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Show 1 ' Hi I-: TISSIJPISODE, The Reckless Girl and the Man With the Wicked Face. ' By AGNES G. BROQAN. " ' ICopyrluht, 1010, by American. Presa Arao- ; elation. ' Miss Elizabeth Robbing regarded. her brother thoughtfully across tho -breakfast table. "Jackie," she said, "I am going to work" a pause "lirtho.slump." ; "You are not," responded' Mr, Rob- bins decidedly, "going to do anything of the sort." 1 Then Bettlo canio down to her broth er's end of the table. 1 "Oh, wait until you hear about the plan, Jneklo," she pleaded, "and re-." re-." member that I shall only go ono after- y ' , noon each week. Mrs. llolmwood Is Interested In a mission away down" ; Bottle's eyes opened very wide "In tho worst part of the city. It la called Welcome hall and has been Btarted through the efforts of that great preacher, Dr.'IIenry Huntington Smith, -t who has come hero recently. "Mrs. IJolmwood says thnt,they gath- v or tho women and men of that vlcln- $ : Ity Into Welcome hall every afternoon J l" t ' nnd evening, servo coffee, have music, , - speaking,- nnd oh, you know," tin- Ished Kettle vaguely. "Which part of the program do you furnish, may I ask," said Jack, "upon - ' your particular afternoon?' t . "Why, I don't know," said Bettlo un- ccrtaiidy. "This will bo my first day, you see. 1 could at least play tho k piano, and I shall bo homodn tlmo to see that Mnry serves your dinner prop-- prop-- crly." , I' "As for that" Jack was getting Into his overcoat now, so Bettio followed I him to the hall "as for that, I may J bo n little lato for dinner tonight, but : If you have fully made up your mind " to this business keep close to Mrs. J llolmwood all tho time." j Later In the day, clad Jnm tan storm t. coat nnd with a pert little red velvot y turbnn upon her curly ha2r, Miss Bet- ? tie descended to tho parlor, whero tho t , pastor's wlfo sat waiting. "You see," sho said laughingly, "I have worji my very oldest clothes as directed, and I am suro that your girls t could not now be prejudiced against ' v $ mo becnuso of my fijio appearance." i. X The two stepped out Into a heavy ii' snowstorm. From ono car to another - they changed, each street growing ' i stranger and shabbier to Bottle's un- i t t?fflrn7 a "they Ann qoino to havk cake and H COFPEE." 'I accustomed eyes, until Welcome hall, M v. with Its groat Bign ovler tho doorway ijM a ,slgn. that turned to -glittering let-Ill let-Ill tors of tiro at night loomed up be.fore i1 them. EM Tho pastor's wlfo went first, and Bet- m tie followed between- chattering rows K of givlg. ,'JJlui place was qute dlffer-h dlffer-h ' " out from what she had expected, so W r. , -.Jaige-nud.w1hlto and bare. .ITha stoam ' ' from boiling coffee seemed to till tho If, jilr, and it was very close and warm in If iiie room. ' I The girls were disappointed also aud it ; cqemed to prefer coffee to music, so t Bottle stood filling tlio cups while tho fi demand scorned ever to increase. ', i Tho steam lodging In her curly hair ; w brought It fiontlng in Bhinlng strands j ;! across her flushed face as the wait- ; ' i-essos bado her "hustle." And It was j n fvery dishuvelcd nnd rather angry i young person who sought Mrs.' Holm- j wood toward the end of tho shoct win- if ter afternoon. "L nm going liome now," sfte an- nouueed. "I cannot wait any longer , for you, Mrs. llolmwood." The pastor's wife looked upat Bets' Bet-s' ticnbsently. She was helplngwi white I raced girl lu her selection of books 4 ' from the small library. I "Very well," she said, "thank; you so I much for coming, aud mind, dear, take it tho green car nt the door'" J! Bejtlo pinned tho bright turbi.n upon 1 her -floating hair, buf was whclly un nwnrc Umt tho little lint won tilted ' jK 'riefydecldQdl.v-QY'ei:jireye. . ji ' i i Wiiil W iuefft'silpfiing nuo'tno rail raincoat, alio hurried oueo moro Into the cool, I fresh air aud stood with hands thrust J deep into her pockets nt the entrance fl to Welcome hall, impatiently awaiting the nppenrance of a green car. j Sho had turned to watch the boy j lighting the street lamp when her cyo fell upon a man, n great broad shoul- dered fellow with a swaggering walk. Ho wore a long checked ulster, nnd ,1 his red hair curled about tho back of the rough woolen cup, which was pull- 1 cd down over his cars. A sudden fear seized Bottlo as sho ! rcmombcred tho nowspapor tales ox that locality and her brother's warn- 1 Ing. ! If only sho had waited for Mrs. . Uolmwoodl For an lnstnnt sho con- Bldcrcd retreat, then turned to faco her robber. "Going in?" the man asked, with a nod toward tho glittering sign. Bottlo stared, to all appearances quite deaf aud dumb. "They are going to havo cake and eoffco," snld tho man, with n grin. ' "Como on; lot us go in." This, added to the discomfort of the afternoon, was too much for Bottle's patience. "No," sho