The Girl From His Town

  CHAPTER XXV--LETTY LANE RUNS AWAY

  He had not got up-stairs to his rooms at the Carlton before a note washanded him from the actress, bidding him to return at once to the Savoy,and Ruggles, his heart hammering like a trip-hammer, rushed up to hisrooms, made an evening toilet, for it was then half-past seven, threwhis cravats and collars all around the place, cursed like a miner as hegot into his clothes, and red almost to apoplexy, nervous and full ofemotion, he returned to the rooms he had left not three hours before.

  The three hours had been busy ones at the actress' apartment. LettyLane's sitting-room was full of trunks, dressing-bags and travelingparaphernalia. She came forward out of what seemed a world of confusion,dressed as though for a journey, even her veil and her gloves denotingher departure. She spoke hurriedly and almost without politeness.

  "I have sent for you to come and see me here. Not a soul in London knowsI am going away. There will be a dreadful row at the theater, but that'snone of your affairs. Now, I want you to tell me before I go just whatyou are going to do for Dan."

  "Who are you going with?" Ruggles asked shortly, and she flashed at him:

  "Well, really, I don't think that is any of your business. When youdrive a woman as you have driven me, she will go far."

  He interrupted her vehemently, not daring to take her hand. "I couldn'tdo more. I have asked you to marry me. I couldn't do more. I stand bywhat I have said. Will you?" he stammered.

  She knew men. She looked at him keenly. Her veil was lifted above hereyes and its shadow framed her small pale face on which there were marksof utter disenchantment, of great ennui. She said languidly: "What Iwant to know is, what you are going to do for Dan?"

  "I told you I would share with him."

  "Then he will be nearly as rich?"

  "He'll have more than is good for him."

  That satisfied her. Then she pursued: "I want you to stand by him. Hewill need you."

  Ruggles lifted the hand he held and kissed it reverently. "I'll doanything you say--anything you say."

  Down-stairs in the Savoy, as Dan had done countless times, Ruggleswaited until he saw her motor car carry her and her small luggage andHiggins away.

  In their sitting-room in the Carlton a half-hour later the door wasthrown open and Dan Blair came in like a madman. Without preamble heseized Ruggles by the arm.

  "Look here," he cried, "what have you been doing? Tell me now, and tellme the truth, or, by God, I don't know what I'll do. You went to theSavoy. You went there twice. Anyhow, where is she?"

  Dan, slender as he was beside Ruggles' great frame, shook the elder manas though he had been a terrier. "Speak to me. Where has she gone?"

  He stared in the Westerner's face, his eyes bloodshot. "Why in thunderdon't you say something?"

  And Ruggles prayed for some power to unloose his thickening tongue.

  "You say she's gone?" he questioned.

  "I say," said the boy, "that you've been meddling in my affairs with thewoman I love. I don't know what you have said to her, but it's only yourage that keeps me from striking you. Don't you know," he cried, "thatyou are spoiling my life? Don't you know that?" A torrent of feelingcoming to his lips, his eyes suffused, the tears rolled down his face.He walked away into his own room, remained there a few moments, and whenhe came out again he carried in his hand his valise, which he put downwith a bang on the table. More calmly, but still in great anger, he saidto his father's friend:

  "Now, can you tell me what you've done or not?"

  "Dan," said Ruggles with difficulty, "if you will sit down a moment wecan--"

  The boy laughed in his face. "Sit down!" he cried. "Why, I think youmust have lost your reason. I have chartered a motor car out there andthe damned thing has burst a tire and they are fixing it up for me. Itwill be ready in about two minutes and then I am going to followwherever she has gone. She crossed to Paris, but I can get there beforeshe can even with this damned accident. But, before I go, I want you totell me what you said."

  "Why," said Ruggles quietly, "I told her you were poor, and she turnedyou down."

  His words were faint.

  "God!" said the boy under his breath. "That's the way you think abouttruth. Lie to a woman to save my precious soul! But I expect," he said;"you think she is so immoral and so bad that she will hurt me. Well," hesaid, with great emphasis, "she has never done anything in her life thatcomes up to what you've done. Never! And nothing has ever hurt me so."

  His lips trembled. "I have lost my respect for you, for my father'sfriend, and as far as she is concerned, I don't care what she marries mefor. She has got to marry me, and if she doesn't"--he had no idea, in hispassion, what he was saying or how--"why, I think I'll kill you first andthen blow my own brains out!" And with these mad words he grabbed up hisvalise and bolted from the room, and Ruggles could hear his running feettearing down the corridor.