The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-03-06
Married Life
the Third Year

When Helen entered the Writing
room of the Hotel Cecil it was twenty
five minutes after six: Warren was to
meet her there at half past.
She took a scat whore she could
see him az he entered. It was inter
esting to watch the people As they
passed in and out, there ware many
Americans-how quickly she could
tell them.
A pretty American girl and an elder.
ly woman, evidently her mother, came
over and sat down near Helen. They
were stopping at the hotel, for the
girl had . room key which she jingled
impatisntly. They, too. were waiting
for sons one.
A few moments later young En-
glishman with a top hat, white spats
and a monocls. came hury1ng toward
them.
"Awfully sorry to be late. 1t is a
beastly shame to keep you waiting,
but there was a nasty jam In the
traffic the ta1i could not get
through"
Except that he did not suck his
cane. he was the exact type of the
young English clubman one sees on
the stage. Helen had always thought
it was an exaggerated type, but here
evidently was a specimen from life.
She wondered if he had a title, and
il he wished to exchange for her
possible millions. When he drew out
a handkerchief strongly scented with
lavender, Helen turned away in dis
dain How could a girl tolerate .
man that used perfume.
In her absorption she had forgotten
the time. 1t was now six-forty o'clock
bod 10
usually prompt. but he had said this
morning that he had an important
engagement at 5 o'clock. And since
they were to dine at the Cecil, perhaps
TO save time, she had better meet
him there.
1t was not until after o'clock that
Helen was really worried. Surely IL
he found he was going to be late he
would have telephoned her. He could
easily call up the Cecil and have her
PACED.
EreIy few minutes bell boy would
come through calling a room number
or a name, but the name would not be
hers.
Perhaps therehad been some mis-
take-perhaps he dad telephoned?
She went through to the desk and
anxiousiy asked one of the clerks, but
after some inquiry. he said there had
been no message for Mrs. Curtis.
Then with flash came the thought
could she have misunderstood him
this morning? She felt sure he had
said the Cecil. but he might have
meant the Savoy. Only yesterday he
had said they must dine there some
evening.
The Savoy was just next door. The
two big hotels so near together on
the Strand were often confused. Sup
pose he was waiting in the writing
room there!
She remembered the mistake they
had once made in New York, the
wretched hours wait and the spoiled
evening He had said the forty sec
ond street subway, and she had gone
to the forty-second street elevated.
1t took less than five minutes to
reach the writing room OF the Savoy
A quick glance around the brilliantly
lit place-but Warren was not there.
She made hurried inquiry at the
dask, but there was no message.
Back again to the Cecil, fearful lest
he should have come while she was
away
1t was half past seven now. Some
thing must have happened! He
would not have kept her waiting
whole hour. She would call up the
apartment Why had she not thought
of that before? If there had been
some accident, he might have been
taken there or have sent some word
There was a line of telephone
booths outside the writing room.
Helen had telephoned only once be-
fore in London, and now In her feever-
ish anxiety she thought she would
never find the number in the unfam-
iliar book, and the time seemed end
less before she could get it from Cen
trail. The wire was buzzing with sew
cral voices calling-"Are you there?
Are you there" the English slogan
for Hello"
NO MESSAGE.
NO, Mr.. Curtis has not come, and
there is no message" was the answer
she finally received.
How much is it," she asked me-
chanically of the boy in attendance,
as she came out Of the booth.
There is no charge, ma'am."
Ordinarily Helen would have been
surprised at the free telephone ser
vice and would have wondered if it
was the custom of all London hotels.
But now she gave it no thought, nor
did she see that the boy expected a
tip.
Back again to the writing room
now desperately anxious. What should
she do next?
At a quarter of nine Helen could
not but feel the futility Of waiting.
She would take a cab back to the
apartment and wait there. She could
do nothing else
With a lingering look about the
place, as though still hoping to see
him. she made her way through the
crowded lobby and out into the street
She was wholly unconscious of the