The Washington herald., 1914-11-22

ceeded TO elaborate
you must see the fun in a man trying
to make date with Anita FlagE-just
as IL she were nobodyP'
I don't think" said Sam. that was
my idea" He waved his stick at a
passing taxi I'm late" he said. He
abandoned Hollis on the sidewalk. chuck
ling and grinnlng with delight. and un-
conscious OF the mischief he had made.
An hour later at the office, when Sam
vas waiting for an assignment, the tele-
phone boy hurried TO him, his eyes lit
with excitement
You're wanted on the phone" he COM
manded. His voice dropped to an awed
whisper. Miss Anita Flagg wants to
speak to Sou!"
The blood ran Ieaping to Sans heart
and face. Then he remembered that this
was not Sister Anne who wanted to
speak to him, but a woman he had never
met
Say you can't find me-" he directed.
The boy gasped. fled, and returned
precipitately
THE lady says she wants your teIe-
phone number-says she must have IT, :"
Tell her you don't know II, tell her
its against the rules-and hang up" .
That night Elliott. the managing edi-
tor, sent for Sam; and when Sam entered
his office he found also there Walsh, the
foreign editor. with whom he was ac-
quainted only by sight
Elliott introduced them and told Sam
to be seated
Ward" he began abruptly, I'm sorry
to lose you. but you've got to go. It's
on account Of that story Of this morn
ing"
Sam made no sign. but he was deeply
hurt. From a paper he had served so
loyalty this seemed scurvy treatment 1t
struck him also that. considering the
spirit in which the story had been writ
ten, 1t was causing him more kinds OF
trouble than was quite fair The loss
OF position did not disturb him. In the
last month too many managing editors
had tried to steal him from the Republic
for him to feel anxious as TO the future.
So he accepted his dismissal calmly. and
could say without resentment: Last
night though you liked the story, sir?''
Il did" returned Elliott; Il liked IL
50 much that I'm sending you to a big
ger place. where you can get bigger
stories. We want you to act as our
special correspondent in London. Mr.
Walsh will explain the work: and II
you'll go you1l sail next Wednesday"
After his talk with the foreign editor
Sam again walked home on air. .
Had Sister Anne lived. she would have
understood; and he would have laid him
self and his new position at her feet and
begged her to accept them-begged her
to run away with him to this tremen-
dous and terrifying capital of the world
and start the new life together.
Among all the women he knew, there
was none to take her place.
AS a matter of fact. in approaching her
in the belief that he was addressing an
entirely different person. Sam had got
nearer to the real Anita Flagg than had
any other man. And she knew it; but
Sam did not know II. And sO-when on
arriving at the Office the next morning.
which was a Friday, he received a tele-
gram reading. Arriving tomorrow $50
from Greenwich: the day cannot begin
too soon: don't forget you promised to
meet me. Anita F1aGg'' he was able
to reply: Extremely sorry. but promise
made to a different person. who Un-
fortunately has since died.
When Anita Flagg read this telegram
there leaped to her lovely eyes tears
that sprang from self-pity and wounded
feelings. She turned miserably, appeal
ingly to Helen Page
But why does he do il to me?'' -
Before Miss Page could venture upon
an explanation. Anita Flagg had changed
into a very angry young woman.
And what's more she announced,
he can't do it to me"
She sent her telegram back again as
1t was, word for word, but this time il
was signed, Sister Anne"
In an hour the answer came: Sister
Anne Is the person to whom 1 refer.
She is dead"
Saturday night he went to the theater
for which he had purchased tickets. And
he went alone, for the place that Sister
Anne was to have occupied could not be
filled by any other person II would
have been sacrileGe. At least. So il
pleased him to pretend. He was
glad he was leaving New York. He was
glad he was going where nothing would
remind him of her. And then he glanced
up-and looked straight into her eyes,
He was seated in the front row di-
rectly on the aisle. The seat Sister
Anne was supposed TO be occupying was
on his right, and a few seats farther
to his right rose the stage box: and in
the stage box. almost upon the stage
and with the glow OF the footlights full
in her face, was Anita Flagg. smiling
delightedly down on him. There were
others with her. He had a confused
impression of bulging shirt-fronts, and
silks, and diamonds, and dropping
plumes upon enormous hats He thought
he recognized Lord Deptford and Hol-
worthy: but the only person he dis
tinguished clearly was Anita Flagg. The
girl was all in black velvet, which was
drawn TO her figure like a wet bathing
suit: round her throat was a single
string OF pearls: and on her hair Of gold
en-rod was a great hat of black velvet,
shaped like a bell. with the curving lips
of a lily. And from beneath its brim
Anita Flsgg. sitting rigidly erect with
her white glOved hands resting lightly on
her knee. was gazing down at him.
smiling with pleasure, with surprise, with
excitement.
When she saw that, in spite of her
altered appearance, he recognized her
she bowed so violently and bent her
head so eagerly that above her the |
ostrich plumes dipped and courtesied like |
bowed nor courtesied. Instead. he turned |
his head slowly over his left shoulder. |
as though he thought she was speaking |
not to him but some one beyond him, /
across the aisle. And then his eyes re-
turned to the stage and did not again |
look toward her. 1t was not the cut |
iirect. but 1t was a cut that hurt: and /
N their turn the eyes OF Miss Flagg .
quickly sought the stage. At the mo-
nent, the people in the audience hap
oened to be laughing; and she forced a
,mile and then laughed with them.
For five minutes, conscious Of the foot
lights, Miss Flagg maintained upon her
ovely face a fixed and intent expression.
md then slowly and unobtrusively drew
pack to a seat in the rear Of the box.
IN its darkest recesses she found Hol- |
worthy, shut on from a view Of the
'tage by a barrier Of women's hats.
Your friend Mr.. Ward" she began
abruptly in a whisper. lis the rudest,
most ill-bred person I ever met. When
talked to him the other day 1 thought