Show the girl in the mirror 8 FROM THE lurl devon gar young chap somewhat inclined to wald has recently succeeded aa playwright 1 wealthy els tr barbara who hae helped him to succeed has just been married and I 1 to japan leav ing leurle on hia own epstein and panes his theatrical partner have promised barbara to keep n eye on baurle they scold him tor hia laziness of late and he retorts that he seeks adventure hie window in nw york he the reflection of a beautiful girl in a mirror in the house opposite from the elevator boy in the girls house baurle learns the girl s name la mayo again in the mirrors re he sees her with a revolver and fears she means to coronal suicide lie rushes into her apartment and winning her confidence induces her to lunch with him though she warns him of danger at lunch ehe admits there Is mystery in her life she davs also that her funds are almost exhausted but refuses flatly baurle s offer of financial help As a etringer enters the restaurant the girl mutters lie has found me upon learning that the man has no claim on her baurle warns the stranger not to molest the earl whose name laerte learns Is doris to louise ordway his invalid sister ln law baurle admit bis interest in doris CHAPTER VI continued 9 bob ehnow she said if he had felt the least suspicion he have gone so tar or for so long I 1 thought I 1 bad three or four laurie bent and kled her cheek tm coming in every day he eald end abruptly left the room in the lower hall he stopped to take in the full real realization of what ho had discovered louise superb arrogant beautiful louise was really 1 desperately A feeling of remorse mingled with his sense of hock he had believed her a sort of nervous hypochondriac he had resented her excessive demands on barbara that it was only since he had seen much of her in this last month that he had been able wholeheartedly to like and admire her As he stood he become con of another presence an au impressive one familiar in the past but veiled now as it vere in a midst of human emotion it was jep ion the butler he coughed humbly Hex cuse me sir he faltered but mrs cordway quite so well lately sir ave you hob served that laurie nodded 1 I noticed it today he admitted ashes losan strength very fast sir hall of us as seen it cook says ehe don t eat nothing and and the nurse sas its ard work to get er from the bed to er chair landle checked these revelations has the doctor been here today desir two of cm ave been ere doctor speyer canies conies hevery day this morning e brought doctor names again hits very hup setting sir with cr brollier brot lier away and hall the man was genuinely anxious I 1 aarle tried to reassure him she may be better in a day or two he sad more buoyantly than he felt but come in every day and heres my telephone number if anything goes wrong call nie up am mediately leave a message if not there dessir thank you sir jepson was pathetically grateful and relieved he had the english servants characteristic te need of sanction and author ity when baurle reached his rooms he called sonya on the telephone like depson he wa feeling rather over whelmed by his responsibilities it was a relief to bear deep colorful voice know you were here till just now he told her I 1 coming to eee yon in the morning I 1 want to talk to you about a lot of things including mrs ordway suggest ed sonya yes you saw her today you no of course la to be op rated on tomorrow send him back to devon house with his mother in a few days as soon as he can safely travel and I 1 shall stay right here splendid of youl its what barbara and mr warren would bloh and mrs ordway too I 1 think though ehe would never sug jest it im sure it Is I 1 aunte hung up the receiver with nervous hand to a youth of awen ty four it Is a somewhat overpower ing experience to discover that destiny te especially busy over alie affair of two women for whom he has assumed a definite responsibility As he turned from the instrument its bell again e impelled his attention he took up ao receiver and the voice of a girl came to hia ear A week or two ago he had rather liked eliat voice end its owner a gay irresponsible good hearted little creature who pranced in the front row of eu up town pony ballet now he to it with keen distaste hello baurle it twittered Is that you thia Is listen I 1 otta plan A banch of us te coln it to gedney to supper tonight were coln to leave right efter the saw are you on laurie got rid of the fair blello he it courteously but very firmly A by ELIZABETH JORDAN 0 by the century woj 1 rather unusual degree of firmness was necessary for miss was not used to having her invitations refused she accepted the phenomenon with acute unwillingness and very langer angly bangs was not at home to divert hia mind with his robust con vers atlon As he dressed tor his call on doris the sharp contrasts of life struck baurle with the peculiar force with which they hit the young and the inexperienced but wore they really contrasts on the one side were louise dying and doris seemingly eager to die on the other were blello and her friends foolish little butterflies enjoying their brief hour in the secret garden ot life at eight baurle found doris sitting under the shade of a reading lamp in her studio eternally chattering about good times playing they were happy per baag even thinking they were happy but infinitely more tragic figures louise and doris yet a week ago he had thought they amused him I 1 pondering on these and other largo problems he absently removed the bloom from three fresh ties CHAPTER VII griggs gels an order at eight baurle found doris sitting under the shade of a reading lamp in her studio deep in the pages of a sophisticated french novel and radiating an almost oppressive atmos phere of well being subconsciously he resented this his mood was keyed to tragedy but he returned her halt serious liala mocking smile with one as enigmatic shook bands with grave formality and surveyed Burve with mild interest a modest heap of bank notes of small denominations that lay on the table catching the rooms high lights fol lowing his glance doris nodded corn 1 I left them there for you to see she remarked did the kind gentleman under the three balls give ou nil that lie did baurle frowned don t be so arrogant about your wealth its fleeting any copy book will tell you so she opened a small drawer in the table swept the bills into it and casually closed it baurle stared are you going to leave it there just like that she looked patient hy not I 1 begin to understand why you are sometimes financially cramped took the bills smoothed them out flat rolled back the rug to alie edge of the table laid the money un der it and carefully replaced the rug that the place to put it he ob served with satisfaction one connected with a studio ever lifts u rug bangs and I 1 used to throw our money under the furniture and pick it up as wo needed it but others sometimes reached it first this way Is better how doely you look I 1 he added As he spoke he comfortably seated himself on the other side of the reading lamp and moved the lamp to a point where it would