The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1916-04-16

H. in rain and hail and snow against the
EftfT5541 window. The streets were covered
S5fasz11Sse@faS with q treacherous, half frozen
slush, that sent pedestrians and
horses down constantly, slipping, sliding, falling
as often as they kept their feet. II was an ugly
day, dangerous to health, trying to the temper.
ITS awfulP said Mary. coming to the win
We ought to get away" said Mona. Can't
We go South, Mayor North, for that matter :?
wouldn't care which-eithsr sunshine, or
steady cold would be better than this
I'VE can't have either" said Mary firmly
We can't afford a vacation. Our money Is run
ming pretty low, Mons We can't afford TO waste
any"
II suppose not said Mona, regretsuIly
Anyone who sufficiently interested in the
two girls to speculate about them at all must
have supposed that they enjoyed comfortable
income. They were not what is known as work.
ing women They seemed always to have enough
for their needs, and IL was the natural presump-
tion that they possessed, II not q fortune com.
Portable and independent means, at least
Yet, nothing could have been further from
the truth. Both had, in the beginning, seemed
70 be assured Of just such comfortable, pro-
tected life as such conditions insure. Both had
been thrown upon their own resources And both,
thanks to their attrsctiveness, had had the same
bitter sPd disillusioning experience. Men had
sought to prey upon them, unwilling to allow
them to do what they wanted-which was to earn
living BY such work as they were fitted to do
They had been resolute enough 70 resist
every snare, every trap that had been bsited for
them And they had come, In the end, to feel that
they were justified in obtaining from the world.
by the exercise Of superior intelligence, that
living which they felt it owed them, and which
they had been unwilling to accept at the price
they had been asked TO pay. They had for some
time levied tribute upon those who had believed
them likely to be easy victims. They had played
upon the credulity, the desires, the weakness of
certain people who had made it practice, in one
way or another, to take advantage of precisely
Eoch weakness in others.
INA Oraea fbavh .5
30 70 speak, by their wits, had they despoiled
anyone who did not richly deserve to suffer for
some meanness Of character. More than once in
deed, they had, with only incidental profit to
themselves, rghted wrongs and brought happiness
TO those who greatly needed it. Their methods
had been unconventional, but they had avoided
conflict with their own conscienoes we'll as
with the law.
"oh, cheer up" said Mary, after time.
Something will turn up, Mona. You know
we re pretty lucky, and believe that we wouldn't
Be If we were so altogether wrong-even if some
people would call Us adventuresses If they knew"
let them said Mona. We've never taken
advantage of anyone who didn't deserve it. But
oh, wish it would clear up!"
With firm gesture Mary drew down the
shades and switched the electric light.
"a little mental science Is the treatment for
You" she-ssid with determination. "Now-it's
cold and clear outside, and It's late so that it's
dark We're glad to be home, after a brisk walk
and we'll read the evening papers,"
Mona laughed, and sank, still smiling, into
chair, while Mary telephoned down for the after
noon papers to be sent up to them. In few mo-
ments they were both settled in easy chairs
reading. And, suddenly Mona exclaimed:
"Msry-hsten!" she cried. 1--WE can't afford
Eacatlon-out there's no reason why
shouldn't go South on business, is there?"
What nowP asked Mary, droppingSher own
paper.
'well-there's a story here from Yellow
SPrings-one of those society page stories that
the hotel correspondents sent out. Msry-Letty
Mclean is therel"
'Letty-spending the money rooms cost at
Yellow Springs prices! You're seeing things,
Mona -
I'm not! It's true! She's scared-rheuma-
tism! Gout Sciatic! Just the sort of things
you'd expect her to havs!"
Lefty Mclean" said Mary, thoughtfully.
oh, but I'd like to get even with herr"
DO you know her?" asked Mona.
"Yes-but not the way you mean. She doesn't
know me, at any rate. Once when was working
at Stacys glove counter, another girl and had
a wretched fat in a tenement house she owned.
One OF US got sick-and she had us put out be-
cause we were week late with the rent! The
collector almost cried-but said he couldn't helm
himself. that she was so mean she'd fire him in a
minute if he let anyone have time Oh, she's the
meanest old wretch alive-and she's worth mil
lions-simply millions !"
"Well-why shouldn't we see what's to be
done?"
HIM" said Mary, doubtfully. "I believe It
would be easier to borrow money from bank
without security than to get anything out of
Lefty, but-wel, there's nothing else in sight, is
there? don't know that it would be risking so
much Let's try It! We turn around and
come back II we see that It's hopeless
Yellow Springs is curious, anomalous sort
Of place. There Is q village of that name. A few
small houses, . store or 30, postohice-and the
railway station. These make up the village They
are in valley rnged about the mountains And
then, two miles away, is the real Yellow Springs
a vast hotel A group Of hotels, really, since
one building long since ceased TO be enough TO
accommodate the visiting crowds The history
of the resort is written plainly in the hotel
buildings.
Nearest to the village Is the old house. a
wooden affair, hideous in design, but substantial
and comfortable enough. And then, in successive
stages of luxury, come the newer buildings the
last Of REINFORCED concrete and steel construc-
ton, and unquestionably the last word in hotel
architecture. Spacious corridors, walled with
glass, Join all four of the hotel buildings now
and they set in a bewilderingiy lovely
triumph Of the landscape architects sldfl Flowers
bloom all winter long; fountains play. There are
groves of trees, wide lawns, formal gardens in
the Dutch and Italian styles, statues, summer
houses, terrsces-eyerything to delight the eve.
The bubbIing sulphur springs, the geysers of hot
mud all the medicinal waters that the earth