Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-05-01

me. / snail nnu way.
1t was nearly three o'clock when
she brought the car to stop in front
of a small, exclusive hotel not far
from Central park. The street was
dark and the vestibule was but dimly
lighted. No attendant was in sight.
slip into this" commanded Mrs.
Wrandall, beginning to divest herself
of her own fur coat 1T will cover
your muddy garments. / am quite
warmly dressed. Don't worry. Be
quick. For the time being you are my
guest here. You will not be ques-
toned. No one need know. who you
are. 1t will not matter if you look dis
tressed. You have just heard of the
dreadful thing that has happened to
me. YOU"
Happened to you?" cried the girl.
| drawing the coat about her.
"A member of my family has died.
They know it in the hotel by this
time. l 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 it, not l.
Please try to remember that it is
Who am suffering, not you"
A sleepy night Waterman took them
I'm in the elevator. He was not even
| irH ornctnd ATrc NJronIo1l did nnf
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 if you ever mean to show it. l
cannot help you If you quail"
The girl looked up piteously, and
then struggled to her feet. She stood
before her protectress, weaving like
frail reed in the wind, pallid to the
| lips.
Il beg your pardon" she murmured.
| II will not give way like that again.
| | dare say l am faint. ! have had no
| food, no rest-but never mind that
now. Tell me what l am to do. l will
| try to obey"
First Of all, get out of those muddy,
frozen things You have on"
Mrs. Wrandall herself moved stiffly
and with unsteady limbs as she began
to remove her own outer garments.
The girl mechanically followed her ex,
ample. She was pitiable object in
the strong light of the electrolier
Muddy from head to foot, water
stained and bedraggled, her face
streaked with dirt, she was the most
unattractive creature one could well
| 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 acutely 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
a 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 were sitting in Mrs. Wran
dalls bedchamber, just off the little
sitting-room. Three or four trunks
stood against the walls.
81 dismissed my maid on landing
She robbed me-" said Mrs. Wrandall
voicing the relief that was uppermost
in her mind. She opened a closet
door and took out thick eider-dowr
robe, which she tossed across chair
Nov call up the office and say thai
you are speaking for me. Say to then
that | must have something to eat
no matter what the hour may be.
will get out some clean underwear fol
you, and Oh, yes; if they ask abou
me- say that / am cold and i'll. THAI
is sufficient. Here is the bath. Please
be as quick about it as possible"
Moving as if in a dream, the CIR
did as she was told. Twenty minutes
later there was a knock at the door
A waiter appeared with tray ant
service table. He found Mrs. Wran
dali lying back in chair, ATTENDED
by slender young woman in a pinl
eider-down dressing-gow who gav'
hesitating directions to him. Then HI
was dismissed with 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. 1t was no shock to Mrs. Wran
dali to find that the girl, who was M
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 mole
that defines the well-bred gentlewom
an at a glance. Her hair, now in or
der, was dark and thick and lay softl,
|, about her small ears and neck. Sh'
was not surprised, repeat, for sh,