Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-26
AN OUTSIDER A GIR51S S6tT51 APyENGyREs pFNGy s


Can you give me a lower on the mid
night express?"
mo" Authority averred with becoming
! sententiousness.
IAN upper, them"
Nothing left on the midnight"
Not even n stateroom7"
II told you nothing doing"
We'll, then, perhaps you can flx me
UP for the Owl train?"
wait minute"
pause ensued while Authority con-
suited his records: not a long pause, but
one long enough to permit wild, mad
inspiration to flash like lightning athwart
| the clouded horizon of Sally's doubt and
perplexlty surely it we're strangely in
consistent with her role of adventures
TO permit this man to escape, now that
destiny had delivered him into her un-
scrupulous handsl
"Owl train? De luxe room or or
dinary stateroom-all got left"
Good enough. I'll take"
II Blue Serge failed promptly to noml-
nate his choice, It was only because Miss
Manvers chose that juncture to furnish
hm-and incidentally herself, when she
had time to think things over--with what
was unquestionably for both of them the
most staggering surprise of that most sur
prising night
Peremptorily plucking a blue serge
sleeve with the brazenest impudence
imaginable, she advised her victim:
Take both IL you please!"
Had she schemed deliberately to strike
him dumb in CONSERVATION, her success
must have afforded Sally intense satisfac-
tion. Since she hadn't, her personal con-
sternation was momentarily so overpow-
ering as to numb her sense of appreoia-
ton. So that for the period of a long
minute neither of them moved nor spoke,
but remained each with n blank counte-
nance rejecting witless mind. hypno-
tized by the stupefaction of the other.
Then, perhaps shade the quicker to
recover. Sally fancied that her victims
Jaw had slackened a bit and his color
faded perceptibly; and with this encour-
lected, aggressive, confronting him un-
dlsmayed, before recognition dawned
upon Blue Serge, and, with 1t, some
amused appreciation of her effrontery
Even so, his first essay at response was
nothing more formidable than stam-
mered "I beg your pardon?"
She explained with absolute composure:
II said. take both rooms please. I'm
going to Boston, too"
"Oh"' he replied stupidity.
She nodded with determination and
glanced significantly aside, with little
toss of her head, toward the middle of
the lobby
There's n central office man over
there" she observed obiquely dissem-
bling considerable uncertainty as to what
central office man really was, and
why
There isl"
"If you go to Boston, CO." she per-
sisted stolidy.
His countenance darkencd transiently
with distrust or temper. Then of a sud-
den the man was shaken by spasm of
some strange sort-the corners of his
mouth twitched. his eyes twinkled, he
lifted n quizzical eyebrow, his lips
parted
But whatever retort he may have con-
templated was checked by the accents of
Authority and tho tapping of an impera-
tive pencil on the window ledge.
Say, I'm busy. Which are you going
to take now, de luxe room Or
"BothH' With the deXtcrity of stage
conjurer Blue Serge whipped n bill from
his pocket and thrust 1t beneath the
wicket, not for an instant detachIng his
gaze from Sally. And quick" said he;
I'm in n hurry"
Grunting resentfully. Authority pro-
ceeded to Issue the reservations, thus af-
fordng Sally, constrained to return with
out tremor the steadfast regard of her
burglar, time to appreciate the lengths to
which bravado had committed her. And
though she stood her ground without
fiinching, her cheeks had taken on n hue
of bright crimson before Blue Serge,