Evening star., 1917-05-06
CHAPTER V-(Continued).

cases of smallpox were discovered, and
went I'D to Mabel Moore's private
room Then there was this terrible e1-
citement and hullabaloo@
.1Iow many cases of smallpox were
found?' asked Jack.
"Oh, / don't know. They did not tell
me. They just gave orders that
eyerybody must be fumigated. so as
not to scatter the disease all over New
York"
"wen. how did you get out?~ re-
peated Phyllis.
"I sent for DIR. Fuller-you know ne
been looking after Mabel-and plead
ed and begged and wept. Finally, late
in the afternoon. after the excitement
vas over. the doctor said he would Try
to smuggle me out But ne saia
would have to be fumigated ana ots
infected first"
"Fumigated"
And disinfected" added fhyihs'
"And were you? .,.
az was" asserted Gertrude. stoutly;
smiling as she recalled the actuai
Yumigation she had experiences. ~
"It was dreadful" she continued, al
lowing her imagination free play,
."They took me into little room anu
burned a lot of foul-smelling poWaers
turned
me all over with some dreadful stun.
NV sailor suit is simply ruined. tIhis'
she thought, was a master-strokeo
II should say it was ruined. G9I,-
it down to the kitchen this morning
and 7 wondered what had happened 70
IT, No wonder the dress snelieu as IL
IL had been through a FIRE"
The word fire" gave Mrs. Gray an
unpleasant shock. but she recovered
quickly. and proceeded with her narra-
tive. ~, -,
thew smusgled me through a back way
and let me out. And 1 jumped into a
taxicab and came home Ana 'ha' $
"and that's enough" snorted Jack.
put | say, Gertrude" minced Tim
othy were you exposed to the small
poxc-
won dent suppose there is any danger
.sof course not" laughed Gertrude in
an unfuarded moment was not
You said you we're in the building,
insisted Timothy.
Gertrude did not reply. and her hus-
band approached and looked at her
You don't look we'll" he said. You
look pale and nervous and not at all
like yourself ua ..hars
is nothing at all the matter with me-
II am worried about you. neVertne-
less You ought TO have told me the
truth about this hospital business al
first, instead of trying TO conceal II
from me- DR.. Sterling is coming here
this morning. and / shall have hlm ex-
anime YOU.
ives. He is to call for me at II. We
were going for a walk.
Well. you can go for walk. broke
IN Gertrude. land walk as Ear as you
like but DR.. Sterling shall not exam
inc me',-this with firmness BESIDES. |
shall be out at IL. I am going to church
At any other time this announcement
would have been greeted WI win rnt r1aIs hsen o,
to church for years-a matter whicn
had been q source of many arguments
between her and Timothy. But now
her statement was received with
amaxement, and all her family insist
ed that she must not go to churcn, lest
she endanger the health of the congre,
cation. Even Timothy said ne would
forego church that day. on the mere
chance Of having caught a stray mi
crobe from Gertrude; and then ne sug-
eested that perhaps he and Phyllis had
better retire to some otner roor1, Nv, wnsne sre
After the departure Of the younger
couple. there was brief silence. ouI
ing which Jack seemed to be nerving
himself for some further conversation
He couzhed a couple of times, looked
ont Of the window as If for inspiration
and finally went over and sat on 'he
arm of his wife's chair.
NThere's another thing want 70
sneak to YOU about. dear. he began
II was waiting for Timothy and Phyl-
lis to get out"
s.Of course, know it's all right. ne
stumbled along. but l want you 10 'eii
me all about II.
asked Gertrude who was not quite sure
what was coming next. ,a into
For answer he thrust his hand lnto
his coat pocket and bs1usnsd bs1onrsd 0us 10 the the
comb that had once peiohseu " ~
Countess Francesca ~,
why, that's my COMB she s,.,
claimed. with apparent deiignt ous
with q sinking heart. ana end. ner i.''te formu'
Iatins a plausible story. Whefe dio
YOU find it. Jack?" ;S
Il found it in man roof"s' "e '"'N
"Realiyr' said Gertrude, with we'll
Can YOU tell me how it got there?'
ne .rn $50 3 mans rooms?" repeated his
wife, refiectively.
Exactly ,,
was the mans name Townsend?'
ventured Mrs. Gray. with iittie puz-
sYes." said Jack. f,rmly. y found
your comb in Harry Townsends rooms,
You seem to know sonethlhs doou'
this. Please tell me-"
We'll, Jack" she began. hesitatin gly.
ct will tell you. That is. III tell you
all know--if youll promise not to get
angry
Il am not in the habit of getting
angry" said her husband, in tone OF
severe seif-righteousness, unless there
IS cause for it."
Gertrude chuckied. "I was afraid,
she said, 'that you might disa pprove
OF my lending this comb TO any one"
You see" she continued glibly, yes
terday afternoon. just as ] got to
Mahers private room in the hospital
her nurse was going out She was all
dressed up In her best bib and tucker.
and prinking before Mabels mirror.
and she was having strenuous time
with her hair. So ! sailed in and ar
ranged her hair for her and stuck In
my comb. 1t looked SO well on her
that T told her she could wear II, and
give IL back to Mabel for me later,
"A careful person to lend things to,
grunted Jack. looking at the comb
after the nurse went OUT Gertrude
continued. Mabel told me she was very
much excited because she was going
to take luncheon with mana Mr..
Townsend
That's where you heard the name
commented Jack.
"Yes: but. of course, I had no idea
the nurse was going TO his apart
ments."
~she lunched with him in his rooms.
] dropped IN there later. end you may
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