THE MYSTERY GIRL
By f.VltOLY.N VI ELLA. (Copyright. 1922.)
(Continued from Yesterday.)
SYNOPSIS.
John Waring, gentleman and achnl
»•“, has just won (he holly contested
election to the presidency of Corinth
I allege, a venerable New England
seat of learning. Before his inaugura
tion he plans to marry Emily Bates,
a charming and cultivated widow.
The widow and other friends are hav
ing tea at the Waring home.
The house was a large one. with a
fine front portico upheld by six enor
mous fluted columns.
O’c of the most beautiful of New
Langland doorways led into a wide
Bill. To the right of this was the
drawing room, not so oflen used and
not so well liked as the more cozy
living room to the left us one entered
and where the tea drinking group
now sat.
Further back, on the living room
side, was the dining room, and be
side It. back of the drawing room,
was the doctor's study. Tills was
the gem of the whole house. The
floor had been sunken to give greater
ceiling height, for the room was very
large, and of fine proportions. It
opened onto the cross hall with wide
double doors, and a flight of six or
seven steps descended to its rug cov
ered floor.
Opposite the double doors was the
great fireplace with high over-mantel
of carved stone. Each side of the
nantel were windows, high and not
large. The main daylight came1
tiirough it great window on the right
of the entrance and also from a long
French window that opened like doors
on the eume side.
This French window, giving on a
small porch, and the door that opened
into the cross hall of the house were
the only doors in the great room, save
those on cupboards ami bookcases
On the other side of the room, oppo
site the French window, was a row of
four small windows looking into the
■ lining room. But these were high,
and could not be seen through by
people on the sunken floor of the
study.
Th* whole room was done In Circas
sian walnut, and represented the Ideal
abode of a man of letters. The fire
side was flunked with two facing dav
enports, the wide window seat was
piled with cushions. The french win
dow doors were suitably curtained and
the high windows were of truly beau
tiful stained glass.
The spacious table desk was tn the
middle of the room, and bookcases,
both portable and built-in, lined the
walls. There were a few good busts
and valuable pictures, and the whole
effect was one of dignity and repose
rather than of elaborate grandeur.
The room was renowned, and all
Corinth spoke of it with pride. The
students felt it a great occasion that
brought them within Its walls and the
faculty loved nothing better than a
session there.
Casual guests were rarely enter
tained in the study. Only especial
visitors or those worthy of Us classic
atmosphere found welcome there.
Mrs. Peyton or Helen were not ex
pected to use it, and Mrs. Pates had
already declared she should respect
it as the sanctum of Dr. Waring
alone.
The two made their way to the win
dow seat, and as he arranged the soft
cushions for her. Waring said, "Don't
Emily, ever feel shut out of this room.
As I lP e now. I've not welcomed the
Peytons In here, but tny wife is a dif
ferent preposition.''
"I still t'el an awo of tho place, John,
but I may yet used to It. Anyway,
I'll try. Hnd 1 do appreciate your will
ingness to have me in here. Then if
you want to be alone, you must put
me out.’’
"I'll probably do that sometimes,
dear, for I have to spend many hours
alone. You know, I'm not taking the
presidency lightly."
"t know It, you conscientious dear.
But, on the other hand, don’t be too
serious about it. You're Just the man
for the place, Just the character for a
college president, and If you try too
hard to improve or reconstruct your
self you’ll probahiy spoil your present
perfection.”
Well, nothing would qpou your
present perfection, my Emily. I am
to greatly blest—to ha'-9 the great
honor from the college—and you, too.”
"Are you happy. John? All happy?”
Waring's deep blue eyes fastened
themselves on her face. His brown
hair showed only a little gray at the
temples, his fine face was not touched
deeply by times lines, and his clear
wholesome skin glowed with health.
If there was an Instant's hesitation
before his reply came, it was none the
less hearty and sincere. “Yes, my dar
ling, all happy. And you?"
•'I am happy, if you are,” she re
turned. "But I can never be happy
if there is a shadow of any sort o»
your heart. Is there, John? Tell me,
truly.”
"You mean regarding this trouble
that 1 hear Is brewing for me?"
"Not only that; 1 mean in any di
rection.”
"Trouble, Emily! With you in my
arms! No, a thousand times no! Trou
ble and 1 are strangers so long as I
have you!”
Miss Mystery Arrives.
