The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-12-28

She wondered who 1t was. She put the
miniature back in place with caressing
hand. She felt that h would like to
know this woman with the tender eyes.
She wished her here now, that she
might tell her all her anxiety.
Her eye wandered to the pile of let
ters. some of them official looking
ones, one or two in square, perfumed
ing. They We're all addressed
to Mr.. Cyril Gordon. That was
strange! Who was Mr.. Cyril Gordon?
What had they-what had she-to do
with him.? Was he a friend whom
George-whom they-were visiting for
a few days? 1t was all bewildering.
Then the telephone rang.
Her heart beat wildly and she looked
oward it as if it had been a human
voice speaking and she had no power
to answer. What should she do now?
Should she answer? Or should she wait
hear the telephone bell or was she per
haps expected to answer? And yet if
Mr.. Cyril Gordon-well. somebody
ought to answer, The phone a in
Slstent!y once more, n still a third
time. What if he should be calling her!
Perhaps he was in distress. This
thought sent her flying to the phone.
She took down the receiver and called:
"Hello!" and her voice sounded far
away to herself.
rs this Mr.. Gordon's apartment?'
Yes" she answered, for her eyes
were resting on the pile of letters close
at hand
rs Mr.. Gordon there"
INC. he is not" she answered, TOW
ing more confident now and almost
wishing she had not presumed to an
SWer a strangers phone
Why, l just 'phoned to the office and
they told me he had returned" said a
voice that had an imperious note in it.
Are you sure he isn't thnre?"
quite sure" she replied.
Who is this, please"
II beg your pardon" said Celia try
ing to make time and knowing not how
to reply. She was not any longer Miss
Hathaway. Who was she? Mrs. Hayne?
She shrank from the nalne. 1t was
filled with horror for her. who is this,
l sald," snapped the other voice now.
Is this the chambermaid? Because if
1t Is I'd k you to look around and
inquire and be quite sure that Mr.. Cor
don isn't there. l wish to speak witt
him about something very Important"
Celia smiled.
No, this is not the chamberlnaid,"
she said, sweetly, and I am quite sure
Mr.. Gordon is not here"
How long before he will be there?"
Il don't know really, for l nave but
just come myself
Who is this to whom I am talking?"
"Why-just a friend" she answered,
wondering il that were the best thing
to say.
Obi" there was a long contemplative
pause at the other end.
We'll, could o give Mr.. Gordon a
message when he comes in?"
Why certainly. I think so. Who Is
this?"
Miss Bentley. Julia Bentley. He'll
know replied the imperious one eager
ly now. And tell him please that he
is expected here to dinner tonight. We
need him to complete the number, n
he simply mustn't fail me. I'll excuse
him for going off in such a rush if he
comes early n tells me all about it.
NOW you won't forget, will you? You
got the name, Bentley, did you?
B, p. N, T, L., E, Y, you know, And
you'll tell him the minute he comes
in?"
Yes"
Thank you'll What did you say your
name was?"
But Celia had hung up. Somehow
the message annoyed her. she could
not tell why. She wished she had not
answered the phone. Whoever Mr..
Cyril Gordon was what should she do
II he should suddenly appear? And as
for the imperious lady and her mes
sage she hoped she would never have
to deliver it. On second thought why
not write it and leave it on his desk
with the pile OF letters? She would
do 1t. 1t would serve to pass away a
few of these dreadful minutes that
Jagged SO distressfully.
She sat down n wrote: Miss Bent
ley wishes Mr.. Gordon to dim with her
this evening. She will pardon his run
ming away the other day If he will come
early" She laid it beside the high
angular writing on the SQUARE nern
TUNED letters and went back to the
leather chair, too restless to rest vet
too weary to stand up.
she went presently to the back win
doWs to look out, and then to the side
ones. Across the housetops she could
catch a glimpse of domes and buil6ings
There was the Congressional library.
which usually delighted her with its
exquisite tones of gold and brown and
white. But she had no eyes for it now.
Beyond We're more buildings, all set In
the lovely foliage which was much far
Their developed than 1t had been in New
YORK state. From another window she
could get a glimpse Of the Potomac
shining in the morning sun.
She wandered to the front window.
and looked out. There were peonle
passing and repassipg. It was a busy
street, put n could not make out
whether it was one she knew or not.
Ihere We're two men walking back and
forth on the opposite side. They did
not go further than the corner Of the
street either way. They looked
across at the windows sometimes
and pointed up. when they met,
and once n Of them took some
thing out of his pocked and flashed
1t under his coat at his side. az II
to have it ready for use. It reminded
her of the thing her husband had held
in his hand in the bedroom and She
~shuddered. She watched them. fasci-
mated, mo- able to draw herself away
from the window.
Now n then she would go to the
rear window. to see If there was any
sign OF the automobile returning ana
then hurry back to the front, to sea
If the men were still there. Once she
returned to the chair, and, lying back
shut her eyes, and let the memory
OF yesterday sweep over her In all 10
sweet details, up to the time when thew
had got into the way train and shs
had seemed to feel her ~disloyalty to
ner father; But now her heart was all
on the other side, and she began to
feel that there had been some dread
ful mistake. somewhere, and he was
surely all right. He could not. conld
not have written those terrible letters