The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-04-13
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The Turquoise Slippers.


Ann Preswick and ], spinsters,
had spent the summer casually
rowing through Holland and Bel
GUM, searching such adventures
as might be converted into cash
through the American magazines.
At the end of three months /
went down to Vevay for the win
ter to work. However, had
hardly found myself nicely settled
and Belgium Byways" squirting
along, when | was cabled to come
home on family business.
While the hotel maids we're
folding my wardrobe, lady's
card was brought to my room.
Madame. the highly respected
principal of a young lady's school,
turned out to be voluble; / had
bought tickets to Paris on the
night train-one of the young la
dies Of her school had Just been
telegraphed by monsieur, the
young lady's father, to meet him
in Paris-and the madame had
elected me chaperon.
Madame, you really must ex-
cuse me-" said.
But Madame simply brought
the child to the. station and put
her In my care. A charming Gre
ature about fifteen, in short
frocks, the girl put her little ex-
quisitely gloved hand in mine
and said, "Oh, do let me go with
you!"
Come on, my dear" / said,
and put my arm around her, and
away we went.
Claire-she asked me to call
her by her first name - seemed
reticent about her father, saying
he travelled most of the time and
that she and her mother lived in
Paris. But last September, dear
grandpa had had a stroke and her
mother had to rush to America to
a place called California.
The father, Monsieur de Raw
enol, met us at the station in
Paris. He talked excellent Eng
fish, not idiamitic, but with only
a slight accent.
oh, 1t was more than a favor he
was asking-madame and himself
and Claire would be forever in my
debt. He himself had expected to
sail In two days and join madame
in New York, but he was RE-
called to court" and he could
neither take Claire with him nor
yet leave her alone in Paris.
Madame de Iavenol would be
awaiting her child in New York,
hence, II | could continue to keen
the girl under my so estimable
care until I delivered her on the
other side, monsieur would retain
for me an everlasting gratitude.
replied: 1T is quite impossi-
Bile. monsieur. l never share a
stateroom with anyone"
When | came out of my state
room on the steamer the next
day-but-one after seeing my suit
cases slowed, the first person my
eyes lighted on was-Claire!
Claire tripped up to me, and in
her wake followed a lady whose
face was very familiar, as mine
was to her, and we exclaimed,
why, you're the Lady of the
Slippers"
Now. THE slippers" we're the
top notch of my wild extravagant
life in Paris. / came by them in
this wise: Just as l was leaving
for Vevay I had passed a little
shop and In the window was q pair
OF turquoise-studded slippers, dec
Grated with the queerest Oriental
pattern. l bounced into the shop
to ask the price and at the counter
stood another American lady
with an identical pair in her
hand. Well, we bought them at a
hundred francs a pair.
l had liked this American wom-
an and should have been glad to
see her again; and here she was.
She was pleasant and unaffected,
a woman of possibly forty; dark
hair, black eyes, waxy as to COM
plexion; not what / would call
handsome, but with a distinct air.
Claire had introduced her as
Mrs. Delaria and later the child
confided that her father had
found her by accident as he had
me. That he paid her fare over
as an inducement to her to come
on this steamer-with me.
But the really friendly ac-
quaintance between Mrs. Delario
and me began one day when she
noticed a ring I wore.
what very, very curious
ring-it looks as though 1t had
a history" she said.