Any one who has arrived at the rail
road station of a New England vill
age, after dark on a very cold winter
night, the train late, no one to meet
him, and no place engaged for board
and lodging, will know the desolation
of such a situation.
New England's small railroad sta
tions are much alike, the crowds that
alight from the trains arc much alike,
the people waiting on the platform for
me arriving travelers are much alike.
Hut there came into Corinth one night
a passenger who was not at all like
the fellow passengers on that belated
train. It was a train from New York,
due In Corinth at 5:40. but owing to
the extreme cold weather, and various
untoward freezings occasioned there
by. the delays were many and long
and the train drew Into the station
shortly after 7 o'clock.
The passenger who wag ur.llKe the
others, stepped down from the car
platform, and holding her small suit
case firmly, crossed the track and en
tered the station waiting room. She
went to the ticket window, but found
there no attendant. Impatiently she
tapped her little foot on tlje old hoard
floor, but no one appeared.
Undecided as to her next move, she
opened the station door Just in time
to see an old man with long white
beard Jump into his sleigh and begin
to tuck fur robes about him.
"lie sprang to his sleigh—to his
team gave a whistle—" she quoted to
herself, and then cried out, "Hey,
there, Santa Claus, give me a lift?"
"You engaged for our house?" the
man called back, and as she shook her
head, he gathered up his reins.
"Can't take any one not engaged,”
he called back. "Oiddap:"
“Walt—wait! I command you!" The
sharp, clear young voice rang out
through the cold winter air, and Old
Saltonatall Adams paused to listen.
"Ho. ho." he chuckled, “you com
mand me, do you? Now, 1 haven't
been commanded for something like
50 years.”
"Ob. don’t stop to fuss," the girl
exclaimed, angrily. "Don't you see
I'm cold, hungry and very uncomfort
able? You have a boarding house—I
want board—now, you take me In. Do
you hear?”
"Sure. X hear, but. miss, we've only
•o many rooms, and they're all occu
pied or engaged."
"Boms ara engaged, but aa yet un
occupied?” The dark eyes challenged
him. and Adam mumbled—"Well, that
is atiout It."
"Very well. I will occupy one until
the engager comes along.”
The wind blew fiercly, It was snow
ing a little, and the drifts sent feath
ery clouds through the air. Tile trees,
coated with ice from a recent sleet
storm, broke off crackling bits of ice
as they passed. The girl looked about,
at first curiously, and then timidly,
as if frightened by what she saw.
It was riot a long ride, and they
stopped before a large house, showing
comfortably lighted windows and a
broad front door that swung open
even as the girl was getting down
from the skigh.
‘‘For the land sake!" exclaimed a
brisk feminine voice, "this ain't Let
ty! Who in the earth have you got
here?’
"I don't know." Old Salt Adams re
plied, truthfully. "Take her along,
mother, and give her a night's lodg
ing."
"But where is Letty? Didn't site
come?"
"Now can't you soa she didn't
come? You s’pose I left her at the
station? Or dumped her out along the
road? No—since you will have it, she
didn't come. She didn't come!"
Old Salt drove on toward the barns,
and Mrs. Adams bade the girl go
into the house.
The landlady followed, and as she
saw the strange guest she gazed at
her In frank curiosity.
"You want a room, 1 s'pose," she
began. "But I'm sorry to say we
haven't one vacant—”
"Oh, I'll take Letty's. She didn't
come, you see, so I can take her room
Tor tonight."
"Betty wouldn t like that.
"But I would And I’m here and
Betty isn't. Shall we go right up?”
Picking up her small suitcase, the
girl started and ihen stepped back for
the woman to lead the way.
"Not quite so fast—if you please.
What is your name?"
As the landlady's tone changed to a
sterner Inflection, the girl likewise
grew dignified.
"My name is Anita Austin," she
said, coldly.
"Where are you from?"
"New York City."
"What address?"
By this time tire strange dark eyes
had done their work. A steady glance
from Anita Austin seemed to compel
all the world to do her bidding. At
any rate. Mrs. Adams look the suit
case, and without a further word
conducted the strapger upstairs.
She took her into an attractive bed
room, persumably made ready for the i
absent Betty.
"This will do,” Miss Austin said, I
calmly. "Will you send me up a tray i
of supper? I don’t want much, and
1 prefer not to come down to dinner."
"Band sake, dinner's over long ago.
You want some tea. 'n bread 'n' but
ter, n’ preserves, ’ll' cake?"
"Yes, thank you, that sounds good.
