"Here."

"Yes. But what are you going to say to your parents when you write?

They suppose you are on your way to Paris."

She nodded, looking at him thoughtfully.

"By the way," he added, "is your trunk on board the Lusitania?"

"Yes."

"That won't do! Have you the check for it?"

"Yes, in my purse."

"We've got to get that trunk off the ship," he said. "There's only one

sure way. I'd better go down now, to the pier. Where's your steamer

ticket?"

"I--I have both tickets and both checks in my bag. He--let me have

the p-pleasure of carrying them----" Again her voice broke childishly,

but the threatened emotion was strangled and resolutely choked back.

"Give me the tickets and checks," he said. "I'll go down to the dock

now."

She drew out the papers, sat holding them for a few moments without

relinquishing them. Then she raised her eyes to his, and a bright

flush stained her face: "Why should I not go to Paris by myself?" she demanded.

"You mean now? On this ship?"

"Yes. Why not? I have enough money to go there and study, haven't I?"

"Yes. But----"

"Why not!" she repeated feverishly, her grey eyes sparkling. "I have

three thousand dollars; I can't go back to Brookhollow and disgrace

them. What does it matter where I go?"

"It would be all right," he said, "if you'd ever had any

experience----"

"Experience! What do you call what I've had today!" She exclaimed

excitedly. "To lose in a single day my mother, my home--to go through

in this city what I have gone through--what I am going through now--is

not that enough experience? Isn't it?"

He said: "You've had a rotten awakening, Rue--a perfectly devilish experience.

Only--you've never travelled alone----" Suddenly it occurred to him

that his lively friend, the Princess Mistchenka, was sailing on the

Lusitania; and he remained silent, uncertain, looking with vague

misgivings at this girl in the armchair opposite--this thin, unformed,

inexperienced child who had attained neither mental nor physical

maturity.

"I think," he said at length, "that I told you I had a friend sailing

on the Lusitania tomorrow."

She remembered and nodded.

"But wait a moment," he added. "How do you know that this--this fellow

Brandes will not attempt to sail on her, also----" Something checked

him, for in the girl's golden-grey eyes he saw a flame glimmer;

something almost terrible came into the child's still gaze; and

slowly died out like the afterglow of lightning.




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024