not obstruct his law of her she did look lovely she had put on an evening gown ery simply made but rich in the oriental color ing she loved she was like louise in that laurales thoughts swung to the batters lat eick room and his brill lint young face grew somber the girl lounging in the big chair observed the sudden change in his expression she pushed a box of cigarettes toward him smoke if you like she said in differently my friends do he caught the phrase then she had friends I 1 including herbert ran some shaw he asked as he lit a match don t include him among my friends I 1 but he was here this aft ernson he wasi in his rising interest laurie nearly let the match go out hat did he want to warn me to have nothing to do with you 1 I like his infernal cheek laurie lit the cigarette and puffed at it savagely then rising he drew his chair forward and sat down fac ing her see here he said quietly better tell me the whole story I 1 can t help you much it kept in the dark but if let me into bilings and before I 1 forget it he interrupted himself to interject J want to bring a friend of mine to call on you she will be a tower of strength ashes a russian and one of the best women I 1 know she listened with a slight smile her name miss Orie nef sonya Orl eneff a great pal of my sisters and an all round good sort id like to bring her in tomorrow afternoon will five be convenient no she spoke now with the curtness of the morning in no circum stances she added decisively but why was dazed it ever a knight errant worked under greater ties than these laurie told himself hed like to know the poor chaps name 1 I have no wish to meet miss or eneff but she s an ideal person for you to know experienced sympathetic and understanding she did a lot for my sister last year I 1 must tell you all about that sometime she could do more for you mr deoni the finality of her tone brought him up short we must understand each other I 1 should like nothing better lw was suddenly formal this morning you projected your self into my life literally he cordially agreed 1 I am grateful to you for what you did and what you wish to do but I 1 will not meet any more strangers I 1 will not meet miss Orl eneff or adv one else Is that clear oh perfectly 1 laurie sighed of course youre a crowned head ho mused aloud 1 I had forgotten would you like my head on a charger or anything like that slie studied him thoughtfully almost from the first she said and except for an occasional minute or two you have refused to be aeri ous that interests me why Is aren t you willing to realize that there are real troubles in the world terrible troubles that the bravest go down gunj i of oure he was serious now lie biad begun to realize that fully its my unfortunate manner I 1 cup pose he defended himself 1 I ve neer taken anything seriously for very long its hard to form the hab it all of a sudden will have to take me seriously lie fiade a large gesture of acceptance all right he promised that brings us back to where we were tell me the truth there anything in it that really menaces you you 11 find me serious enough before answering she rose and opened the studio door on which ho observed with approval a strong new lock and an inside bolt had already been placed lie saw lier peer up and down the hall then she closed and bolted the door and returned to her chair the precaution brought before him a mental vision of herbert ban some prowling about the dim corridor he emoke incredulously are you really afraid of that chap I 1 have good reason to be she said quietly she eat down in her chair agile rested her elbows on the table and her chin in hr hands in the pose already so familiar to him and added quietly lie Is the source of all my present trouble she stopped and turned her head to listen do you hear anything moving in the hall she asked almost in a whis per no shall I 1 look she shook her head dont unbolt the door toure nervous im sure theres nothing there please go on he urged our little friend bertie seeing her expression he stopped short forgive roe he said humbly but the plain truth Is its awfully bard for me to take that fellow seriously oh I 1 know hes venomous he conceded but I 1 can t help feeling that he as much power over you as you think he has realized that she was listening but not to him there 1 some one outside that door whimpered baurle leaped to the door as noise lessly as a cat unbolted it and flung it open the hall was empty had an instantaneous impression that something as silent as a moving shad ow had vanished around the staircase at the far end but when he reached the spot he saw nothing save the de iron spirals of successive stairways returned to his corn canlon smiling reassuringly its our nerves he said in few minutes more I 1 shall be worrying about bertie myself bolt the door she directed he obeyed she went on as if there had been no interruption to their talk it what he Is she admitted lie himself Is nothing as you say its what Is back of him that that frightens mel why dont you smoke she interrupted herself to ask baurle automatically selected and lit another cigarette I 1 know what s going to be back of bertie pretty soon lie darkly predicted hoever he Is and whatever he Is doing he his a big jolt coming t him and its coining fast he laid down the cigarette and turned to her with hia most charming expression a wonderfully sweet smile half shy wholly boyish before this look any one who loved laurence devon was helpless come ho said gently tell me the whole story you know its not curiosity that makes me ask but how can I 1 help you when I 1 ni working in tha dark As slie hesitated his brilliant eyes so softened now continued to hold her and I 1 want to help vou he added 1 I want that privilege more than I 1 want anything else in the world for a long moment she sat still as if considering his words her eyes on her hands folded in her lap the strange deep flush he had noticed once before again stained her face at last she straightened up with a quick movement throwing back her shoulders as if to take on again some burden they had almost cast off 1 I aca sorry to seem so mysterious she said and so unresponsive I 1 will tell you this much and it Is more than I 1 ought to say in the situation we are in I 1 am in hia power horribly so he can crush me at any time he chooses then why doean doesn t he alie gentleness of her callers voice softened the brusqueness of his words because she stopped again for the first time she had become embarrassed and self she made her climax in a rush lately he insists that he has fallen in love with cef I 1 aarle uttered an ejaculation it was not a pretty one but it nicely fitted the emergency lie has hoped that to save myself and others I 1 will marry him the con crawling anake t the listener was impresa eed by her certainly there waa something ophidian about beaw he himself had noticed it then for the time being youre really safe be suggested no his patience Is exhausted he Is beginning to realize that ia rather die lauilo get the idea that the police ought to be notified but doris warn him that would spoil TO |