Charlevoix county herald., 1921-02-18

The driver welcomed the sudden
apparition with friendly grin,
honked defiantly three times. and
threw In che clutch. They were off.
and trailing after them came such
string of blasphemous utterances as
made Mr.. Randolph vince.
The girl was laughing. No longer
did her eyes search for a CLEAN they
thought they had lost forever 1t was
there within them, come back to roll
lick In her pupils and spill itself in
reckless spending.
"Oh! OH What a bump!" she
gasped.
/ Funny, wasn't it?" said Mr.. Ran
dolph weakly.
"Awfully," said the girl.
Thereupon fell long silence. The
cab cut across the traffic, reached the
Avenue, and eventually the dark park
before Mr.. Randolph found anything
further to say.
Funny, wasn't it?" he remarked.
The girl cast him a startled lock.
"Why." she gurgled, that's what
you said before"
$50 l did," said Mr.. Randolph.
frowning thoughtfully. $50 / did. BY
the way, what's your name?"
The girl caught her breath and
swallowed her laughter.
"Vivienne where" she said, after
a pause.
"How awful !" commented Mr. Ran
dolph. Zone of those deliberate al
alterations that go with the back row
OF the chorus"
Front row." Vivienne defended
promptly, but unsmiling. Her lips
twitched down at the corners. AT
least. 1t was front row.
II know" said Mr.. Randolph.
you've been fired. / heard what
Beamer said to you. How long have
you known that shaker
mot very long" she answered. "He
got me on, and / suppose he got me
Off" She drew a long breath and
turned appealing eyes to Randolph.
please" she said, "dOn't let's talk
about him. want so to be happy for
few minutes. l love the park at
night with its border of lights. Let's
play game"
"a gamer" said Randolph doubt
fully.
Eyes. Well guess which is Central
Park West and which is One Hundred
and Tenth street and which is the ave-
nue.. 1t is not as easy as. you think
after you've been going round while
I'm feeling d-dizzy a-already."
"You are" exclaimed Mr.. Randolph.
well let me tell you it isn't from
buzzing round twO-mile circuit
What did you have for dinner?'
Miss Vivienne shut her lips tight.
Wont you please play my gamer
she asked family.
Mr.. Randolph frowned as though
considering the subject very seriously,
but the matter that held his attention
was not the proposed guessing-match.
That would not have been fair nor
amusing, as the headlights of his own
very comfortable apartment blinked
at him every time they came to Fifty
ninth street. He was juStifying TO
himself a very questionable move He
wished to feed this stray damsel and,
at the same time, talk to her with q
purpose. He could not see himself
doing II in q cabaret. and every hotel
supper room had already become one
Of those things He came to o decision
and spoke.
"Pll take hand in your game, all
right, but not just as you think Do
you-would you trust me?"
Immediately the girl was on her
guard. She looked into his face and
read It,
II would never have thought of not
trusting you if you hadn't asked that
old, old trap question:" she said
gravely.
Forget that l asked It," said Mr..
Randolph promptly, and leaned out to
give the driver his address. thin
Tipped and weary scorn was still on
that individuals face when he drew
up before Mr.. Randolph's abode and
honked three times derisively to the
world In general as seen from the
front of a taxi.
walt" said Mr.. Randolph to the
jehu, as he handed out the girl. She
paused with one foot halfway to the
curb. but that single word directing
anything as expensive as taxi to
stand by treasured her.
Randolph preceded her to show the
way and turn on lights. He never
looked back to see If she followed. and
this implied trust in herself seemed to
drag her after him up the single flight
of stairs that led to his rooms.
"0ld-fashioned hut cozy," he said.
as he applied a latch-key and opened
a door that gave directly on large
square sitting room. 81 hate elevators
In place you call home"
In an open CRATE was dying wood
fire. He proceeded to poke and feed
IL at once, saying over his shoulder:
''Sit down anywhere, will youY"
Facing the fire was a deep and much
worn leathern couch, with pedestal
at each end carrying shaded lamps.
They were the only ones he had light
ed and their glow was so subdued that
IL blended with that of the fire without
fighting II The GIRL chose IN caat har