The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-06-29

~ tlAt ne came pack.
She looked round her for a
bell. No. there was nothing OF
the sort In the tiny room.
30 she jumped out of bed. put
on her dressing gown and opened
the door a little way.
"Madamei" she called out
gaily. Madame Poulain?" and
wondered whether her French
would run to the words "hot wa
ter"
But there came no answering
cry. and again she called.
And then the shuffling sounds
of heavy footsteps made Nancy
shoot back from the open door.
"Yuss?" mutetred a hoarse
voice.
Please ask your aunt to come
here for a moment?" she called
through the door.
"Huss," he said, and shuffled
downstairs again. And there fol-
lowed, floating up from below,
one of those quick, Cabling in
terchanges of French words
which Nancy could not under
stand.
She waited some time before
she heard a hesitating knock.
1t was Madame Poulain, and
suddenly Nancy noticed that mine
hostess looked far less well in
the daytime than by candle light.
In her hating French Mrs.
Dampier explained that she
would like coffee and rolls, and
then some hot water
"C'est bien. mademoiselle!"
Nancy blushed rosy red.
"Mademoiselle? How odd to
hear herself so Addressed But
before Mrs. Dampier could speak
again, the hotel keeper had shut
the door and gone downstairs.
And then, after a long, long
wait Madame Poulain reappeared,
bearing a tray.
She put the tray down on the
bed, and she was already making
her way quickly, silently to the
door, when Nancy called out
urgently, Madame? Madame!
Has my husband gone outl"
And then she checked herself,
and tried to convey the same
question in her difficult French.
But Madame Poulain only
shook her head, and hurried out
of the room.
1t was evidently true what Jack
had said-that tiresome Exhibi-
ton had turned everything in
Paris. especially the hotels, topsy-
turvy.
Nancy Dampier got up and
dressed. Then she went out onto
the shallow staircase, down the
e. afta nh lad afrai0ht n
der the big arch of the porte
cochere. Almost opposite the
porte cochers was another arch
through which she could see a
glimpse of the garden Jack re-
membered.
Then Nancy saw that painted
on a glass door just opposite the
stairs was the word Bureau: 1t
was doubtless there that Jack had
left word when he would be back.
She went across and opened
the door, but there was no one
In the little office; she hadn't,
however, long to wait, for Mad
anne Poulain's nephew suddenly
appeared from the courtyard.
81 wish to know" she said,
whether my husband left any
message for me?"
But the young man shook his
head. It was plain he did not
know more than word or two
of English.
81 am sure" she said, that my
husband left some kind of mes
sage with your uncle or aunt.
Will you please ask one of them
to speak to mel"
He nodded. "Si, mademoi-
selle," and walked quickly away.
"Mademoiselle" againl What
an extraordinary hotel, and what
bad manners these people had!
Long minutes went by, and
Nancy began to feel vexed and
angry.
What did these people mean
bv treating her like this? She
longed with painful, almost
a sick longing for her husbands
return. 1t must be eleven o'clock.
Why did he stay away so long?
Angriiy she dashed away two
tears from her eyes.
And then there shot through
Nancy Dampier a feeling of quick
relief, for across the courtyard
came a pleasant-looking elderly
gentleman, accompanied by the
girl whom Nancy had seen for a
brief moment standing on the
landing close to her bedroom