Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-26

with it a fragrant cloud of pink pow
der.
! l stood there with the puff between
| two clumsy fingers. fascinated by the
dainty femininity of it, when suddenly
Tails deep tones rumbled in the re-
ceiver. and I snapped the locket shut
as guilty as if his amused eyes had
| been on me.
with me. he said. poor wage-slave that
he was. He was rushed with work
and had, among other unpleasant
duties, to make the 6:45 train to River
body. Would ! go along? We could
probably beat it back to Broadway in
time to see a little life before mid
| night I said I would meet him at the
train.
! I walked back to the Cecil, and
thinking Miss Hoyt had by then had
ample time to reach home, l decided tc
call her up and tell her that her lost
that I would send it up to her at once
or bring it myself the following after
noon, as she preferred. Looking through
the list of Hoyts in the telephone book
| was surprised to find her own name:
Miss Roberta Hoyt IS East s0th
street" Her own telephone. 1t struck
me as odd for a young girl. Who was
she?
| I called the number. and a mans
voice, a servants, probably. answered
me.
us Miss Hoyt there" I asked
Eyes, sir; but she cannot come to the
phone. She's ill. sir"
! Zip"
! Yes, sir. Any message, siro"
| ITS Miss Hoyt 1 want-Miss Roberta
Hoyt," repeated, thinking he had mis-
understood me. is that her home?"
This is Miss Roberta Hoyt's home
| SIR but she is Ill. Any message?"
Astonished. I did not at once reply
then began, tentatively: Why
no" And instantly I heard click
| the man had rung off.
What could 1t mean? She must have
been taken Ill suddenly on her return
| home. 1t was now twenty minutes past
| 5. Less than half an hour ago she had
| been perfectly WELL and now she was
| ILL., wished I had asked the servant
| a question or two. Still, If she had
| been taken Ill very suddenly. would he
| not have said so without being asked?
| A possible explanation occurred 70
me. Perhaps she had discovered the
! loss OF her vanity box. had learned by
telephoning to the tearoom that I had
| 1t, and, thinking I might call her uI
and not wishing to speak to me for
fear of betraying to some one her
| a afternoon escapade, had told the ser
| want to say she was Ill to any one
| who called The theory was not en-
, tirely plausible, but 1 could think OF
| no other.
Roberta Hoyt7 sounded the name
Had her remark about the newspapers
| been a Jest? Very likely. I did not
believe she was an actress; yet In what
| way could girl as young as she be-
well known? The waitress had watched
her intently; yet If she had known her
name would she not have mentioned II
in returning the locket to me? stu, II
was not her face, but her name. thal
\ readers. Roberta Hoyt, Where could
| have seen 1t?
| / gave up wondering after while
Whoever she was. she was thoroughnred
Her speech and manner proved that. As
| for that Jest about the policeman-Wen
On my way to the restaurant for dinner
an idea popped into my head. Why not
have dinner at that tea room? II MISS
Hoyt had called up about the locket the
| waitress would be sure to tell him.
The place was filled. and at first could
not find the waitress who had served oul
tea Suddenly. however. she appeared al
my elbow.
your friend came back for her vanity
box-but / guess you know" she said.
| Game back-here?"
"oh. didn't you know She said she
guessed you'd call her up. told her
found it and gave 1t to you. and she sale
that was all right"
"Why-when was this?" I questioned
trying to conceal my wonder
about half-past 81
Half-past s. At twenty minutes past
I had been told she was too i'll to come tt
the phone.
/ Are you sure d the timer" asked.
Eyes. sir, because an extra waitress who
comes on at half-past to help with
dinner came In when we were talking"
II see." l said. feeling her black eyer
I missed her. I called her up and
missed her"
well, she was awful glad I'd found TIL
vanity box and wanted to give me some
thing for It. but told her you had already
done that"
She paused, and I had the sense tina
something was expected Of me. glanced
up. Shrewdness was written large II
levery line Of her thin. unprepossessint
face. Unlikely, thought that she hat
refused money from any one. Evidentl,