Page:Vance--The trey o hearts.djvu/76



NXIETY ate like an acid at Alan's heart. He could only hope against hope and count on haste to make his getaway. But when he reëntered the hotel, one surprising thing happened that gave him new heart: it seemed almost as if his luck had turned. For as he paused at the desk of the cashier to demand his bill, the elevator gate opened and Rose came out to meet him, with an eager air of hope masking her fatigue.

"I worried so I couldn't rest," she told him; "so I watched from the window till I saw you drive up. Then something told me you had been successful"

He acquainted her briefly with his fortune. "It may be a little hard on you," he concluded, "but she's a comfortable boat enough, and with luck and decent weather"

"I shall be all right," she protested. "I'm a good sailor, and I am so glad we're to get away. I have been oppressed all evening by a dreadful premonition." 54