The Ordway new era., 1920-01-23

on the steamer the next-day-but-one
first person my eye lighted on was
Claire!
Claire tripped up to me, delighted
but little embarrassed, and in her
wake followed lady whose face was
very familiar. as mine was to her. and
n smile of recognition broke out on
both of US at once and we exclaimed
at each other. "Why. you're the Lady
of the Slippers"
Now "the slippers" were the top
notch of my wild extravagant life In
Paris and I'd never mentioned them
to Ann. came by them in this wise:
Just MS was leaving for vevay had
passed little shop on funny little
street and in the window was pair
of slippers. They were high over the
instep-so they'd keep my feet warm
and decorated with the queerest orien-
tai pattern you ever saw, and they had
low heels.
bounced into the shop to ask the
price, and at the counter stood an
other American lady with an Identical
pair In her hand. l demanded the
price.
"One hundred and twenty-five
francs" beamed madame. ''and most
reasonable"
The other American woman and I
dropped the slippers like hot cakes
our reckless passion for spending
wasn't equal to twenty-five dollars for
n pair of slippers. Madame came down
ten francs and inveigled US into trying
on the slippers. There was differ
ence of half size in the pairs and
they fitted as though they'd been made
in heaven. Madame came down ten
francs more and then knocked off five.
and we bought them at a hundred
francs a pair. laughIngly telling each
other we'd caught each other in the
act and promising never to give each
other away.
I had liked this American woman
and should have been glad to see her
again; and here she was. She was
pleasant and unaffected. woman of
possibly forty; dark hair. black eyes,
waxy as to complexion; not what
would call handsome but with a dis
tInct air.
Claire had introduced her as Mrs.
Delario and later the child confided
thnt her father had found her by ac-
cident as he had me. That he paid
her fare over as an inducement to her
to come on this steamer-with me,
even then surmised. Claire and she
shared the largest stateroom or
board.
Inn
over. but Mrs. Delario and seemed
the only ones able 10 keep our sea
legs. while Claire stayed In her berth
for almost the entire passage.
But the really friendly acquaintance
between Mrs. Delario and me began by
our being flung into each others arms
when our frisky little craft took nm
unexpected dive. trying to see If she
could hit bottom with her nose. We
made profuse apologies and dropped
for safety into the nearest chairs.
was clutching vigorously at the arm
of mine. when she fastened her gaze
on ring wore, reached out and took
my hand.
She said. "What a very curious
ring-it looks as though 1t had his
tory" turning 1t for different angles
and fumbling at 1t as though she meant
to draw 1t off.
said 1t had. and she asked me to
let her take 1t off and try 1t on. had
curled my fingers over hers to prevent
1t, for hate to have people trying on
my rings. So 1 shook my head and
replied, "That would break the SPELL"
She dropped my hand instantly:
said, Excuse mel didn't know 1t was
that. though felt the spell-the occult
infiuence-before I touched 1t. You
know 1 think / felt it that first time
we met when we bought the slippers,
though I didn't see the ring. l felt
something occult all around you. You
are under the protection of very pow
erful influences"