Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the city room.djvu/87

 Miss Herrick's hands in hers as confidingly as a child reaches out to its mother in the dark.

"I 've had so much trouble," she said. "I would have come to you, but I heard that you were away on your vacation."

"I got back last night," explained "The Searchlight's" leading woman. "They sent for me. I had a great deal of work piled up awaiting me, and stayed late to do it. I thought a good tramp would put me in trim again after ten hours at my desk, so I walked up from 'The Searchlight' office. Was n't it lucky? We 'll take the elevated train at Eighth Street and you shall tell me all about it on our way home."

The story was begun in the train and completed in Miss Herrick's apartment at the Hotel Edward. Miss Imboden was tucked cosily into a big chair near a window overlooking the ivy-covered Moorish court of the hotel; under her tired feet was a hassock, in her hand was a big palm-leaf fan, and before her sat Ruth Herrick, all interest and attention.

"Now I 'll tell you what you 're going to do," said that resolute young person when the