Part 4 (2/2)
A silence that seemed an inconceivably long one to the almost overwrought girl was broken by the clerk asking would she register?
Grace could hardly restrain her agitation. The critical moment had come.
Something must be done. But what? Should she register and under what name? Or, should she wait longer; and if not, where should she go?
Finally, with a desperate effort, she looked imploringly at him, and with heightened color, gasped:
”No, thank you; I'll wait a little longer for my--my--brother.”
It was out. The prevarication had been uttered, and Grace felt as if she had committed a crime and punishment was at hand. Tears of distress came to her eyes; the situation was becoming intolerable.
It was just then that there came a shrill cry:
”Miss Ridge!”
Grace remained immovable. The name she had inquired for a few minutes ago was called without bringing a sign or change of expression to the beautiful face, on which the wondering eyes of the clerk were fixed. He started to speak, but was withheld by her impa.s.sibility.
Again the same cry, and this time, the last word was accentuated. A boy entered.
As the clerk, slightly raising his eyebrows, turned toward her, Grace gave a little start; an enlightened glance shot from her eyes; the significance of the call gradually dawned upon her.
”I am Miss Ridge!” came excitedly from her trembling lips, the hot blood crimsoning her cheeks.
”A telephone--”
”For me?” she asked uneasily.
”From Mr. Ridge; wants you to wait,” finished the boy.
”Thank you! Oh, thank you!” The girl beamed her relief on the staring bell-boy. And, the message having been delayed, the grateful words were hardly spoken before Hugh, almost distracted, rushed into the room.
Regardless of appearances or consequences, the tall young fellow seized her and kissed her in a fas.h.i.+on that would have brought terrible rebuke, under any other circ.u.mstance, and which certainly caused the clerk to consider this Mr. Ridge the most demonstrative brother that in a long experience in hotel life he had ever encountered. When Hugh held her at arm's length to give his admiring gaze full scope, he saw tears of joy swimming in her eyes. Her voice quivered as she sighed:
”I should have died in another moment!”
”You are the dearest girl in all the world!” Then he explained to her the cause of the delay. After getting rid of Woods, he had rushed to the Hotel Astor, where he expected to find her waiting for him. All inquiries as to whether any lady answering to her description had been seen there had resulted in failure. He would have been there yet, growing angrier all the while, had not a gentleman who had overheard his troubles suggested that he telephone the Astor House, in the hope that the lady might be waiting there.
At the end of this recital of his vexatious experience Hugh seized her travelling-bag, and together they made their way out of the hotel.
”Oh, Hugh!” cried Grace, hanging back a little. ”What did Mr. Woods say to you? What did you say? Do you know he tried to speak with me on the train?”
”Honestly, I don't remember, dear--sister. He's the most muddled man, though, in New York, I'll bet a dollar. And now that I think of it, it wasn't absolutely necessary; but when he guyed me about a runaway match, it paralyzed me, and I had to do something, so I swore that I had never heard of such a person as Ridgeway.”
Grace was too astounded to speak.
”Then he told me of meeting you,” he continued, ”and that settled it.
Poor old Woods! What a trump you were, Grace!”
”You wouldn't have thought so if you could have seen me when I first boarded the train. My! I was blue! Fortunately, I did not see him until we were nearly here. Hugh Ridgeway--Ridge, I mean--do you know what I did? It will make you very angry!” she said as they waited for a cab.
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