The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-05-11
His Masked
Hostess
By FRANK H. WILLIAMS
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anu rutner SelI-Ceutereu.
So when Ramsey came to his Office
In the morning he generally went
through the same routine day In and
day out without much variation. There
was shy greeting to the Office force,
quick dart into his large. comfort
able office, a glance through the mail
and then some dictation to pretty
Mary Evans, while, shyly, he marveled
at the luxuriance of her unbobbed
brown hair, and marveled at the depth
Of her big blue eyes, and felt little
fiutter around his heart at the mere
thought that perhaps she might some
day preside over his home instead
Of merely being an important cog In
the Office machinery.
But this morning there was break
In the routine.~ Ramsey, in fact
scarcely even looked up when Mary,
radiant In her youthful beauty, en-
tered on time to the dot and took her
accustomed seat.
But this merning there had come a
letter-an extraordinary, startling let
ter-and Ramsey was still reading 1t
over and over and still trying to de-
termine whether 1t was hoax or the
real thing.
This Is what the letter. written in a
flowing, feminine hand, had to say:
Dear Ramsey CHATS not very for
NAL, Is itO- -
II know you're lonely old bachelor
and you ought to have home of your
own instead Of merely inhabiting
quarters. 1t looks to me as If you
don't have much fun in life and it also
looks to me as though good home
cooked meal would do you world of
good. So Pm going to take pity on
you and Invite you to take dinner with
my married sister and myself tomor-
row evening at half past six o'clock at
my sisters home, 91S Linden avenue.
There will be only we three-my sis
ter's husband will be out Of the city,
much to his disappointment, because
We told him about our plans and he's
much interested IN them. And-Pm
going to cook the dinner entirely by
myself.
"Now here's the point: I'd just die
If you should find out who l am, be-
cause this is a mighty bold thing to
do. My sister and l will be masked
while you are at the house and I'm
going to trust to your honor not to
try to find out who we are.
IF you can't come, please phone
Main 2119 promptly at II 80 o'clock
tomorrow roon and simply say I can't
come and give your name. But IL we
don't hear from you at that time we'll
expect you tomorrow nign,.'
There was no name signed to the
letter and nothing else.
Ramsey, quite absorbed at this
rather pleasant break In the monotony
Of his life. read the letter again and
again.
At last, however, he looked up to
nnd Mary's big blue eyes fixed on him
In puzzlement at this astounding dis
arrangement of the mornings routine.
And as Ramsey. looked full into Mary's
eyes the letter was momentarily for
gotten and stronger wave of senti-
ment for Mary swept over him than
he had yet experienced.
On the instant Ramsey felt a wild
outburst Of hopes and affection on the
tip Of his tongue.
Then, on the instant cloud Of
despair swept over him. For Mary
dropped her eyes to her notebook and
there he saw again the photograph
Of q men--the same photograph that
had been in her notebook for the
past week and which she so frequently
regarded with rapt attention. Her
fiance, probably, thought Ramsey rue
fully.
Dictation went badly that morning.
All during the time Mary was In the
office with him there were two ele-
ments IL Ramsey's mind which stopped
his usually ready flow of business
language and made him frequently
stop and stare blankly into vacancy.
One of these was his rapidly growing
sentiment for Mary and fast augment
Ing rage sgainst the unknown man
whose picture she carried In her note
book, and the other was the lure Of the
unknown woman who had so suddenly
and Interestingly come into his life.
All the rest of the day Ramsey was
restless. Should he accept the invita-
lion or notf
On the following day he was not
himself at all. He found II so Inn
possible to conduct his routine as un-
der normal conditions that he dis
pensed entirely with dictation and
spent almost the entire morning In a
furry of indecision as to whether he
should go to Linden avenue and meet
the masked hostess or not. For a shy
man and man who had few adven-
lures in life II was quit problem.
But--half past twelve came and
went, and Ramsey failed to call.
AS the afternoon wore on Ramsey
came to feel a certain sense Of fatality
In the coming event. II he went to the
dinner. he felt, instinctively, that the
masked hostess would ensnare him
and that Mary. consequently, would
pass out OF his life forever.
with sort of courage born Of des-
peration Ramsey tried hard to see