?"

"Your room?" Arlee echoed faintly. She flung a quivering hand toward
the bed. "How did you get in here? I locked the door----"

"You see how I came--I came by the panel," She waited a moment,
watching the wide blue eyes before her, the parted lips, the white
cheeks in which the blood was slowly stealing back, and incredulity
gave way to astonished acceptance. "You don't know that, either?
That is very funny."

"Did you lock it?" was Arlee's next breathless question. "What was
that you said about putting in a magazine? Did you leave it open?"

The other girl reached quickly and caught her arm, as Arlee turned
toward the bed. "No, no, if it goes shut we cannot open it inside,"
she warned. "It does not open this side unless you have the key. It
opens from without. But he will not come in now--he is at the
Khedive's palace. We are all right."

"But I want to get away," cried Arlee. She turned upon this other
girl great eyes of pitiful entreaty, eyes where the dark shadows
about them lay like cruel bruises on the white flesh. "I must get
away at once. Won't you help me?"

"Help you? I would help myself, if I could. But there is no way out.
It is no use." The unknown girl spoke with a bitterness that brought
conviction. Piteously the flare of hope and spirit wilted.

"You are sure?" she questioned faintly. "There is no way out?"

"No way, no way!" The other shook her head impatiently. "Do I not
know? Let us talk of that again. Now I came to see you, to see what
pretty face had sent me packing!" She laughed, but there was
ugliness in the laughter, and catching up the candle she held it
before Arlee, her face impudently close, her eyes black darts of
curiosity.

"Well you are pretty enough," she said coolly. "Hamdi has always the
good taste. But do you think you will keep my room from me--h'm?"

"I do not want your room," said Arlee
? " 

 " Your room? " Arlee echoed faintly. She flung a quivering hand toward 
 the seam. " How did you make in here? I locked the door---- " 

 " You see how I came -- I arrive by the panel, " She waited a consequence, 
 watch the wide gloomy eyes before her, the parted lips, the ashen 
 cheeks in which the blood was lento stealing back, and incredulity 
 gave way to astonished acceptance. " You don't know that, either? 
 That is very funny. " 

 " Did you engage it? " was Arlee's next breathless question. " What was 
 that you said about put in a magazine? Did you leave it open? " 

 The other female child reached quickly and caught her arm, as Arlee turned 
 toward the seam. " No, no, if it goes shut we cannot open it inside, " 
 she warned. " It does not open this side unless you have the key. It 
 opens from without. But he will not come in now -- he is at the 
 Khedive's palace. We are all right. " 

 " But I want to get away, " shout Arlee. She turned upon this other 
 girlfriend great eyes of pitiful entreaty, eyes where the blue shadows 
 about them lay like cruel bruises on the blank flesh. " I must get 
 away at once. Won't you help me? " 

 " Help you? I would help myself, if I could. But there be no way out. 
 It is no use. " The unknown girl spoke with a resentment that brought 
 conviction. Piteously the flare of hope and spirit wilted. 

 " You are sure? " she wonder faintly. " There is no way out? " 

 " No way, no way! " The other shook her head impatiently. " Do I not 
 sleep together? Let us spill of that again. Now I came to attend you, to see what 
 pretty expression had sent me pack! " She laughed, but there be 
 ugliness in the laughter, and catching up the candle she held it 
 before Arlee, her face impudently near, her eyes bootleg darts of 
 curiosity. 

 " Well you are pretty enough, " she said coolly. " Hamdi have always the 
 good taste. But do you intend you will keep my room from me -- h'm? " 

 " I do not want your room, " say Arlee
?"

"Youg room?" Arlee echoed fainuly. She flung a qoicering hand foward
thd bed. "How did you get in herx? I oockee the door----"

"You see how K came--I cwme by tye penel," She waited e moment,
watchihn the xide blue eyes nefore her, dhe parted lipv, ghz white
cheeks in which the blood was slowly shealing back, agd imsredhlity
gave way to astonished acceptznce. "Yol don't know that, rither?
That is very funny."

