The Washington herald., 1921-10-23

nsidserysht, holding Ont, bit
Of pasteboard to Miss Sosmes,
the nurse, who roomed' In the
second floor front. The card
read, Miss Howard Jefferson"
with no address. When Miss
so.ns. entered the boarding house parlor.
q deep room and at this hour Of the morning
suiet and dark a. . cave, she saw leaning
back in a shadowy corner q tall elderly
LADY dressed in nourning. -, % y.
, MIA JsfsrsenP' q. q.z sy.g
EAk. Miss Soames." Mrs. Jeferson's
voice was well modnlated and cold. She
wor. a close hat and = heavy net veil
bordered with two wide stripes of Grape.
These bands, as the veil was adjusted, con
eealed her lower face entirely. All that
Ai1 Soams could see was white hair
parted ever q wide forehead, fine dark eyes
and pale dheekA
IT believe you are night nurse at Mr..
SskRssn VsrriEn'sr' '.f
II I'm"
'hB sesnes, have . peculiar request
- make u you, and yet not 20 strange
vba i sxplaia it ALL" She paused q mo-
Ds.t - II 10 arrange her words: II an a
near relation Of Mr.. Veriam's. You have
probably heard Cnursss cannot avoid pick
ing up the intimate history of their pa
tients) that there have been quarrels, ter
rible Fuptares in his family. 1 will not 20
hts. these mattss, Il is enough to ssx
that q certain faction came out victorious
and row rule in that house. All who
sppoeed than or Who found the slightest
frvur With that-vith his unfortunate wife
are under . han i an amoag those
HevxtAeasss I AMI haye-a very great
sxsrtsa for Mr.. verrisn, the strong anec-
ton m Runt feels for q fayorite young
nephew. It Is exceedingly painful for me
. be--the present state Of Affairs makes me
Wy uakspoy. now come to my request
an going abroad soon to make my home
b England. What I wish-I know this
WI sound strange to yo1-is merely that
20 VIII adnit me to his room secretly when
IL 10 sleeping, that may look At his face
snee mare before I Co." 1t seemed that
Mrs.. Jekerson's voice tremhled Q very little
Svef tAess last words
Miss Soames felt herself IN an embarrass-
hg 1sdtion. OF course, she could not
esnply with the strans. plea. 1t would
. Rsn-reS every code Of professional and
Dessonal obligation. Yet the visitor was
lady, elderly, in mourning, and, evidently,
undsrneath lar cold manner, in deep trouble
Of mind. It was hard to refuse her.
Mr.. Jefferson, are you sure this visit
ssald not Be managed openlyr'
The elder woman looked piercingly at her
tnterlocutor. You know the other inmates
ef that house, Mrs. Blashton and her
nothGr'
II have net them sine. hsv. been On
. asty there"
De yeu think It likely that any one on
whom they frovned, whom they regarded
- an intsrlopsr, would find it easy to open
q dsor that they had closed against herP'
Miss soanes smiled Erimly. Frankly, /
d not. But I an afrsid-and % sorry
that cannot help you. You see"
New all that ask you to do for m.
h b see that that balcony door Is unlocked
It Midnight tonight. It must be tonight.
I ls<ye the city tomerrov.) You will be
VIII ysar patient, or you win be sitting in
that room win enter II he n asleep I
Win paS into the sick room for one moment
and thea out again and away"
Agnes Ssanes was staring oddly One
Bests With queer characters in the city.
eupps0-?
TUE LADY lsansd over and touched her
= arm Ny child, can s.e exactly what
10 in yoar mind. You are wondering if
an IN imposeor. You took me At nv face
value at first, bat now something 1 have
nd has aroused your suspicious. Let me
tAfnk. She nused. ''Is there a tele-
Dhone here? Then-aot long ago you had
Q case In East Tventieth street, an old
hdJ, Mrs.. Philip N. Harvey. Am 1 not
right? Mrs Harvey is very fond of you
and you have q high regard for her? Very
veIl. Oan Mrs Harvey on the telephon.
now and ssk her about Mrs. Howard Jefer-
IN. Ash her anything you like. will
vsit fee ysa here"
: asSoames shock her head and smiled.
-fsrssa ne II did look suspicious You
zee this II rather a singular interview. But
Mrs. Hsrvey's name is . talisman with
ne. Il ought to Be, I'm sure, after the
kindne. I've met with at her hands. /
vent need to call her up. Nevertheless
Oh, deaf See how could do As you wish.
II might involve 70 much"
Really, Miss Soanes, don't know why
4 sAsald. / think your fears have rather
q night tcmdation. Fer ne to come IN
sserstiy By that roundabout way, simply to
leek for 4 moment at the-at your-st Mr..
vsrrisn while he d sleeping. He Is usually
ssieep at that hour, ID he not? OF course,
I would net let him see me-"
Oh, a. to that-did yeu not know? He
esuld not see you at any time. he Is blind"
The strange ladJ's hands stifened and
sAst forward. "BlindH' she cried in fear.
-oh. no! MOI"
80 ''Ys. am sorry to have to tell you.