The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-21

= = < < 5 WlnQOW or the little apartment she aFTt ] MM shared with Mary Burnett, her |aEAAE~~< @#H chum, and, in sense, her partner. 2ElE MaHH Did you such day?" 2R1s EM high wind drove mixture of sEr%r kSA rain and hail and snow against the sf21-fsT5TTSEsAw window. The streets covered sssaEaassSsssSa with treacherous, half frozen
 slush, that sent pedestrians and aorses down constantly slipping, sliding, falling often as they kept their feet. It was ugly Fay, dangerous to health, trying to the temper.
 It's awful" said Mary, coming to the win low and looking out with shver of disgust.
 We ought to get away said Mona. Can't ve go South, Mayor North, for that matter? wouldn't care which-either sunshine, or teady cold would be better than this.'
 We can't have efther," said Mary firmly. We can't afford vacation. Our money Is run ing pretty low, Mona. We can't afford to waste
 T suppose not,' said Mona, respectfully.
 Anyone who was sufficiently interested in the Fvo girls to speculate about them at all must lave supposed that they enjoyed a comfortable 1come. They were not what is known work lg women. They seemed always to have enough pr their needs, and 1t was the natural presump- ion that they possessed, if not fortune, com ortable and independent means, at least.
 Yet nothing could have been further from ne truth. Both had, in the beginning, seemed D be assured of just such comfortable, pro- tcted life as such conditions insure Both had cen thrown upon their own resources. And both, nenks to their attractiNeness, had had the same liter and disillusoning experience. Men had ought to prey upon them, unwilling to allow hem to do what they wanted-which to earn living by such work as they fitted to do.
 They had been resolute enough to resist very snare, every trap that had been baited for hem. And they had come, in the end, to feel that hey were justified in obtaining from the world, 7 the exercise of superior intelligence, that wing which they felt it owed them and which hey had been unwilling to accept at the price hey had been asked to pay. They had for some lme levied tribute upon those who had believed hem likely to be easy victims. They had played bon the credulity, the desires, the weakness of .ertain people who had made it a practice, in one Jay or another, to take advantage of precisely dch weakness in others.
 Not once, since they had determined to live, 6 to speak, by their wits, had they despoiled ryone who did not richly deserve to suffer for Sr1e meanness of character. More than once, in- ped, they had, with only incidental profit to (emselves. lighted wrongs and brought happiness those who greatly needed 1t. Their methods hd been unconventional but they had avoided tnfict with their own conscienoes we'll fth the law. 1
 "oh, cheer up," said Mary, after time Pomething will turn up, Mona. You know Ae're pretty lucky, and believe that wouldn't if we were so altogether wrong-even if some ople would call adventuresses if they knew"
 "Let them" said Mona. We've never taken avantage of anyone who didn't deserve it. But f, wish it would clear up!"
 With firm gesture Mary drew down the Kades and switched on the electric light.
 
 II" she said, with determination. "Now-it's Id and clear outside, and it's late, so that it's Irk. We're glad to be home, after brisk walk and we'll read the evening papers"
 Mona laughed, and sank, still smiling, into Hair, while Mary telephoned down for the after Ion papers to be sent up to them. In a few mo- fnts they were both settled in easy chairs, ading And, suddenly Mona exclaimed:
 "Mary-listen 1" she cried I've can't afford vacation-but there's no reason why we ouldnt go South on business, is there?'
 What now?" asked Mary, dropping her Hper.
 lrings-one of those society page stories that hotel correspondents sent out. Mary-Letty tLean is there!"
 'Letty-spending the money rooms cost at How Springs prices! You're seeing things, bna 1"
 '1'm notl It's true She's scared-rhsuma- Iml Gout! sciaticl Just the sort of things p'd expect her to havev'
 "Letty McIeanr said Mary, thoughtfully. h, but I'd like to get even with her"
 "Do you know herr" asked Mona.
 'Yes-but not the way you mean. She doesn't low me- at any rate. Once when was working Stacy's glove counter, another girl and had wretched flat in tenement house she owned. le of us got sick-and she had put out be- tlse week late with the renti The lector almost cried-but said he couldn't help nself, that she was so mean she'd fire him in . mute if he let anyone have time! Oh, she's tho lanest old wretch alive-and she's worth mil simply millions 1"
 'Well-why shouldn't we see what's to be ne?"
 "H'mr' said Mary, doubtfuYly. 1T believe 1t uld be easier to borrow money from bank Fhout security than to get anything out of 1ty, but-well, there's nothing else in sight, Is hre? don't know that it would be risldng 30 schl Let's try it We can turn around and me back if we see that it's hopeless.''
 Yellow Springs is curious, anomalous sort place. There is village of that name. A few all houses, store or so, postofice- and the lway station. These make up the village. They in valley ringed about the mountains And In, two miles away, is the real Yellow Springs
 vast hotel. group of hotels, really, since building long since ceased to be enough to Eommodate the visiting crowds The history the resort is written plainly in the hotel lldings.
 Nearest to the village is the old house, a pden affair, hideous in design, but substantial, B comfortable enough And then, in successive lges of luxury, come the newer bufldings the t of reenforced concrete and steel construc- h, and unquestionably the last word in hotel lhitecture. Spacious corridors, walled with 3 they are set in bewilderingly lovely lmph of the landscape architects skill Flowers om all winter long; fountains play. There sves of trees, wide lawns, formal gardens in
 Dutch and Italian styles, statues, summer hses, terraces everything to delight the eye. 5 bubbling sulphur springs, the geysers of hot Id, all the medicinal waters that the earth