said, turning upon him like a small fury; "I nm not going In there. Do you understand that? Aud if you daro speak to mo again I will hand you over to n policeman." Tho man chuckled aud laid a great, detaining hand upon her arm. "Now, see here, dou't bo angry," ho was beginning, when, with a cry of relief, re-lief, Bettlo ran Into tho road to hall the green car, which was fast approaching. ap-proaching. As tho car turned tho corner sho had tho satisfaction of seeing n blue coated officer of the law In earnest conversation conversa-tion with tho ruffian in tho checkered ulster. When tho robolllous brown hnlr had been smoothly colled Into its most becoming be-coming coiffure and Miss Bobbins had donned n dainty violet gown sho began be-gan to feel moro charitably lncllucd toward tho world in general. "Perhaps," sho remarked to tho re- ' fleeted faco In tho glass, "I was a bit hasty with that dreadful man." Her mcdltntlous were interrupted by voices down in the front hnll. A moment Inter Jack burst excitedly excited-ly Into tho room. "Hello, there, Betslel" ho cried. "Remember "Re-member hearing mo tell nbout my old college chum, Hal Smith, great nth-1 lote, famous football player and fine fellow? Well, I met him in tho restaurant res-taurant nt noon today, and whom do you .tmpposo he is? Nono gther than vonr creat DlT irchrV" iruHtlnctoYr Smith. Hnsn't hud time to hunt mo up since ho came to the city, for ho Is n very busy man. So I Just mado him promise to come up to dinner tonight, nnd when you come down," finished Jack, with a laugh, "you can talk over your mission work with him." "Yes," agreed his sister in a smnll voice, "my mission work." Sho stood for a moment at the head of the stairs, listening to their voices, when suddenly Betllo's eyes opened very wide. Whero lmd sho henrd that deep toned volco before? It was like, oh, horrl-' horrl-' bly like She descended two or throe steps and looked over tho balustrade. The Rev. Dr. Smith wns standing before tho fireplace, his tnll, brond uhouldercd flguro clad Irreproachably Jn tho black of his culling. Poor Bettlo collapsed, a violet bundle, bun-dle, on tho third top step of tho stairs, ho voice still camo floating up to Jier. "Yes, I have had some odd experiences, experi-ences, Jack, but It is nil In knowing the nature of tho people you hove to denl with. A very unpleasant Incipient Inci-pient occurred, however, this afternoon. I wns going over to hold servlco at our mission when I saw ono of those poor .girls nt tho door. She was evidently hesitating, undecided whether to enter en-ter or to go on In her own way. Sometimes Some-times a smiling word of encouragement encourage-ment or companionship Is all that is needed to help inako tho decision, so 1 .Invited her to go In with me. "In n moment sho was on tho defensive. de-fensive. . Still I tried to persuade, i when sho turned ou me a veritable ' -virago threatened," said Dr. Smith, "to hand me. over to tho police. She mlcht." he continued reflectively, "have had a pretty faco had it not been so completely hardened into recklessness." reck-lessness." Miss Bettio arose suddenly and came rustling softly down tho stairs. Sho .stood for a moment in the doorway .awaiting her brother's Introduction with downcast eyes. ! "I nm so pleased to meet you, Dr. Smith," snld a meek voice, but tho ,-young minister stood staring and 'seemed to havo forgotten to speak. "Bettlo," said Jack impulsively, "Dr. Smith hns been telling mo about that mission you are interested in, nnd you had better not go there any more. My sister," ho oxplalued to his frleud, "is very timid." "I do not think that I shall go again, Jack, dear," said his sister, "for I was po annoyed this afternoon when lenv- ingHho mission to couio home. Ono of the rough men of that locality was & very rude. In fact, I don't doubt that ' ibe vns after my.puree, forctuolly. einr-.a" ma oy r.iu inrn; una"iiu mm such u hard, wicked face." Bottlo shuddered nnd then smiled nt $ the minister. J "That scttlpn It," said Jack sternly. J.'YQU-.d0.110jCQ..UCfllll.!.'., ,. rr-r 4 Bottle led the way to tho dining room and paused n moment as her brother's frleud hold tho curtain aside J for her to pass. "Do you think," sho asked, looking up nt him with dancing eyes, "that 5 there would bo any real danger?" 5 "I think," snld Dr. Smith, with nn 5 answering smile, "that your brother J need havo no anxiety upon your be- i half, for I am uutto suro that you are j able to take care of yourself.". . $ t i Mrs. llolmwood had Just finished 5 rending nn account of tho marriage of j Miss Elizabeth Dorothy Bobbins to 5 tho Rev. Henry Huntington Smith.- j "Sho Is a blight girl," sho said to Jj her husband, "and u pretty ono, but. I j four sho will bo no help to that great j man in his mission work. Truly he i might havo made n wiser choice." But Dr. Smith holds a very different j oninlon. , , J |