The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-05-01

1t was nearly three o'clock when
she brought the a to a stop In front
Of q small, exclusive hotel not far
dark and the vestibule was but dimly
lighted. No attendant val in sight.
slip into this" commanded Mrs.
W~randall. 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 II 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 1t 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"
UNIV q 10 81 Ii W.
reach my rooms, you may order food
and drink. You must do 1t. not l.
Please try to remember that 1t is l
who am suffering, not you"
A sleepy night Waterman took them
up In the elevator. He was not w
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 a 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 eve near to show 1t. 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
a frail reed in the wind. pallid to the
lips.
Il beg your pardon" she murmured.
Il will o give way like that again.
| dare say l am faint. l 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 emove her own outer garments.
The girl mechanically followed her e Z
ample. She was a 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, 81 strangely thrown
together by Fate, maintained an un-
broken silence during the long, fumb-
ling process of partial disrobing. They
scarcely looked al one another, and
yet they we're 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 o%bscurity, 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
dall's bedchamber. Just off the little
sitting-room. Three or four trunks
stood against the walls.
Il dismissed my maid on landing
She robbed me-" said Mrs. Wrandall
voicing the relief that was uppermos'
door and took out a thick eider-dowr
robe, which she tossed GRO a chair
Now call up the office and say tina
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; II they ask abou'
me, say that l am cold and Ill. Tha
Is sufficient. Here is the bath. Pleas,
be as quick about it as possible"
Moving as II In a dream. the CIR
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 a chair, attende'
by a slender young woman in a pinl
eider-down dressing-gown, who CAV
hesitating directions to him. Then b
was dismissed with a handsome tir
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 intel
est. 1t was no shock to Mrs. WnI
dali to find that the girl. who was n
more than twenty-five or three, poi
sessed unusual beauty. Her great eye
were blue-the lovely Irish blue-he
skin was fair and smooth. her fec
lures regular and of the delicate mol
that defines the well-bred gentiewou
an at a glance. Her hair, now in o
der, was dark and thick and lay softl