The Elk Mountain pilot., 1921-02-10
Ten dollars worth Of tn. park is

Auc urlVer welcomed tne sudden
apparttion with 4 friendly grin,
honked denantly three times. and
threw in the clutch. They were on,
and trailing after them came such q
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.
"Ohl Oh! What bump!" she
gasped.
'Funny. wasn't it,? said Mr.. Ran
dolph weakly.
"Awfully." said the girl.
Thereupon fell a 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 itT' he remarked.
The girl cast him startled look.
why" she gurgled. that's what
you said before"
$50 1 did," said Mr.. Randolph,
frowning thouEhtfully. $50 did. BY
the way, what's your Manner
The girl caught her breath and
swallowed her laughter.
"vivienne vivierre," she said, after
q pause.
dolph. "One Of those deliberate al
literations that 20 with the back row
Of the chorus"
Front row." vivienne defended
promptly. but unsmiling. Her lips
twitched down at the corners. "At
least. II was front row."
II know" said Mr.. Randolph.
you've been fred. 1 heard what
Beamer said to you. How long have
You known that snaker'
mot very long," she answered HE
got me on, and suppose he got me
or" She drew a long breath and
turned appealing eyes to Randolph.
Please" she said, don't let's talk
about him. l want so to be happy for
few minutes. / love the park at
night with its border Of lights. Let's
play a game"
IA gamer" said Randolph doubt
fully.
"Yes. Wen 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 a while.
I'm feeling d-dizzy a-already."
you arei" exclaimed Mr.. Randolph.
well. let me tell you II isn't from
buzzing round two-mile circuit.
What did you have for dinner?"
Miss Vivienne shut her lips tight.
won't you please play my game ~
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. MS the headlights of his own
very comfortable apartment blinked
at him every time they came to Fifty
ninth street. He was justifying to
himself very questionable move. He
wished to feed this stray damsel and,
at the same time. talk to her with a
purpose. He could not see himself
doing 1t in cabaret, and every hotel
supper room had already become one
Of those things. He came to a decision
and spoke.
"l1l take a hand in your game. all
right, but not Just as you think. Do
you-would you trust mel"
Immediately the girl was on her
guard. She looked into his face and
read It.
II would never have thought of not
trusting you II you hadn't asked that
old. old trap question:" she said
gravely.
"Forget that 1 asked it," said Mr..
Randolph promptly. and leaned out to
give the driver his address. A 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.
wait" said Mr. Randolph to the
1ehu. 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 reassured her.
Randolph preceded her to show the
way and turn on lights. He never
looked back to see II 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
"Old-fashioned but cozy." he said.
as he applied latch-key and opened
a door that gave directly on a large
square sitting room. II hate elevators
In place you call home"
In an open crate was dying wood
fire. He proceeded to poke and feed
1t at once, saying over his shoulder:
"Sit down anywhere. will your
Facing the fire was deep and much
worn leathern couch. with pedestal
at each end carrying shaded lamps.
They We're the only ones he had light
ed and their glow was so snhdued that