Dorothy Dale's Great Secret Part 24

When these seats had replaced the hanging curtains, and the comfortable places were occupied by the men who had been so lately sleeping, even though there were no women among them, Dorothy recovered from her first shock of embarra.s.sment. The pa.s.sengers all appeared to be gentlemen and not one of them seemed to even glance in her direction, though they must have realized how strange it was for a pretty girl to be the lone female pa.s.senger.

When the spasm of brushing clothes into which the porter threw himself, was finally over, which operation Dorothy could not help watching for it was done with such dispatch, and when the men had gone to the dining car for breakfast or become engrossed in their newspapers, she tried to map out her day's programme.

"I will get off at Rochester," she told herself, "and then I'll inquire for the Criterion Theatre." She looked at the slip of paper which she carried so carefully in the little brown leather wrist bag. "Then," she went on, "if the company has left Rochester I will go to Rockdale. But if it should get dark!" she cried in a low wail of terror. "If it should get dark and I should be all alone in a strange city!"

Then came the thought of the folks at home and how they would worry if night came on and she did not reach them. Was ever a girl so situated?

All sorts of dangers flashed before her mind, and now, though too late, she realized sharply how unfit a young girl is to cope with a big, strange world, how little the world cares for a girl's tender feelings, and how cold and heartless it is when she tries to make her way through the city streets alone, yet crowded on every side by a throng of other human beings.

"But Tavia had to go through it," concluded Dorothy, "and I must not be less brave than was she."

The train was somewhat delayed on the run from Buffalo to Rochester, so it was almost noon when Dorothy reached the latter city.

On a slip of paper she had the directions of the theatre she wished to visit, and at the ticket station learned where the building was located.

Then off she started, with never a look at the shop windows filled with wonderful displays of all kinds. She soon found the amus.e.m.e.nt resort, and stepping into the lobby, approached the ticket window and asked timidly:

"Can you tell me where the 'Lady Rossmore's Secret' company is playing to-night?"

The man looked at her sharply. Then he smiled so ironically that Dorothy's heart gave a painful thump, and a great lump came into her throat.

"'Lady Rossmore's Secret' company," he repeated, with the most prolonged and distracting drawl. "I guess there isn't any. It's down and out.

Didn't play to a house here last night big enough to pay the gas bills."

"But the members of the company?" asked Dorothy with a choke in her voice.

"Hum! How should I know?" he asked with a sneer. "In jail, maybe, for not paying their board bills."

For a moment Dorothy felt that she must cry out and tell him that the matter was very vital to her-that she must find a young and friendless girl who was a member of the company; but she realized what sort of a man he was and her better judgment a.s.serted itself.

"But are there any members of the company in this city?" she persisted bravely, trying to keep up her courage, so as to get a clue as to the whereabouts of Tavia.

"In this city?" he repeated with the same distracting drawl. "Well, no.

They managed to get out of here before the sheriff could attach their baggage and the scenery, which he was ready to do. They certainly were as poor a company as we ever had in this theatre. It was awful. Oh, no, they didn't dare stay here."

"Then where did they go?"

"Rockdale was their next booked place, but maybe they didn't dare go there, for fear some word had been sent on ahead," the ticket seller sneered.

"How can I get to Rockdale?" asked the girl, trying to keep back her tears.

"Get there on a train, of course," and the man turned back to the paper he had been reading when Dorothy came in. Perhaps he was angry because she had not purchased a ticket to the current attraction.

"If you would be-be kind enough to direct me," pleaded Dorothy. "I am a stranger here, and I must find a-a young girl who is with that company."

Something in her voice and manner seemed to touch the rather indifferent man, for he straightened up in his tall chair and looked squarely and more kindly at Dorothy.

"Oh, that's it, is it? I didn't know. I have a lot of silly girls always asking about traveling companies after they've left here, and I thought you might be one of them. Now you're talking. Yes, of course, certainly.

If you've got to find anybody connected with that company you'd better be quick about it, for I should think there wouldn't be much left of 'em by this time. I heard they had quite a time of it getting their trunks away from here. Held up for board, you know. But of course they're used to that sort of thing."

