The Washington times., 1913-03-20

AVlNG accomplished too much
- he was left 10 dress and diges
the fact that his wife had gont
ashore. after refusing to lister
to a suggestion that he be awakened
The note Ember handed him purportet
to explain what at first blush seemed
singularly ungratefuI and unsracious
freak. 1t was brief, but IN Whitaker!
sight eminently adequate and coinpens
ating:
Dearest Boy-I won't let them
wake you. but / must ran away. It's
early, and must do some shopping
before people are about Ny house
here is closed; Mrs. Secretan Is in
Maine with the only keys aside from
those at Great West Bay. and I'm
positive fright IL coat and skirt
borrowed from the stewardess. 1
don't want even you to see me
until I'm decently dressed. i shall
put up az the Waldorf-come there
tonight and we will dine together.
Every fiber Of my being loves You
Obviously not a note to be caviIed at.
Whitaker took a serene and shining
face to breakfast in the saloon, under
the eyes of Ember.
Veins of optimism and of graduation.
like threads of gold, ran through the
texture Of their talk. There seemed to
exist a tacit understanding that, with
the death OF Drummond, the cloud that
lad showered the career of Sara Law
lad lifted, while her remuneration of her
public career had left her with future
of glorified serenity and assured happl-
ness
BY common consent, with an almost
superstitious awe, they begged the ques-
tion of the Swallowed and inexpIicable
past-left the dead past to bury itself,
bestowing all their fatuCus concern
upon the today of rejoicing and the to-
morrow of radiant promise
Toward noon they parted at the land
ing, each going by tax!cab TO his lodg-
ings. The understanding was that they
were to dine togeth-r-aIl three, Whit
aker promising for his wife-upon the
morrow.
At 9 that evening. returning to his
rooms TO dress. Whitaker found another
note awaiting him, in a handwriting
his heart recognized with a sinking
sensation of wretched apprehension.
He dared not trust himself to read II
in the public hall II was agony TO wait
through the maddeningly deliberate up
ward flight of the elevator. When he
at length attained the privacy of his
own apartment he was sweating like a
p8nic-stricken horse. He could barely
control his fingers to tear open the en-
velope. He absorbed the contents of
the communication with difficulty, half
blinded by swimming dark mist of
foreboding.
Ny Dear-I find my strength un-
equal to the strain of seeing you to-
night. Indeed. l am So worn out
and nerve-racked that / have had to
consult my physician. He ordered
me Immediately to sanatorium to
test for a week or two. Don worry
about me. 7 sha'n't fail to let you
know as soon as I'm permitted to
see you. Forgive me. / love you
dearly. MARY.
The paper slipped from Whitaker's
shaking hand and fluttered unheeded to
the floor. He sprang to the telephone
and presently had the Waldorf on the
Nlre; II was true, he learned: Mrs.
Whitaker had registered at the hotel
IN the morning and had left at 4 in the
afternoon The hotel people refused
him Information as to whether she had
left forwarding address for her mail
He wrote her Immediately, and per-
haps not altogether wisely. in the stress
OF distraction. sending the letter by
special delivery in care Of the hotel II |
was returned him in due course of time
embellished with a penciled memoran-
dunn to the effect that Mrs. Whitaker |
had left no address.
He communicated at once with EN-
Der. promptly enlisting his willing serv- !