The Raymer enterprise., 1914-11-19


II was nearly three o'clock whel
she brought the car to a stop In from
Of a small, exclusive hotel not ia
from Central park. The street wa
dark and the vestibule was but diml.
lighted. No attendant was In sight.
slip into this" commanded Mrs
Wrandall. beginning to divest hersel
of her own fur coat. 1T will cove
your muddy garments. ! am quit
warmly dressed. Don't worry. B'
quick. For the time being you are m!
guest here. You will not be ques
toned. No one need know who yol
are. 1t will not matter II you look dis
tressed. You have just heard OF tht
dreadful thing that has happened t.
me. YOU"
Happened to your" cried the girl
drawing the coat about her.
"A member Of my family has died
They know 1t In the hotel by this
time. was called to the death bed
tonight. That Is all you will have to
know"
oh, am sorry"
Come. let US go In. When we
reach my rooms. you may order food
and drink, You must do 1t, not 4
Please try to remember that 1t Is
who am suffering. not you"
A sleepy night watchman took them
up In the elevator. He was not even
interested. Mrs. Wrandall did not
speak, but leaned rather heavily on
the arm Of her companion. The door
had no sooner closed behind them
when the girl collapsed. She sank TO
the floor in heap.
Get up!" commanded her hostess
sharply. This was not the time for
soft. persuasive words. Get up at
once, You are young and strong You
must show the stuff you are made OF
now II you ever mean to show 1t. |
cannot help you II you quail"
The girl looked up piteousiy, and
then struggled to her feet. She stood
before her protectress, weaving like
a frail reed In the wind, pallid to the
lips.
Il beg your pardon" she murmured.
Il will not give way like that again.
dare say | am faint | have had no
food, no rest-but never mind that
now. Tell me what am to do. ] will
try TO obey"
First Of all. get out of those muddy,
frozen things you have on"
Mrs. Wrandall herself moved stifay
and with unsteady limbs as she began
to remove her own outer garments.
The girl mechanically followed her ex-
ample. She was a pitiable object in
the strong light OF the electrolier.
Muddy from head to foot, water
stained and bedragglcd. her lace
streaked with dirt, she was the most
unattractiye creature one could we'll
imagine.
These women, SO strangely thrown
together by Fate. maintained an un-
broken silence during the long, fumb-
ling process Of partial disrobing. They
scarcely looked at one another, and
yet they were acnteiy conscious Of the
interest each felt In the other. The
grateful warmth of the room, the alb,
rupt transition from gloom and cheer
lessness to comfortable obscurity, had
more pronounced effect on the
stranger than on her hostess.
1T is good to feel warm once more,
she said, an odd timidness in her man.
ner. You are very good to me-"
They we're sitting IN Mrs. Wran'
dall's bedchamber iust of the little
sitting.roem. Three or four trunks
stood against the walls.
Il dismissed my maid on landing
She robbed me- said Mrs. Wrandall
yoicing the relief that was uppermos,
in her mind. She opened close,
door and took out thick eider-down
robe, which she tossed across a chair
Now call up the Office and say thai
you are speaking for me. Say to them
that | must have something to eat
no matter what the hour may be.
Twill get out some clean underwear fol
you, and Oh, yes, II they ask about
me, say that | am cold and H. Thai
is sufficient. Here is the bath. Please
be as quick about It as possible"
Moving as II in dream. the gir
did as she was told. Twenty minutes
later there was a knock at the door
A waiter appeared with a tray ant
service table. He found Mrs. Wran
dali lying back in chair attended
by a slender young woman in a pinl
eider-down dressing-gown, who CAV,
hesitating directions to him. Then hs
was dismissed with a handsome tip
produced by the same young woman
You are not to return for thes,
things" she said as he went out.
In silence she ate and drank. he
hostess looking on with gloomy inter
est. II was no shock to Mrs. Wran
dali to find that the girl, who was nj
more than twenty-five or three. pos
sessed unusual beauty. Her great eye,
were blue-the lovely Irish blue-he
skin was fair and smooth. her fea
lures regular and of the delicate mol,
that defines the well-bred gentlewom
an at a glance. Her hair. now in OF
der. was dark and thick and lay softl,