The Children

as she stepped into the elevator which was to take her to a day of strenuous labor. She read them and s

exclaimed half incr

g, athletic looking girl who h

I didn'

cash, especially when it comes near to Christmas. I was getting short, so I came down here and they gave me this job

s had been the best of chums. But a great University is a place of many changes. Their paths had crossed and then they h

aven't any grand Christmas surprises coming from o

asked Lucile, a look of

you

later." Lucile sprang from

herself as she went speeding up the shaft, "especially when

pt when your cable begins to slip with a full load on board. But Florence was destined to come under the spell

in the basement and went for a drink. She was gone but a second. When s

never heard of such a thin

after a few seconds of deliberation. "But no, that doesn't seem probable.

n startling, the thing she witnessed th

wn from fifth floor to fourth, from fourth to third, then saw

The excitement was born of curiosity; the fear was that this should mean the last of

off and one got on, and the car shot upward again. And Flor

irl at the lever was herself. Broad shoulders, large hands, round cheeks, blue eyes, brown

ed, "here I am down h

double. She remembered reading somewhere that everyone in the world had a double. And here was hers. But why had

must find out,"

ing my cage," she reasoned, after a moment's reflection

hrill in this affair. She

fairly mysteriou

ring innumerable questions all day long about the location of silks, shoes, baby rattle, nutmeg graters, boxing gloves, garters and fly-swatters-this was a dull task that

find out who she is and why she

cage moved

stepped in. Moving to the back of the car, she stood brea

e girl at the lever-her double-had poise, this was easy enough seen, and she had operated an elevator before, to

had reached the eleventh, only two passengers, beside Florence, remained in the back

leeting glance. Florence thought she

to floor until they were again in the basement. Once more the mysterious double gave Florence a fleeting glance. She did not spea

herself in the car alone with her double. This gave her a st

will you? Take my place, won't you? You won't have a thing to do. It-it'll be a lark." As she s

r?" she managed

key. Get-get my coat and furs and hat out and wear them. Sta

ls you something, you say, 'Oh! All right.' Just like that. And if t

ut I c

out the tense lines of her face. They were nearing the thirteenth floor. "Not a thing that's bad-n

th floor. She pressed the key

ked at Florence. He looked at her double. Then he stared at both of them

y good

kind of daze, standing at the tenth floor land

t of a lark, I suppose. No harm in it. Might as well have a half

as good as her own. But the fur throw was a thing to marvel at; a crossed fox, the real thing, n

eathed as she threw the fur about her nec

ed for her own elevator. The strange girl shot her a quick smile as she entered and

she drifted aimlessly past rows of people resting in leather cushioned chairs. "Especially when tha

uestion until she had r

s in some sort of trouble that's not all her own fault. Trouble," she mused. "Part of our reason f

d assistance on persons who were unworthy. Should this girl prove to be such a person, then she

t all else in a room where there are thousands of them. So completely did Florence forget that she soon lost all consciousness of the role she was playing, and when a rou

ty," he said, twisting his well

hen of a sudden the words o

aid in as steady a ton

y?" aske

'Oh, all

and, turning about, disappe

hirl, the girl stood

l? She had not been instructed in this regard. What sort of an affair was this she was getting into, anyway? Was this

our. Then a kindly faced women, in a sort of uniform and a strange

"You still here? The trai

in. This time sh

imed and turning hurried a

ed to the locker room, took off the borrowed clothes, gave the wonderful fo

ut on her wraps preparatory to going to

ly. Florence pressed the locker key into the girl's hand and stepped to the back of

ed to herself, "that I'd do

ever made, formed itself in her mind. She would become acqu

ll, wherever it might have been going, it's gone."

hristmas. She wanted a surprise on Christmas. She had started to tell Lucile about it that morning, but while just in the middle of the story the elevator had reached the B

said to herself, while thinking it thro

ng bag had gone completely to pieces on her last trip. Her father had sent her fifteen dollars for th

and bundles. Someone leaves his baggage as security for a bill. He does not return. Someone leaves his trunk in storage. He too disappears. Someone dies. In time all this baggage is sold

ver many times as she finished scanning the notice of an

s if a woman had owned it, and she would bid it in. Then the bag would be hers, and the "contents if any." She thrilled at the thought. Her friend had told of

e that in my bag, but anyway there'll be a surprise. What fun it wi

ish I could go now," she sighed, "but I can't. I do hop

nt back to her elevator, still wondering about her myste