The Washington times., 1922-07-23

weary. and beaten, and began to
undress. Late hours would mean
a tired face in the morning, and
a tired face does not facilitate the
obtaining of employment. She
crept into bed, and fell asleep.
She dreamt vividly of Mr.. Lukas,
of his untidy little room, with the
cigarette smoke hanging about, and
the tiny model on the table, and
the man himself standing gesticu-
lating, rumpling up his oily hair,
and talking.
The dream voice reused her.
She awoke very angry, turned
over, went TO sleep again, and this
time II was the same dream that
came. She had the safe in her
hands-on the table in her room
she was working at it. She was
completing the model. .,
It was ridiculously easy, too.
Into each leg was to be driven a
tiny, invisible bolt, worked by one
centre button sunk in the bottom,
outside the safe. II was to be
lowered and raised by pulleys in
side which could be worked from
outside by buttons that looked like
mere studs in the safe. There was
a good deal to think of, but 1t all
worked out, like a long, straight
sum, to solution. So she finished
the safe, and took II to Mr.: Lukas.
"Let u.s." she said to him, "go
halves."
A dream Lukas stood looking at
her with his head cooked on one
side. -.
"Certainly, miss" said he wit
tily, with his best bow; "if you
can get your rights, take 'em with
my blessing. II not, don't!-"
and ran out into Maxwell street
with the model hugged to his chest.
She pursued him painting, till tramA
and buses and trains swallowed
him up, and the noise Of their
wheels, grinding into the dream,
broke It, and she awoke trembling,
tears on her cheeks.
But the trick was there.
Electrified, she sat up. Dawn
was stealing in grayly through the
half-curtained window, and on the
table the sheet of paper lay, white.
She leaped out of bed, lighted the
gas, and set to work steadily on II.
She drew in what she could, being
no accomplished artist, and, as
Lukas would have said, what she
couldn't, she didn't. But she wrote
II all down, the great idea, ut
length, very clearly and painstak-
ingiy, each suggestion set out with
unsparing detail to forestalf any
failure Of memory; and then went
to bed again, to sleep till half-past
eight, when Mrs. Jason's remon-
strant knock awoke her. And, re
membering all, her first ecstatic
thought was to press the mascot to
her lips and kiss IL. Little miser,
you," she murmured, Eat last p
She came down to breakfast,
very purposeful, and with the light
of battle in her eyes. She drank
cold tea and ate CONCEALED bacon,
not caring for either, for day
full Of, illimitable promise was
opening out. When she went up
stairs again to put on her hat and
coat, she stole into Lukas's room.
1t stank horribly Of his vile to-
bacco. %.
He, of course, had departed half
an hour since to his ONCE, but the
little model lay on his table, and
she took It, together with his draw
ing, because Il was better than
hers. She added to II the written
details and the full sketch she had
made, and allowed herself the lug
ury of a bus to Charing Cross, In
anticipation of affiuence to come.
From there, walking to Ludgate
Hill, she went to a large iron
mongery and hardware Arm, and
asked to see authority.
II was the frm Of Bowse & Clay
thorpe. A polite manager asked
IL she could transact her business
with him, but knowing of past ex-
perience the futility of making an
appeal through a middleman, she
asked firmly to see Mr.. Bowse or
Mr.. Claythorpe. II they were not
in she would wait, or, with a sink
ing at heart-they were not COM
ing that day, she would call on
another.
"Both Mr.. Bowse and Mr.. Clay
thorpe are here" replied the man
ager, "but they are doing the cor
respondenee, and don't Ike to be
disturbed"
"They will not mind" said Meg
Morton promptly (she had learned
the game Of bluff, when they
have heard my business"
He went rather obviously to in
quire, and came back to say that,
II her business was really private
and important, the great men
would see her. But what name?
Had she a card?
No, she had not a card. He
took her, still obviously, to the
proprietors' private room, where
they sat with q typist, who was
busily taking down letters from
their rapid dictation.
She went in with the boldness
of need, and stood before them