The midland journal., 1917-08-31
CHAPTER xxII-continued.

your Dr0Cner-lOrceQ MS way INTO
my room"
"What are you talking about?" Mrs.
Fennell drew her guest swiftly inside.
s'Hush! Don't make show of your
self"
"Wha's all this?" came from Harden
Fennell, who was sprawled in chintz-
covered easy chair.
"Be stillH his wife cried, sharply.
"Will you send someone for Bob? p
Lorelei asked, more quietly. II want
to-leave"
But her hostess protested. "Now.
why stir up trouble? Bob is drunk; he
and BERTHE are old friends. BERTHE will
apologize in the morning, and-after
all, it was nothing"
evil you send for my husband?"
Mrs. Fennelrs gaze hardened; she
stiffened herself, saying coldly:
"Why, certainly, If you insist upon
rousing the whole household; but he's
in no condition to understand this silly
affair. You might have some consider
alton for u.s."
Bright disks of color were burning
In Lorelei's cheeks; she was smiling
peculiarly.
crest easy" she said. "I've no wish
to embarrass you nor drag my hus-
band into this rotten business. 1t
seems he's as modern as the rest Of
you, but Tm-old-fashioned."
{ There came a knock at the door,
and Hayman's voice, calling:
Y "Betty! Let me inw
His sister opened the door an inch
or two. you mustn't come in now,"
she expostulated, then cried sharply:
sWhy, you're badly hurt You're all
bloodyv' AS Hayman agreed in a
burst Of profanity, she exclaimed fret
fully: "Oh, this is dreadful! Go to
your room, for heavens sake! I'll see
what | can do with this-with Mrs.
Wharton"
Lorelei broke out sharply: "If you'll
permit me to thank you for your hos
pitality, I'll leave at once"
Leave? At this hour"
Lorelers forced smiled barred her
even, white teeth. "Of course, if it's
too much trouble can walk"
mo trouble at ALL" Mrs. Fennell
showed some relief. "I-I'm dread
fully sorry. Still, can't permit you"
SIN ten minutes, then. If there's no
train 1 may ask your cb" 1ffeur to drive
me into the city"
"Why, to be sure! Er-what shall
tell Bob when he asks for your"
''Use your own judgment, please.
You can handle drunken men better
than l. And don't trouble to send
maid to my room. I'll be downstairs
when the car comes"
She was pacing the gloom Of the
porte-cochere when an automobile
swung out from among the trees and
swept the shadows flying with its
brushes of fame. AS she directed the
driver, from an open window behind
her came a drunken shout; burst Of
mems laughter followed the car as it
rolled away.
So that was the charmed circle to
which she had aspired, those the people
she had envied; behind her was that
life to which she had sold herself, and
this was the end of her dream Of fine
ladies and gallant gentlemen! Lorelei
scarcely knew whether to laugh or cry.
She reached the little apartment in the
hushed hours before the dawn, and
;straightway began her packing. Since
Bob was doubtless in a drunken stu
por which would last for hours, she did
not hurry.
Only once did she halt in her labors,
and then only from surprise. In bu-
reau drawer she uncovered bundle of
letters and documents addressed to her
husband, which in some way aroused
her curiosity. Swallowing her qualms,
she examined the contents. They
proved to be, In the main, letters from
Bob's mother and father urging him to
break off his marriage. Those from
Mr.. Wharton were characteristically
lntolerant and dictatorial; those from
Bob's mother were plaintive and inf
nitely sad. Both parents, she per
ceived had exhausted every effort to
win their son from his infatuation,
both believed Lorelei to be an infa-
nous woman bent upon his destruc-
-tion, and, judging from the typewrit-
ten reports inclosed with some of the
fathers letters, there was ample rea-
son for such belief. These reports
covered Loreleps every movement, they
barred every bit of ancient scandal con-
nected with her, they recounted sala-
scious stage gossip as fact and falsely
construed those actions which were
capable of more than one interpreta-
ton. It gave the girl peculiar sensa-
ton of unreality to see her life laid
.out before her eyes in so distorted a
shape, and when she read the business
like biographies of herself and the
members of her family she could only
marvel at BOb's faith For evidently
' ne had not answered a single letter
Nevertheless, after preparing an early
Shreakfast she sent her trunks down.