El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-11-20

III NAAG NSAN y+ADAlNf ITO e1A-A1
Nora, coming into the room,
where Helen was busy sorting silver.
Hello said a voice over the tele-
phone. a voice calculated to be sweet
and winning. but which Helen heard
with strange feeling of remembrance.
Where had she heard that voice be-
Hello who is this, pIease?" she said,
trying her best to recall where she
had heard the voice last.
why, don't you know? Well 7 sup
pose voices are different over the tel
ephone' so I'd better tell you. This is
Mrs Raymond"
Mrs. Raymond" said Helen, still
trying to remember Yes, I know
now. Why, Mrs. Raymond, where did
you come from?'
Mrs. Raymond had been the pest Of
the hotel last summer at the shore,
and Helen and Warren had been thor
oughly out of patience with the way
she had chung to them, and now here
she was in New York evidently with
her husband, and there was no doubt
that. they would claim both Helen
ana Warren as old friends and expect
to be entertained
We are down here for a week or so
just Tor visit. One must 60 to New
York once a year. anyway, don't you
think so, Mrs Curtis2" Mrs. Raymond
Clarendon, and 1 want you to come
down and have dinner with us to-
night"
= don't believe well be able to do
that Mrs. Raymond" said Helen, with
sigh of relief Mr. Curtis and I
are dining out tonight
That's too bad. Well you come
down this afternoon and Wen have
tea somewhere. I certainly do want
to talk to you"
Helen hesitated. She was planning
to be busy, or had been until Mrs. Ray
mond had called up and she hated to
have all her arrangements changed.
However, if she went down this after
noon perhaps it would arrange mat
tiers so that Narren would not have
to be dragge1 into an engagement. She
had better go.
Agrees to Come for Little While.
We'll, 7 am up to my ears in work,
but I'll come down for a little while
anyway she said finally as cordially
as she could. Thank you: gOOdbyE
Al $3.50 that afternoon Helen, in the
brown suit with the fur over which
she had had so much worry, was go
ing up in the elevator of the Hotel
Clarendon. Mrs. Raymond had asked
her to come upstairs and although
Helen would have preferred to wait
down stairs in the lobby she could do
no more than to comply with any wish
Mrs. Raymond might make while she
was hostess.
The page had gone I'D in the elevator
with Helen to show her the room, and
a few minutes later they were knock
ing at the door of one Of the rooms on
the third floor. There was no answer
and Helen looked up at the page in
surprise.
That's very strange" she said final
". Il was to have met Mrs Raymond
here. You're sure this is the right
number"
Helen said nothing as the page sum
mOned one Of the cham bermalds, VINO
unlocked the door so that Helen could
step inside. Helen could not help
thinking it was strange for Mrs. Ray
mOnd to go off when she was expect
ing company. and vet there were many
strange things that Mrs. Raymond
might do in Helen's estimation that no
other woman would think of doing
Helen walked restlessly around the
room, which was the typical hotel room
with its heavy red window draperies
and substantial furniture. There was
a tiny bath attached and the outlook
was on the court; everything was COM
Portable. but Helen was too nervous
to sit down. She wondered after she
had waited Is minutes what she ought
to do. Perhaps she had made a mis-
take in the place where she was to
meet Mrs. Raymond. She could phone
down And have her PACED.
She Waits; No Sign Of Mrs. Raymond.
On second thought, however. she de
cided to wait another 10 minutes and
then go down and look through the
different rooms herself; there was no
need of deciding things in too much of
a hurry, and Mrs. Raymond might
have valid excuse for being late.
Another IS minutes passed. She had
been here now for over half an hour,
and still no signs of Mrs. Raymond.
She certainly would not wait any
longer Crossing over to the tele-
phone she called up the desk down
stairs.
win you send a page around for
Mrs. Raymond" she said to the clerk.
''She may be waiting in the palm
room or in the tea room. Find out for
me, will you?" She hung up the re-
ceiver with a click, and five minutes
passed while she waited. Then she
heard voices in the hall and a second
later a key was fitted into the lock
and Mr.. and Mrs. Raymond entered
why, you poor dear" gushed Mrs.
Raymond, hurrying over to Helen and
kissing her effusively. 'I am so very
sorry for all this. Either you mis-
understood me or I made mistake.
Did I tell you to meet me up here?"
7 thought I told you to meet me in
the palm room. I meant to, anyway,
but we had lunch on Broadway and I
got back later than I expected, and l
hardly remembered which I had said.