"Let me in."
"You _can't_ come in!" said Dolly, and panic couldn't have spoken
plainer than in her voice. "Oh, go away! What did you come back for? You
said you were going to be gone hours. Go away!"
Out of a frozen throat Rose answered:
"All right. I'll go away." The situation was too miserably clear.
She went down to the lobby and a sudden giddiness caused her to drop
down into the first chair she saw. She sat there for an hour, then went
to the desk and told the clerk she wanted a room for that night by
herself. She'd pay the extra price of it now.
The clerk took the money and selected a key from the rack. The look he
saw in Rose's face silenced any comment, jocular or otherwise, that he
might have made.
Rose went to her new room, took off her hat and jacket, and washed her
face. When she heard the supper bell ringing down-stairs, she went back
to her old room and knocked.
"Come in," said Dolly, and Rose entering, found her standing at the
window looking out.
She had tried, while she sat down there in the lobby, and later in her
own room, to think out what she'd say to Dolly when they next met.
Pages:
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794