The three other young
men looked equal ito almost anything.
How was she to rescue Kitty from
four men and three women, all bent
on making her go with them? Miss
Granger sat and puzzled. Yet she
must answer that appeal!
Then the tall. handsome girl, the
one who looked SO strong, said one
word to Charlie:
"Taxis?" ..-
Charlie nodded. He whispered to
the blonde youth, who disentangled
himself fro mthe vivacious brunette
and left the room. :.
Miss Granger and the party were at
the same stage of the dinner coffee
and cheese. Soup, roast, with vege-
tables, spaghetti with powdered
cheese, chicken salad and dessert had
led up to coffee and cheese. Many of
the diners were supplementing this
course with liquors and cigarettes!
Miss Granger sat still, trembling
with excitement, helplessly bewildered
and meeting-from time to time those
wide, imploring blue eyes. Then the
blonde young man re-entered the
room, and Miss Granger knew it was
nor or never.
She rose! The girl stared 'miser-
ably at her. She put on her coat, paid
the waiter, and picked up her UNI
berlla. There was a fairly general
stir about her-the first relay of din
ers were rising, and those who had
been gouped about the door were
eagerly taking the vacant places. The
beplumed young ladies' were being
helped into their wraps. And what
what could Miss Granger do?s
What she did was very simple. She
slipped across to the other side of the
room, and then quickly retraced her
stems 90 that she seemed to have lust
come in. She went straight to the gay
party table, and laid her hand on the
bent shoulder of the child who was al
most weeping now as the tall dark girl
urged her to stand up and have her
clok put on.