The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-15

ihto Tic ureSSInS room, DuC the man
was close behind.
Pushing ahead. he spoke to the maid
in voluble French. Then In brutal Eng
lish. "Give her her things-and see
that she takes nothing else"
The girl. staring insolently,
brought Helen's wraps, which the
fiunky examined, running his hand in
the inner white satin pocket of her
coat.
what does all this mean?" hysteri-
cally.
''Oh, come now, none of that! If
you've pinched anything you got 1t
down here, for 1 was wise to You the
minute you came up"
"Send Mr.. Gardner to me at once I"
Helen almost screamed. "Tn know
from him If stupid servants can insult
his guests"
"Mr. Gardner?" leeringly. $50 that's
your game? Going to pretend you're
in the wrong house?"
"Wrong house! |" breathed Helen.
"Cope ppw.' roughly throwing her
wrap about her. "That's too old You're
lucky you're getting off SO easy, but
Mrs. Van Klein dont want any news
paper publicity. You came near fool
ing her, because you didn't look the
part. Now you make quick getaway.
Want a taxi?'
With sobbing cry Helen broke
away. and dashed down the wide hall
toward the bronze doors, her wrap fall
ing from her shoulders.
LET me outl Oh, you must let
me out !" wildly. for a footman, alertly
suspicious, had placed himself obstruct-
ingly before the door.
ITS all right, Hopkins, let her out"
called the man who had followed from
the dressing room.
The door opened. and Helen found
herself stumbling down the steps un-
der the wind-fapped awning.
As she gave one fearful backward
glance, for an instant the gilt number
''21" on the outer glass door held her
petrified. The cabman had mistaken
the slanted-top zone" for "seven."
The lounging chnuffeurs sat up in
wondering attention as Helen flew by,
her bare head, flowing wrap and white
satin slippers. an incOngruous figure in
the chill, mlst-driven night.
Turning the first corner to more
quickly escape, she sped down two
long blocks before she stopped breath
less, painting and still hnlf-dazed.
Must she go back to '27?" That
would be within few doors of the
other house. The thought made her
sick with fear and revulsion.
1t was the quiet dinner hour, and
the streets were mostly deserted, but
the occasional pasSerby stared ut her
curiously. SAG
Pausing at a crossing. desperately
she signaled an approaching taxi. She
was too unstrung-she would go back
home. But the cab drawing nearer,
through the glass door she caught
the CLEAN Of white shirt front and
high silk hat. 1-..
AS the driver Slowed up for the
crossing. the door was flung open and
the passenger sprang out. He was
coming toward her. Terrified. she
started to run-then stopped with a
piercing: "Warren! Warren!"
The next moment he had her in the
cab, where her taut nerves gave way.
Striving vainly to calm her, Warren or
dered the man to drive around the
block.
With broken incoherence Helen
finally sobbed out her story.
"Well, that was some adventure,
Kitten" smoothing her hair with un-
accustomed solicitude. 'Too upset for
the dinner? Want me, to take you
homer"
But with throbbing lurch, the cab
now drew up before "27," a modest
brownstone house, very unlike the os-
tentatious mansion a few doors be-
yond.
"Come on" urged Warren. "You'll be
better of here than brooding over 1t
at home. We're pretty late, but I'll do
the explaining"
."Oh, I'm all to pieces" tremulous-
ly. Il left my gloves-and look I"
thr,,sting out a foot, its slender white
ness splashed with mud.
"Now, never mind about the Slip
pers. And dom. go Sticking down your
hair-leave 1t loose like that. Come
onr' He had sprung to the curb and
was lifting her out.
''That's the house-the one with the
awning! !" with terrified glance at the
pretentious entrance just ahead.
Looks like Van Klein's new place.
By George, that's what 1t isl"
cyan Klein?" excftedly. "That's
the name! You know them7"
"Lunched with him Saturday. Guess
I can iix this up grimly. ivan Klein
and his crowd want to keep In with ME
till they get their new franchise. You'll
have letter Of apology from Mrs. Van
Klein within a week or I'll miss my
guess. Buck up now," briskly, as he