The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1916-07-01

IaVatory, closing the door behind her
what did Max tell you over the
'phone?" asked Lilas, sharply.
|, Nothing"
"Then where did you get-thati
From Jim?"
"Jim's pretty bad, imagine, but
he keeps his badness to himself. No
I've overheard you and Max talking
Nonsense. We've never mentioned
such a thing. The idea is absurd. ]
get mad at Jarvis-he's enough to
madden neutrality-suspicious. I'm jealous
but blackmail! Why you're out of
your mead"
Lorelei delayed her toilet purposely
and finally dismissed Croft. When
quiet had finally descended she opened
her door cautiously and peered out.
Robert Wharton sat on the top step
of the stairway near at hand. but his
head rested against the wall, and he
slept. Beside him were his high hat.
his gloves and his stick AS Lorelei.
with skirts carefully gathered. tiptoed
past him she saw suspended upon his
cleaning white shirt bosom what at
first glance resembled a foreign deco
ration of some sort, but proved to be
Mr.. Regan's false teeth. They were
suspended by a ribbon that had once
done duty in the costume of a cory
phee; they rose and fell to the young
mans gentle brea thing.
Lorelei telephoned to Merkle on the
following day. and about the close of
the show that night his card was
brought up to her dressing room. A
moment later Robert Wharton's fol-
lowed, together with tremendous box
of long-stemmed roses. She went down
trifie apprehensively, for by this
time the current tales of Bob's drunken
freaks had given her cause to think
somewhat seriously, and she feared an
unpleasant encounter. More than once
she had witnessed quarre!s in the al
leyway behind the Circuit, where pes
tiferous youths of Wharton's caliber
were frequent visitors.
But Mr.. Merkle relieved her mind by
saying. II sent Bob away on a pre-
text, although he swore you had an
engagement with him."
I'm glad you did. l left him asleep
outside my dressing room last night,
and l almost hoped he'd caught pneu-
monia."
Beside the curb heavy touring car
was purring. and into this Me1kle
helped his companion. I'm not up on
the etiquette of this sort of thing" he
explained, "but l presume the proper
procedure is supper. Where shall it
be-Sherry'
Lorelei laughed. "You are inexpe-
rienced. The Johns never eat on Fifth
avenue, the lights are too dim. But
why supper? You can't eat"'
"A Welsh rabbit would be the death
of me; Holsters are poison he con-
fessed; "but I've read that chorus
girls are omnivorous animals and seek
their prey at midnight
"Most of them would prefer bread
and milk; anyhow, would. But I'm
not hungry, so let's .ride-we can talk
| bCllCly anu YOU lC llOl luc sui VI Illdl1
to be seen in public with one of Berg
mans show-girls.'
The banker acquiesced with alacrity
To his driver he said, Take the Long
Island road"
The machine glided into noiseess
motion.
"Why do you choose the Long Island
road?' asked Lorelei.
ITS pleasant" responded Merkle
II ride nearly every night, and like
the country. You see, l can't sleep
unless I'm in motion. I get most Of
about the movement that soothes me-"
How funny"
Peculiar, parhaps, but scarcely hui
morous. I'd be dead or insane with
out an automobile. l keep four
French cars in my garage, all specially
built as to spring suspension and up
holstery, and l spend nearly every
night in one or the other of them. So
long as I'm moving fast 1 manage to
snatch miserable sort Of repose, but
. the instant we go slow wake up. l
used to sleep at twenty miles an hour;
now I can't relax under thirty.
Forty is f1ne-sixty means dreamless
: peace"
at does, indeed, if one happens to
have a blowout" laughed the girl
The car was now darting through
unfrequented side streets, where the
asphalt lay in the shadows like dark
pools. Up the approach to the Queens
borough bridge it swept, and took the
long incline like soaring bird. Black
wells island slipped under them, an
inky, bottomless pit Of despair. The
breath Of the overheated city changed
as by magic, and the thin-faced suf-
ferer at Lorelei's side drank it In ca.
gerly. Even in the dim flash Of the
passing Examinations she noted how
j tired and worn he was, and a sudden
pity smote her.
won't you pretend I'm not here
and drive just as you always do? !
! won't mind" she said.
"My dear, it's late. You'll need te
e 90 home"