Meade County news., 1917-02-01
CHAPTER xxIl-continued.

Fennell drew her guest swiftly inside.
"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 stillw his wife cried, sharply.
"Will you send someone for Bob"
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"
"Will you send for my husbandp
Mrs. Fennell's gaze hardened; she
stlffened herself, saying coldly:
"Why, certainly, II 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.
"Rest easy.r 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 I'm-old-fashloned"
There came a knock at the door,
aud Hayman's voice, calling:
Betty! Let me in!
His sister opened the door an inch
or two. "You mustn't come in now"
she expostulated, then cried sharply:
"Why, you're badly hurt. You're all
bloodyw As Hayman agreed In
burst of profanity, she exclaimed fret
fully: "Oh, this is dreadful Go to
your room, for heavens sake! I'll see
what b 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 hourP"
Lorelei's 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-Tm dread
fully sorry. Still, can't permit you"
"In ten minutes, then. If there's no
train / may ask your cb"1ffeur to drive
me into the city"
"Why, to be sure! Er-what shall
/ tell Bob when he asks for you"
tTIon INDIGNANT TNlnQGn
You can handle drunken men better
than l. And don't trouble to send
a 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; a 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 envled; 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 characteristlcally
1ntolerant and dlctatorial; those from
.Bob's mother were plaintive and inf
~nitely sad. Both parents, she per
9eived, had exhausted every effort to
wins" their son from his infatuation
both. Believed Lorelei to be an infa'
Hous %on5an bent upon his destruc
Son,Sand, Judging from the typewrit
ten EeEprts inclosed with some Of the
AthSJ leeerss there was ample rea
son cog sue a belief, These reports
. SSeEe9 L@eSiS every movement they
: bafed every bit of ancient scandal con
% segt@ SwitlE feE 4lfeygrecounted sala
S1oaFlstage g6sSRa as 9}st and falsely
g a@hsFdSd thqsG 9caGas which were
: eapablS of shisfg fhS4 ;oSe interpreta
- - ton, : If gave the git3 a peculiar sensa
otp9 afopBrsdats rtOSS6e cher life lait
eOuSbef9re, heE gyesan % distorted
ZAshate, and when she read ,the business
dikea Biographies .$of ahersslf Snd the
members. of her Family ste cGbld only
SnaISel ct B9b's faith For eTidAtly
Che had not 9ns&ereG a single lesaer
MISUNDERSTANDING pepaa ng I'm early
'breakfasA sbe sent Eer f#unFs down
StaiS Gla 'pSoned fog a taxicab. r.
z = g 8 -a-za g 9
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