The Forrest City times., 1914-04-03

IL was nearly tnree CLOCK WHEN
she brought the car to a stop in front
of a small, exclusive hotel not far
from Central park. The street was
dark and the vestibule was but dimly
lighted. No attendant was in sight.
Slip into this" commanded Mrs.
Wrandall, beginning to divest herself
of her own fur coat. 1T will cover
your muddy garments. l 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 If you look dis
tressed. You have just heard of the
dreadful thing that has happened to
me. You"
Happened to your" cried the girl,
drawing the coat about her.
A member of my family has died.
They know 1t in the hotel by this
time. | was called to the death bed
tonight, That is all you will have to
know"
oh, | am sorry"
Come, let us go in. When we
reach my rooms, you may order food
and drink. You must do it, not l.
Please try to remember that it is |
who am suffering, not you"
A sleepy night Waterman took them
up in the elevator. He was not even
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 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 if you ever mean to show it. 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
frail reed in the wind pallid to the
lips.
Il beg your pardon" she murmured.
Il will not give way like that again.
| dare say | am faint. | have had no
food, no rest-but never mind that
now. Tell me what 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 stiffy
and with unsteady limbs as she began
to remove her own outer garments.
The girl mechanically followed her ex-
ample. She was a pitiable object in
the strong light of the electrolier.
Muddy from head to foot, water
stained and bedraggled, her face
unattractive creature one could we'll
imagine.
These women. so strangely thrown
together by Fate, maintained an I'M
broken silence during the long, fumb-
ling process of partial disrobing. They
scarcely looked at one another, and
yet they were acuteiy 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 obscurity, 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-
dalls 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 uppermost
in her mind. She opened a closet
door and took out a thick eider-down
robe, which she tossed across chair.
Now call up the office and say that
you are speaking for me. Say to them
that I must have something to eat,
no matter what the hour may be
will get out some clean underwear for
you, and Oh. yes; if they ask about
me, say that | am cold and ILL., That
is sufficient, Here is the bath. Please
be as quick about it as possible"
Moving as if in a dream, the girl
did as she was told. Twenty minutes
later lHeTe WIS KNOCK at Ine door.
A waiter appeared with a tray and
service table. He found Mrs Wran-
dali lying back in a chair attended
by a slender young woman in a pink
eider-down dressing gown, who gave
hesitating directions to him. Then he
was dismissed with a handsome tip,
produced by the same young woman.
You are not to return for these
things" she said as he went out.
In silence she ate and drank. her
hostess looking on with gloomy inter-
est. 1t was no shock to Mrs. Wran-
dali to find that the girl, who was no
more than twenty-five or three. pos
sessed unusual beauty Her great eyes
were blue-the lovely Irish blue-her
skin was fair and smooth. her fea-
lures regular and of the delicate mold
that defines the well-bred gentlewom-
an at a glance. Her hair. now in or
der, was dark and thick and lay softly
about her small ears and neck. She
was not surprised. I repeat, for she
had never known Challis Wrandar TO