Evening star., 1922-08-20

there and brought it along" Pa
tience exhibited it.
Cornelia laughed helplessly. you'd
better carry the tickets. anyway. l
seem to be so absent-minded that
there's no telling what I'll do with
them"
"All right. 1t would be better. I
guess" Patience put the green slips
in her own handbag and closed 1t
with a snap II was going to any
way I can see that things like that
getting a rest like 1t. do. really"
She touched Cornelia'sswrist lightly.
The contact reconciled Cornelia to her
duplicity and its penalty. Patience
liked her, not as a matter of duty
and decency. but spontaneously.
1t had not been easy, though. and
she felt the effect Of the weeks mas
querade as she leaned back with
genuine WEAKNESS. The moment she
relaxed her vigilant watch upon her
self the old habit Of authority as
serted itself; again and again as they
explored the stores. she had caught
that decisive ring in her voice; had
stopped in the act of assuming COM
mand Of the expedition. And she had
needed diplomacy. too. to prevent Pa
thence from restocking her wardrobe
with absurdly unsuitable things.
AS it was, she had yielded a good
many times. She could manage to
give most Of those unsuitable clothes
Do hat arcurStOn
was over, without seeming to be over
generous"
She compelled herself to stand
passively out Of the way as Patience
communicated porters and superin-
tended the transfer Of their hand lug
gage to tile train.
The Pullman. conductor came to
theA as the train started. Somebody
had blundered: the upper berth in
their section had been resold. and
every inch Of space was occupied In
the rest OF the train. He hated to
ask it, but
Cornelia Lescott drew in her breath
for q curt refusal; she had paid for
a section and held proofs Of her right
to 1t.
But Patience was too quick for her.
"Oh,. wen manage in the lower.
When there's such a crowd mistakes
are bound to happen"
The rival claimant stood behind
the CONDUCTOR tall, tired man,
queerly pathetic in his visible en-
barrassment. She classified him in
stantly: the type of man which is
foredoomed to be bullied and brow
beaten by cabman and waiter and
clerk, without protest or resentment.
tt could hnd room in the day
coach. conductor-rd rather not dis
turb these ladies'"
"oh, that's all right" Patience in
tervened again. 'Well manage per-
fectly." She changed her seat, leav-
ing the forward one vacant. and ges-
tured toward 1t so compellingly that
the matter settled itself. The con-
ductor vanished instantly.
ITS very good OF you" The in
truder slowed golf bag and suit case
clumsily. stumbled over both and
apolegixed bfeathlessly-to Patience.
Miss Lescott smiled family at this;
it was evident that even to the eye
Of tho beholder the girl was in
charge.
Patience rearranged the mans pos
sessions with brisk ef,iciency. leav-
ing foot room for All three.
Thanks" He beamed gratefully.
II suppose I ought to have checked
my clubs, but they're 80 apt to break
EN- In the baggage car. And made
most Of these myself, 80 that I'm
rather tender of EN-"
\
MISS LEscoTT felt her brows lift.
1vA II he made golf clubs he must
be a professional. little as he re-
sembled those she had encountered.
She had the democracy OF most husi-
ness women. but the prospect Of shar-
ing q section all the way to Cedar
crest with . man who made his living
from game affronted her neverthe-
less.
"You made them :" Patience was in
stantly interested, MAY, I. see? I