No. 13 Washington Square

yster in his convulsive glee, and again he

g of her admirers, that she always rose equal to every emergency. But at the present moment she had not a thought, had not a single distinct sensation. She was wi

t the darkness did not mask. As they chattered on, Mrs. De Peyster began to regain some slight steadiness-enough to consider spasmodically how she was to escape undiscovered from the pair, how she was to extricate herself from the predicament of the moment-for beyond that moment's da

, at that moment frantically acute, regi

suppose she should come walking down into the sce

d clutched the banister of the

rs. De Peyster hearing nothing, but reaching aurally out for Matilda's exposing tread. To forestall this exposure, she started weakly up the stairs, only to be halted by the slipping of Jack's arm around her shoulder. The couple chattered on abo

tightened about her. "Oh, say, what a wild ol

Peyster felt con

s!" cried the little figu

on to the fact that the son of the Mrs. De Peyster had secretly married without his mother's knowledge, and that the young s

d Mrs. De Pey

irlish voice, "I think it's sca

ourse, Matilda, we've certainly got to be all-fired careful. I'll leave the house only in the early mornings-by the back way-through Washington Mews-either when the coast is clear or there's a crowd. There are

ed the Mary person. "It will give me a splendid chance to p

mention to anybody you see that mother had bought one of these sixty-horse-power, steam-hamme

demanded Mary with mock hauteur,

avoid having our happy home raided by the police. Mat

k," mumbled Mr

ll go up to our rooms. You wouldn

might run into the other Matilda. The frantic, drowning impulse to pu

eat-in the dining-room

a, Matilda

e shaded bulb was almost lost in the great dining-room. Subconsciously Mrs. De Peyster recalled Matilda's injunction

da had left upon the table.

off a leg and handing it to Mary, who accepted it gingerly. With much gusto Jack took a bite of bird and a huge bite of bread. "Great l

dear, don't

our husband can't be a fool! Come now, Matilda,-m

a glance toward this new wife Jack had thus brought home: a gla

prompted Jack.

n a husk

when mother sees her

her choking voice c

id!" cried Mary, again with

d of, Mary. Mother's

one's mother

social position business, but asid

dalized tone. "Isn'

es, m

Since we're to be together cons

ma'a

're going to run this place as a democrac

find me tagging around after you most of the time. For, th

es, M

ommanded Mary, "and unpack your things.

ght. But that bit of a squab I ate was nothing. I'm starved. I'll be ba

ree of us,"

ome way of holding him back from a possible damnatory encounter with Ma

eyster into a chair, a

meeting. But there sounded from above no startled cries. Jack must have got to his room, unn

n trying to deceive me. To make me feel better, the dear boy, he's been telling me there'd not be

l-we

ll she, or

y-only hope-

her was very ill at the time she sailed? This paper says she was so sick that she was unable to see a single one of her friends w

yster rema

seem at all symp

'm very sorry, ma'am," she mumbled between her

tter with your voic

wed-a little summer cold I caught

atilda, how many more times have I got to tell yo

well

mother; the paper says society is ver

Peyster saw a dark, piquant face, with features not regular, but ever in motion and quick with expression-eyes of a deep, deep brown, with a glimmer of red in them, eyes that gave out an ever-changing sparkle of sympathy and mischief and intelligence-and a mass of soft dark

laughed-soft

ter she's forgiven us-if ever she does forgive us-You've said you're sure she'll f

Mrs. De Peyste

course she'll be scandalized-for what we're doing is simply awful!-but all the same I'll tell her. And after she's for

have expressed thanks at this point. But

. Dubois again. Really, Matilda, is she as

had to speak. "I

with that 'm

," mumbled Mr

cture, it must simply scare you to death to

le

sm

le

hat she was

le

ction. "She's just dignity and pride-calm, remote, lofty, icebergy pride. S

ot feel called upon t

ibly like me!" cried the litt

ly wait-and see," rep

dare say there were some Morgans before them. No, she'll never care for me-never!" wailed the little person. "Sh

elf choking. She had to g

The terror arising from the menace upstairs returned to her. But Jack's h

Jack's reappearance gave her franti

art supper," she gulped, and h

lexed voice, "Matilda, someho

em quite hersel

escape, and appalled by this new situation that had risen around her-too appalled even to consider what might be the situation's natural

her. But those two persons in there-her son, and this daughter-in-law who had burst out of a fair cloud upon her-a daughter-in-law whom she would never

arms about Ma

with tremulous fondness-the young foo

thing scandalous!" (Not such

ery solemnly-"that you haven't kissed

bond that I had to ki

ond. A kiss or a divor

ou may be too poor to pay alimony. So"

ental i

inging lips-"you think you

I shall

mother and me, and even if for a long

I care for, J

at her; th

ow what I

N

ssing yo

don't

ar

me together; they embraced; then drew apart,

dear fool!" sa

r, dear another!"

s, both! agreed

the tray of tea-things that had been in Mrs. De Peyster's sitting-room. For the last few moments Mrs.

a-things almost rattled from

ought you'd gone do

sn't Mr. Jack!"

amazement, should reveal the house's secret? But the half-light of th

Who else did you suppose it was? B

er, Matilda?" asked M

g wildly at Mary-"I-

forgotten what I told yo

gasped Mati

w voice, "I said awhile a

ry! Mary De Peyster-Mrs. Jack De Peyster-my wedded wife-wh

rfectly,

y news. What's tha

breakfast," exp

aimed Jack. "What are

-to get it all ready to-to t

ay from Matilda'

AT YOU'RE

ssing her into a chair. "Mary,

neath Matilda's nose. "You'll be all right in just a moment. Take it easy. The

ilda, for the first time

oking the way you ignore m

ring wildly-

l near the door, wher

nto this thing straight off, or he may stumble on the fact

y door, Mrs. De Peyster g

he peerless-fit coachman for an emperor-William, whom till that night she could not have imagined, had she imagined about such things at all, other than as

posed the ring to be Matilda's. But at sight of

ipe into his pocket and began buttoning the o

k, William. Just married. We've c

s,

-well, I know about the heart-throb business between you and Matilda. If you dr

s,

prise that would give us away. That's all. Keep mum about us"-with a sly wink at him and

, whose heart went out to all

ilda, taking an eager, h

ughtily as is in the power of a

cried bewildere

s Simpson," he replied witheringly,

ounded; but onl

have you got supper things

" stammered

h you?" Jack exploded in exasperation. "You just

ulped Matilda, "I forgot

to get out of the room-and for the moment that was her supreme a

in about five minutes,

's voice, and Matilda had enough control not to cry out, or was too far gone. Clutching

!" moaned Matilda

breathlessness-"is

a'am!

I am here-" She could not

ma'

voice rang out wit

y one thing to do! We

sterically, "for with all of you here, and this k

to spare. They said they were coming right down

es! This minu

p up the front stairway, Matilda, and get your hat. And here are my keys. Lock my sitting-room, so they can

ck hallway of the basement. Behind them, descending the stairs from the butler's pantry, sounded the chatter and laughter of the larkin

figures in black slipped through the servant