Send it in half an hour."
To her guest Mrs. Adams showed
merely a face of aequiesenoe, tint once
outside the door, and released from
the -poll of those eerie eye- she re
marked to herself. "For the land
sal: " with great emphasis.
"Well, what do you know about
that:’ t >k i bait Adams cried, when,
after she had started hint on his sup
per. his wife related the episode.
I can't make her out." Mrs.
Adams sa id. thoughfully. "But I
don't like her. And 1 won't keep In r.
Tomorrow, you take her over to Hel
ton's."
"Just as yuu say. But I thought
her kinda interesting looking. You
can t say she isn’t that."
"Maybe so. to some folks. Not to
me. And Letty'll coma tomorrow, so
that girlll have to get out of the
room."
Meanwhile "that girl" was eagerlj
peering out of her window.
bhe tried to discern which were the
i lights of the college buildings, but
through the still lightly falling snow,
she could see but little.
"Corinth." she whispered. "Oh,
Corinth, what do you hold for me?
1 What fortune or misfortune will you
bring me? What fortune or misfor
tune shall I bring to others? Oh. Jus
tice, Justice, what crimes are commit
ted in thy name!"
Miss Mystery Baffles Speculation.
The next morning Anita appeared
in the dining room at the breakfast
hour.
Mrs. Adams scanned her sharply,
and looked a little disapprovingly at
the short, scant skirt and slim, silken
legs of her new boarder.
Anita, her dark eyes scanning her
hostess with equal sharpness, seemed
to expres an equal diapproval of the
country-cut gingham and huge white
apron.
Not at all obtuse, Mrs. Adams
sensed this, and her tone was a little
more deferential than she had at first
intended to make it.
"Will you sit here, please. Miss
Austin?" she indicated a chair next
herself.
"No thank you, I'll sit by my
friend." and the girt slipped into a
vacant chair next Btiitonstall Adams.
Old Sait gave a furtive glance at
his wife, and suppressed a chuckle at
her surprise.
“This is Mr. Tyler’s place.” he said
to the usurper, "but I expect he’ll lot
you have It this once."
"I mean to have it all the time,"
and Anita nodded gravely at her host.
“All the time is this one meal only,"
crisply put In Mr. Adams. "I’m
sorry, Miss Austin, but we can’t keep
you here. I have no vacant room."
The entrance of ome other people
gave Anita a chance to speak in an
undertone to Mr. Adams, and she said,
"you'll let nie slay till Hetty comes,
won't you? I suppose you are boss
in your own house."
As a matter of fact almost any
phrase would have described the man
belter than "boss in his own house,”
but the idea tickled his sense of
irony, and lie chuckled as he replied,
"You bet I ami Here you stay—as
long as you want to.”
"You're my friend, then?" and an ,
appealing glance was shot at him be j
neath long, curling lashes that proved
the complete undoing of Saltonstall
Adams.
"To the death!" lie whispered In
mock dramatic manner.
Anita gave a shiver. "What a way
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to put it!" she cried ‘‘I mean to live \
forever, sir.'"
"Doubtless." Old fcuit returned,
placidly "You're a freak—aren't
you."
Tli it isn't <i vry pretty way of x
pressing it. but I suppose l am,” and
vi mutinous luid. passed over the
strange little face.
In repose, the face was oval, so
rene. and regular of feature. But
when the .fill smiled or spoke or
frowned, changes look place, and tlie
mobile countenance grew soft with
laughter or hard with scorn.
And scorn was plainly visible when
a moment later Adams introduced
Robert Tyler, a. fellow boarder, to
Miss Austin.
She gave him first a conventional
glance, then, ns be dropped into tlie
chair next hers, and said "Only too
gi id l«» give up any place to a peach.”
she turned on him a flashing glance j
that, as lie expressed it afterward,
"wiped him off the face of the*earth.”
Nor could he reinstate himself in
her good graces. lie tried a penitent
attitude, bravado. Jocularity and in
difference. hut one and all failed to
engage her interest or even atten
tion. fc>he answered his remarks witii
cilm. curt speeches that left him
baffled and uncertain whether he
wauled to bow down and worship her.
or wring her neck.
Old riaIt Adams took this all in, his
amusement giving way to curiosity
and then to wonder. Who was this
person who looked lilo- a young, very
young girl, yet who had all the men
tal powers of an experienced woman
What was she and what her calling.
(To Its Continued Tomorrow.)
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