The City of Fire - Page 201/221

Marilyn had not been in New York but a week before she met Opal. She

was waiting to cross Fifth Avenue, and someone leaned out of a big

limousine that paused for the congestion in traffic and cried: "Why, if that isn't Miss Severn from Sabbath Valley. Get in please, I

want to see you."

And Lynn, much against her will, was persuaded to get in, more because

she was holding up traffic than because the woman in the limousine

insisted: "I'll take you where you want to go," she said in answer to Lynn's

protests, and they rolled away up the great avenue with the moving

throng.

"I'm dying to know what it is you're making Laurie Shafton do," said

Opal eagerly, "I never saw him so much interested in anything in my

life. Or is it you he's interested in. Why, he can't talk of anything

else, and he's almost stopped going to the Club or any of the house

parties. Everybody thinks he's perfectly crazy. He won't drink any more

either. He's made himself quite notorious. I believe I heard

some one say the other day they hadn't even seen him smoking for a

whole week. You certainly are a wonder."

"You're quite mistaken," said Lynn, much amused, "I had nothing to do

with Mr. Shafton's present interest, except as I happened to be the one

to introduce him to it. I haven't seen him but twice since I came to

New York, and then only to take him around among my babies at the

Settlement and once over to the Orphans' Home, where I've been helping

out while an old friend of mine with whom I worked in France is away

with her sick sister."

"For mercy's sake! You don't mean that Laurie consented to go among the

poor? I heard he'd given a lot of money to fix up some buildings, but

then all the best men are doing things like that now. It's quite the

fad. But to go himself and see the wretched little things, Ugh! I don't

see how he could. He must be quite crazy about you I'm sure if he did

all that for you."

"Oh, he seemed to want to see them," said Lynn lightly, "and he

suggested many of the improvements that he is making himself. They tell

me he has proved a great helper, he is on hand at all hours

superintending the building himself, and everybody is delighted with

him--!"

"Mmmm!" commented Opal looking at Marilyn through the fringes of her

eyes. "You really are a wonder. And now that you are in New York I'm

going to introduce you to our crowd. When can you come? Let's see.

To-morrow is Sunday. Will you spend the evening with me to-morrow?

I'll certainly show you a good time. We're going to motor to--"