Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH 3. 19l.

| with white mustache, great friend OF Mrs.
Stuart S, who had moment ago murmured
| his applause of Victor. Well, this time he
murmured again, quite in my ear:
"Come, come, my pretty little lady! Your
| sensibility does you great credit; but you
really don't expect us to believe that you
| feel quite so badly as that?"
l almost laughed out loud. And, sure
enough as soon as the maid had put me on
the dressing room sofa, and left me quiet
for a moment, like the sensible person she
| looked, then my tears and my gasps ceased
as if by magic. For few moments | lay
supine, like tortured beast that has just
| thrown off its load; content to exist, and no
more, in the realization that my terrible
burden was no longer strapped to my Shout
ders, that Lucia's dagger could never be
| needed any more, that | was free to love
Henry with my whole heart and to let him
love me. sprang to my feet. An idea had
come to me.
| fairly shrieked for the maid
She turned back from the window. "You
are better, Miss"
"Yes, yes!" My hand tremb1ed on the
gold bag on my wrist, and drew bill from
| it at random. @Look! Would you like Ave
do1lars?"
Her hand closed on the money like the
snap of an automaton. She whispered, as
| it word you want carried to one of the gen
| tlemen, Miss?7
mo, no! Just take me downstairs and
find me my wraps and put me into taxicab.
| At once!"
So downstairs in one of those breath TAX
ing lifts we fell, as one falls down well.
| Perhaps, after all, the Lorraine had not yet
left her dock! They had said, at table, her
sailing was delayed until this evening. All,
those blessed strikers! Who knows? If
| they had been obstinate enough and violent
enough and wicked enough, perhaps they
| had prevented the steamer from taking on
her cargo and sailing perhaps perhaps,
might be in time to keep Henry from going
away, after all!
Downstairs in the hall there were cruel
delays, incredible delays, before the maid
have gone at once without it; but in my
white lace dinner dress, with its hanging
festOons of pearls, l noticed that people
stared at me as though had escaped from
the Jardin des Plantes. Besides, it was late,
nearly one o'clock, and l didn't want to
make poor Henry ridiculous, arriving to
look for him-if he was still there-looking
like a wild creature.
But at last the cloak was found and
wrapped around me. Then more delays
maddening delays-for a taxi. Then finally
oil, IlldC VIII ddSll UllC SulLIy
streets of the city, behind chauffeur trying
to earn a ten-dollar tip by arriving at the
dock of the French Line in ten minutes-and
with volcano in my heart!
AS we turned in at the entrance of the long
wharf shed, suddenly l heard the hoarse
blast of steamers whistle. All, l knew
what that meant! The chauffeur shouted
to a man leaning against pile of packing
cases, a rough looking fellow with the look
of a striker.
"Say, has the Lorraine left YETI"
The fellow replied with sullen stare, "No,
curse her, she ain't!"
Oh, dear, kind striker, led by Heaven, |
owed this good fortune to you! Opening my
bag again, tossed the man bill, just to re-
lieve the joy of my heart. Behind me
heard the horn of another late comer's auto
mobile. For a moment l hesitated The
warehouse was so long, there were so few
lights, SO many people! Where should go
to find Henry? With blind resolution, l
precipitated myself in the direction whence
| the whistle had come. Suddenly heard
voice behind me:
"Lili, Lili!"
turned. 1t was Mrs. Cobb!
THE sight of her, which had never pleased
l. L,J