The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-11-09

last seen her, had worn & look o
profound encouragement. She neyel
complained, tut when he saw tina
particular expression he was fright
ened and the responsibility for he
came heavily upon him. This wilt
thing he had brought to New Yorb
must not be allowed to beat its head
dumbly against the bars.
When he had got rid of his driver
he turned the car northward, and a
few minutes later Mathilde, the
French maid chosen by Betty, opened
James door to him.
While he took of his coat he looked
along the hall and saw Its owner sit
ting, her chin propped On a lattice
work Of fingers. She was gazing out
of the window. 1t was a beautiful,
fui In the long, still pose and the fixed
look. She was still dressed in street
clothes as when she had left the
theater, a blouse and skirt of dark
gray, very plain. Her figure, now that
It was trained to slight corseting, was
less vigorous and more fine-drawn.
She was very thin, but she had lost
her worn and haggard look the pre-
mature hard lines had almost disap-
peared a softer climate, proper care,
rest, food, luxury had given back her
young, clear sksn and the brightness
of eyes and lips. Her hair, arranged
very simply to frame her face In a
broken setting Of black. was glossy,
and here and there, deeply waved. 1t
was the arrangement chosen for her
by Betty and copied from a Du-
Maurier drawing of the duchess Of
Towers. 1t was hard to believe that
this graceful woman was the virago
Jane, harder for any n that had
seen a heavy, handsome girl stride into
Mrs. Upper's hotel and ask for work,
to believe that she was here.
Moreno clapped his hands in the
eastern fashion of summons, and Jane
looked toward him.
"Oh." she said, I'm glad you came
He strolled In and stood beside her
shaking his head.
81 didn't like the look of you this
afternoon, my dear"
"Well, sir" said Jane, 81 don't like
the look Of you, either" She smiled
her slow, unself-conscious smile. "You
sit down n I'll make tea for you"
He knew that thought for some one
else was the best tonic for her mood.
so he dropped. with his usual limp
grace, into the nearest chair, put back
his head and half-closed his eyes.
"Tm used up" he said II haven't
a word-not one to throw at a dog"
please don't throw one at me, then.
surely wouldn't take It as a compli-
She made the tea gravely, as
absorbed in the work as a little girl
who makes tea for her dolls. She
brought him his cup and went back to
place and again her face settled
into that look. She had evidently for
him and her eyes held a vision
Is Of distances.
He put a hand up to break her fixed
yaze. what is 1t. Janei What do
rou seer"
To his establishment she hid her
ACE In her hands. ITS awful to live
Ike this" she moaned; and II fright
med him to see her move her head
rom side to side like an imprisoned
'east, shifting before bars.
He looked about the pretty room
nd repeated, Like this?" half
eproachfully.
81 hate It'll" She spoke through her
II hate IL And, oh, the sounds,
noises. grinding into your ears"
Here the hands came to her ears
nd framed a white, desperate face in
the lids had fallen over sick
yes.
Jasper sat listening to the hum and
oar and clatter of the street. To him
was q pleasant sound, and here IL I
Tas subdued and remote enough. Her
ace was like that of some one mad !
ened by noise.
''You don't smell anything fresh '
or chest lifted-"you don't get air. i !
ant breathe. Everything presses in" I
be opened her eyes, bright and des- )
what am l doing here, Mr.. d
.orena?" .
He had put down his cup quietly.
II he was really h~alf-afraid of her. n
Why did you come, Jane?"
Because l was afraid of some one. b
was running away, Mr.. Moreno.
here's some n that mustn't ever !"
me now, and TO run away from
m-that was the business Of my life.
nd 1t kept my heart full Of him and o.
e dread of his coming. You see. that q
my happiness. l hoped he was
king after me SOS l could run In
She laughed apologetlcally. HI
Does that sound crazy to your"
mo, l think I understand. And te
W
He'll never come here. He'll never
ID me. It's been four years. And G
o so changed. This"-she gave her
II a downward look-"this isn't the
n he wants Probably by
W he's given me up. Maybe he's
and another. Everything that's bad
d hateful can find me out here. Bad si