The Raymer enterprise., 1914-12-03
TheHOlOW
BIZ > Of Her Hand
George Barr MoCutCheOn

00
Booth indifferently. He was watching
the man In the "slicker" through
moody eyes.
"Oh. nothing like that" disclaimed
Leslie with unnecessary promptness.
sBut II ! were given to that sort Of
thing. I'd be bowled over in a minute.
Positively adorable face. II thought
you had It in you to paint a thing az
1t really is I'd commission you myself
to do miniature for me, Just to have
1t around where l could pick 1t up
when liked and hold It between my
hands. Just as I've often wanted to
hold the real thing"
Sara Wrandall returned to New
York at the end OF the month, and
Leslie met her at the dock, as he did
on an occasion fourteen months ear.
lier. Then she came In on q fierce
gale from the wintry Atlantic; this
time the air was soft and balmy and
sweet with the kindness of spring. It
was May and the sea was blue the
land was green.
Again she went to the small, exclu.
sive hotel near the park. Her apart.
ment was closed. the butler and his
wife and all Of their hastily recruited
company being In the country, await.
ing her arrival from town. Leslie at.
tended to everything. He lent his re.
sourceful man servant and his motor
to his lovely slster-in-law. and saw to
1t that his mother and Vivian sent
flowers to the ship. Redmond Wran.
dali called at the hotel Immediately
after banking hours. kissed his daugh.
ter'in-law. and delivered an ultimatum
secondhand from the power at home:
she was to come to dinner and bring
Miss Castleton. A little quiet family
dinner. you know. because they were
all In mourning, he said in conclusion,
vaguely realizing all the while that 1t
really wasn't necessary to supply the
information, but, for the life Of him,
unable to think Of anything else to
say under the circumstances. Some:
how 1t seemed to him that while Sara
was In black she was not In mourning
In the same sense that the rest Of
them were. 1t seemed only right to
acquaint her with the conditions In his
household. And he knew that he de-
served the scowl that Leslie bestowed
upon him.
Sara accepted, much to his surprise
and qualification. He had been rather
dubious about It. 1t would not have
surprised him in the least II she had
declined the invitation, feeling. as he
did. that he had in a way come to her
with a white flag or an olive branch
or whatever 1t is that a combative
force utilizes when 1t wants to sur.
render In the cause of humanity.
As soon as they were alone Hetty
turned to her friend.
"Oh, Sara, can't you go without me?
Tell them that / am ill-suddenly Ill.
II don't think 1t right or honorable
OF me to accept"
Sara shook her head, and the words
died on the girls lips.
You must play the game. Hetty."
"It's-yery hard" murmured the
other, her face very white and bleak
Il know, my dear" said Sara gently.
III they should ever find out"
gasped the girl. suddenly giving way
to the dread that had been lying dor.
mant all these months.
They will never know the truth
unless you choose to enlighten them"
said Sara, putting her arm about the
girls shoulders and drawing her close.
You never cease to be wonderful,
Sara--so very wonderful" cried the
girl, with look OF worship in her
eyes.
Sara regarded her in silence for a
moment, rejecting Then, with a swift
rush of tears to her eyes, she cried
fiercely:
you must never, never tell me all