Dorothy took hold of the bra.s.s rail in front of her as she turned away from the window. She felt as if she could hardly stand any more of the man's veiled insinuations. But it might not be true-surely it could not be true-it was only his cruel, teasing way. Tavia could not be in such distress.

"How can I get there?" Dorothy repeated.

"If you want to get to Rockdale," the ticket seller answered after a pause, "you can take the train at twelve forty-five."

"Thank you," murmured Dorothy, turning dizzily toward the street to make her way to the station she had so recently left. How she managed to reach the place she never knew. The great buildings along the way seemed about to topple over on her head. Her temples were throbbing and her eyes shot out streaks of flashing light. Her knees trembled under her. If only she had time to get something to eat! But she must not miss that train. It might be the last one that day.

Through the crowd of waiting persons she made her way to the ticket office and purchased the slip of cardboard that ent.i.tled her to a ride.

She learned that the train was late and that she would have to wait ten minutes. Grateful for that respite Dorothy turned to the little lunch counter to get a sandwich, and some coffee. But, before she had reached the end of the big depot where refreshments were sold, she suddenly stopped-some one had grabbed her skirt.

Turning quickly Dorothy beheld a crouching, cringing figure, almost crawling so as to hide herself in the crowd.

"Girl!" cried Dorothy, trying to shake off the grasp on her skirt. "Let me go! What do you want?"

"Don't you know me?" whispered the miserable creature. "Look again-don't you know-Urania, the Gypsy girl?"

Then beneath the rags and the appearance of age that seemed, in so short a time to have hidden the ident.i.ty of this young girl, Dorothy did recognize Urania. How wretched-how forlorn she was; and even in danger of arrest if she was seen begging in the depot.

"Don't turn away from me, Miss!" pleaded the unfortunate Gypsy girl.

"Please help me!"

She stretched out to Dorothy a dirty, trembling hand. The gate to the Rockdale train had been thrown open, and Dorothy felt that the time was almost up.

"You should go home," she said, dropping a coin into the outstretched palm.

"Yes, yes, I want to go home," cried the girl, and Dorothy was afraid her voice would attract attention in the crowd. But the pa.s.sengers were too busy rushing for their trains to heed anything else. "I want to go home,"

pleaded Urania. "You should take me home,-it was your fine cousin-the boy with the taffy-colored hair-that brought me here!"

"What!" cried Dorothy. "How dare you say such a thing?"

"Ask him, then, if it isn't so. And ask him if he wasn't in this very station an hour ago, looking for some one-that red-headed girl, likely."

"Do you mean to say you saw my cousin here to-day?" gasped Dorothy.

"Come; tell me the truth and you shall go home-I'll take you home myself-only tell me the truth."

"Yes, I'll do it," answered the girl. "Well, him and his brother came in here an hour ago. They asked the man at the window if he had seen a young girl with a brown hand bag. I stood near to listen, but kept out of sight. Then they dashed off again before I could ask them for a penny, or throw it up to that dandy that it was the ride he gave me in the auto that brought me to this."

"Don't talk so!" exclaimed Dorothy, much shocked. "Do you want to go back to the camp where your people are?" She was too dumfounded at the news to argue with the wild creature.

"Yes, oh, yes, back to the camp!" and Urania's eyes flashed. "They'll take me back. Even Melea would not turn me out now for I am sick and sorrowful."

It needed but a glance to see that in this, at least, the girl spoke truthfully.

"Come," ordered Dorothy, "I'll take care of you. But first I must get something to eat. We have a few minutes."

Without heeding the attention she attracted by almost dragging the beggar girl up to the lunch counter, Dorothy made her way there and ordered coffee and sandwiches for both. She hurriedly disposed of her own share, being only a little behind Urania, who ate as though famished. Then, hastily procuring another ticket, she bolted through the door, followed by the Gypsy, who seemed to take it all as a matter of course.

The ride was, for the most part, a silent one. Dorothy was busy with her thoughts, and the Gypsy girl was almost afraid to speak.