The Washington times., 1937-11-03

newspaper above them to make
the bag full.
Then she tried to tidy her hair.
powder her nose. Two minutes
and Karen Mallory, again with a
light in her eye, got out of the car,
bag in hand and made for the
hotel, her hat at rakiSh angle,
her topcoat not too wrinkled.
Karen had an air. There was
no denying it. The bellboy perked
up when she smiled at him. The
clerk at the desk never quivered
when she demanded a room and
bath.
Once in her room she picked up
a telephone, ordered everything
she could think Of to eat. While
she was waiting for it she got a
hot bath. Life began to look up.
BY the time the bacon, eggs, po"
tatoes, coffee and all the rest ar.
rived Karen was ready to fight.
But she did not have the courage
not to tip the waiter generously
from the slim store Of money, al.
though she signed the check with
an impish grin.
BY now, although she had not
slept, she was wide awake again.
Her mind was clear. She began
figuring up things. Her room was
So, her breakfast brought the bill
to $3.50.
Sitting at the desk, she wrote a
check for $40, inclosed her card,
with the following: "Sorry to have
inconvenienced you, but I did not
care to identify myself"
She signed her own name, put
note, check and card into an en-
velope and stood it in front Of the
mirror. Then she went softly out
the door, locked it and walked
down to the desk.
Il am expecting a visitor. Will
you say I'll be back for dinner??"
The plan worked perfectly. Two
minutes later Karen, well fed. con-
tent, was on her way to New York;
the last lap of her wild journey.
She stopped only once for gas
on the trip from Albany. Then,
because she had her dimes
counted, she risked cents on
coffee and cents on a New York
afternoon newspaper. AS she
drank the coffee she read for the
first time an account of the Coro-
ner's Court inquiry into the acci'
dent.
PLANS
She read every word, although
some of them made uncomfortable
reading for her. She learned
more about the Marietta and the
Rosaldo families. There was a
photograph of the Marietta fam.
lily in court, five of them. Karen
looked at the family she was 60
ing to adopt. She was very criti-
cal and leiSurely in her judgment.
Now Cecilia, Karen decided, had
distinct possibilities. She was II.
and she'd be lovely in the right
clothes. Karen would send her to
Vassar, or maybe to Smith, or Co.
lumbia if Cecilia preferred. Yes, 1t
would be fund having a ready.
made family. Karen thought John
ought to make an engineer and
she'd let Joe study medicine.
Karen's spirits rose higher. She
must hurry on.
She borrowed a pencil from the
counter boy and wrote down care
fully Cecilia'S address. It was on
Tenth Street, just off Second
Avenue.
Karen wondered how Lucy and
her parents were taking her flight.
She hoped her dad would not
blame Lucy, but Karen would fix
all that!
She hurried out to the car
again. Those last so miles COM
ing in to New York seemed like
500 to Karen. Once traffic Of
ficer yelled at her and in her
terror she slowed down. So it was
dusk when she finally came down
Second Avenue, humping over the
frozen, snowy streets in the
shabby little car.
She turned left, negotiating her
way dexterously in the rush-hour
traffic. Slowly she cruiSed along
hunting for the number. They
were shabby houses, rising up and
up, shabbier than Karen had ex-
pected. Finally she found the
number. She walked up the steps.
There was no bell, but she went
into the hallway. A woman was
standing there and she asked for
the Mariettos.
They got company"
THAT does not matter, I must
see Cecilia"
Hey, Cecilia" sang out the
woman. From the second landing.
dark curly head leaned out. "A
lady wants to see you"
Karen hoped the woman would
go away, but she stayed, frankly
interested in what was to tran.
Spire.
ITO Be COntinued)
Copyright 1887. Public Ledge
Al