Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-21

the. bis. overgrown city as only a
healthy country-bred girl can hate
bricks and mortar. and certainly
Mary as yet had seen only the dull
side Of London-London In Its gritty
working cl'dhes. and the roar OF the
busy Strand had begun - get upon
her nerves.
Mary might have taken more pleas
ure in London il she had been n resi-
dent In the quiet. dignlfled West End:
but as 1t was. Mr.. and Mrs Ramsey
lived In q somewhat dark. poky little
house In Bloomsbury house which
they had purchased some time ago
very cheap-and Mary could not help
being depressed by her dingy sur
roundings.
Her business hours were from nine
to seven. with n brief interval for
lunch. and tho mattresses ut Leeby
Ramseys tea-shop were kept pretty
busy all day.
Leeby Ramsey had told her that
there were numbers OF typists In tho
city working from nine to eight at
small salaries. and Mary had turned
sick and cold at tho thought of the
terrible hardships and privations that
these poor girls must be enduring.
At about half-past four the young
men would turn up-thc Fleet street
young men-the CHEEKY young jour-
nalists who thoroughly appreciated
the excellent teas that Leeby Ram
se.- prorided-the real Scotch scenes
that melted In the mouth and the hot
buttered toast; and these young men
interested Mary profoundly. She Xix ed
TO hear them char each other; she
appreciated their gay banter. Parties
OF friends would generally arrive to-
gether in little knots or twos and
threes. and they would sit laughing
and talking at the various tea tables
for quarter OF an hour or twenty
minutes or go. and then dash back TO
their offices again.
But there was one young man who
always came by himself-a queer,
man, whose age might have been
anything between twenty-five and
thirty. He was better dressed than
most OF the young men who patron
lied Mrs. Ramsey's tea shop. hut
there was an air OF newncss about
his clothes. a curious Elogsiness, and
Mary fancied that he must have lost
some relative recently. for he wore
black mourning tic. and she couldn't
help feeling that there was an atmo-
sphere OF mystery. OF reserve. about
him.
He was not drinking his tea this
afternoon either. and Mary. moved by
sudden impulse, walked up to the
little marble table. and though she
knew that Maudie Hunt and the other
mattresses were watching her she
simply didn't care
Your tea must have got quite cold.
sir. Shall / make you some more
and wouldn't you like little fresh
buttered toast?''
He bent his brows together.
Good Lord! can't sit here quietly
without being wci rled--asked uIes-
tons? All YOU chattering girls are
enough to drive man mad: but pes
haps you think I have no right to
stay on at this table for such long
time? II it's more money You wan:,
am quite ready to pay anything I'm
asked"
Indeed sir, you can stay at this
table rs long as you like. ] only came
up because I was sorry to think that
your tea WAS cold but I'm sorry
spoke. and l can promise you l won't
disturb you again"
Il say" he exclaimed, and his voice
for the first time sounded young and
boyish. I'm afraid I've been awfully
rude. It was really kind of YOU to
have thought that my tea had got
cold. and Of course II has got cold
stone cold-and j don't doubt that tho
buttered toast would taste peastly it
! wanted to eat it; but. you see, / have
not come here on my own account.
Il am waiting for some one. but she 8
Kept me waiting weeks now-months."
He paused. then he began to trace
out geometrical pattern on the table