Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-09-13
CHAPTER LVI

David Smith Delaine stood on the
steps of his lodginghouse, scanning
the telegram that had just been
handed to him. The boy bringing
1t had arrived just as David emerged
from the front door.
DeLaine had intended to go around
to the garage, more from force of
habit than because he expected to
receive any message from his en-
ployer at that place. He had asked
Samuel Leighton to communicate
with him at the Lexington avenue
address. The special delivery letter
sent last night must have been re-
ceived several hours ago, David re-
iected
When he took the telegram from
the messenger and signed the blank
accompanying it he supposed it was
from his employer. The signature,
ID. L." almost took his breath
away.
The ten words Desiree had sent
left him still more breathIess.
At first his heart beat madly with
joy; then cold reason and common
sense warned him that he was mis-
interpreting the message.
When he read the brief sentence
for the third time, he noted the ad-
dress of the office from which it had
been dispatched.
That proves that she did not send
this" he muttered. 1T is Il trick on
the part of a would-be mischief-mak-
er. Jefferson. perhaps"
Yet he reminded himself. Jeffer-
son would not know of his-David's s
plan to leave the employ of Samuel
Leighton. Leighton himself could not
have had time to impart the infor-
nation to anybody but his daughter.
Surely Desiree would not care
enough to interfere in allowing
events to take their course. ..
One Way to Learn.
Unless there was something which
he did not understand-some compli-
cation that was absolutely inexplic-
able to him.
There was only one way to ascer-
tain who sent this message. That
was to go to the office and inquire
Until he had done this, speculation
as to it's significance was worse than
idle.
1t was one thing to reach this
wise decision. but quite another to
carry it, out David proved this on
his way down to Twenty third street
by studying the slip of yellow paper
at least half dozen times and Won
uering what It meant.
Il know that a man sent the
thing" he assured himself as he
reached his destination.
With a business-like air he handed
the telegram to the clerk at the
counter.
Can you give me the address of
she sender of this?' he queried
brusqucly.
The clerk consulted a mentoran-
DUN at his elbow.
THE address the sender gave was
Dorothy Lang, 227 East Eighty-sixth
street." the clerk said without look
ing up. You wish to send a re-
ply?"
"Oh, no--that is-not just now"
David stammcred. Was it-I mean
it was an elderly lady, wasn't it?"
He fiattcred himself that his bear
ing was nonchalant as he put the
question. The clerk smiled know
ingly.
"No,--sne was young lady with
dark eyes and hair-very pretty too.
l happened TO be the one she handed
the telegram to when she had writ
ten it. From her looks I wouldn't
give her n day over twenty"
"Indeed?" David commented with a
lifting of his eyebrows. Then I
was mistaken"
His thoughts were in such a whirl
that he must collect them unless he
would do something ridiculous.
A Wonderful Theme.
Almost without his own volition,
he walked out to Madison Square
and, dropping down upon a bench
unused long upon this wonderful
happening.
Now he was convinced that De-
stree Leighton had sent the tele-
gram to him. He knew no Dorothy
Lang. The description of the sender
as "a young lady with dark eyes and
hair-very pretty" made the matter
certain.
The youth in the telegraph office
had been rather impertinent, David
supposed, but he was so grateful to
him for setting his own doubts at
rest as to the identity of the myster-
ious I'D. L." that he found it quite
easy to forgive a speech that he
would at another time have termed
inexcusably fresh"
For one truth was pressing in up
ON his consciousness.
1t was that Desiree Leighton had
wanted him to stay in her fathers
employ d little longer.
Why had she asked MIN to do
this?
In the first flush Of excitement he
had grasped, with the eagerness of
lover, the hope that she had done
this thiuY because she liked him.
Then, as his mind became saner, he
appreciated that a girl like Dosiree
would never ask = man to stay any
where on fer account. He saw how
ridiulous and fatuous had been his
wild conclusion, and sneered at his
ready optimism.
Yet it must be something of great
Importance that would tempt the
daughter of his employer to practice
deception IN order to delay ner faith
er's chauffer's departure. There was
d mystery here and he waE deeply
hxr