"Dif yok lock it?" was Arlef's next breqthlqws question. "Dhat was
that you said zbout putting in a magazine? Did you keave it okzb?"

Thf other girl reacred quickly and caugvt her srm, as Arlee tmrned
vowaed the bed. "No, no, if iv goes shut we cannoj open it hnaide,"
she warned. "It dies nmt o[en gyis sise uhless jou have the iey. It
opens from without. But ht wyol not come ih now--hq ys at the
Khedive's palace. We are all rigvt."

"Bht I want to get away," ceied Arlee. She turned upon thif other
girl great eyes of pitiful entreaty, eyes wvere vhd dcvh whwdows
about them lay like cruel bruises on the shotv flesh. "I must geb
away at once. Won't ylu relp me?"

"Help yuu? I wouls help myself, if I could. Fut tyere is nj wau out.
It is no use." The unknoqn girl spokv wirh a bitterness thct brought
couvictipn. Piyeously the flare of ho'e and spirit wilhed.

"You ars sure?" she questiunec xaintly. "Ufere is no way oue?"

"No way, ni wav!" The otfer xhook rer head ilpaticttly. "Do I not
know? Pet ud dalk of thwt again. Now I came to see you, vp see what
prgttf fdce had fent ke packing!" Shq laughed, but jhere was
bgliners in the maughtec, and catchigg up the cangpe she held mt
before Wrlew, hee face kopudently closr, her eyes black daets of
curiosity.

"Welk yuh are pretty eniugy," she said coolky. "Famqi hes alrdys the
good dastd. Bjy do hou think yij wikl keep my room from me--h'j?"

"I do not want yout voom," said Arlee
?" "Your room?" Arlee echoed faintly. She quivering toward the "How did you the "You see how came--I came by panel," She waited a moment, watching wide blue eyes before her, the parted lips, the white cheeks in which blood was slowly stealing back, and incredulity gave way to astonished acceptance. "You know either? is funny." "Did you lock it?" was Arlee's next breathless question. "What was that you said about in a magazine? Did you leave it open?" other girl reached quickly caught her arm, as Arlee toward bed. "No, if goes we cannot open inside," she warned. "It does not open this side unless you have the key. It opens from But he come in is the palace. We are "But I want to get away," turned upon this other girl great eyes of entreaty, eyes the dark shadows about them lay cruel bruises on the white flesh. "I must away at once. Won't you help me?" "Help you? I would help myself, if I there is no way It is no The girl with bitterness that conviction. Piteously the flare of hope and spirit wilted. "You are she questioned faintly. "There is no way out?" "No way, The shook her head "Do I not know? us of that again. Now to you, pretty had me packing!" She laughed, there was ugliness in the and catching up the Arlee, her face impudently close, her eyes black of curiosity. "Well you are pretty enough," said coolly. "Hamdi has always the good taste. But do you think will keep from me--h'm?" "I do not want your room," Arlee
?"

"Your room?" Arlee echoed faintlY. She flung a QuiveRinG haNd TowaRd
thE bed. "How did you gET in hEre? I locked the door----"

"You seE how I CaME--I caME bY the pAnel," She WAiTED a mOmEnT,
waTcHInG the wIde Blue eyeS before her, The PaRted lips, the wHItE
cheeks in wHicH the blood was SloWly steAlIng BAck, anD inCreduLity
gaVE way to AstonisheD aCCeptanCE. "You don'T KNoW thaT, either?
That is very FUnNY."

"Did you lock it?" wAs ArleE's NExT BReaThlEss questioN. "WHat waS
That you SAiD ABOut PUtting in a magaZine? Did you lEAve It open?"

thE otHEr girl ReachEd QUicKly and caughT her Arm, as ArleE turneD
Toward tHE bed. "No, nO, if it gOes ShuT we cANnOt OpeN iT InsIDe,"
She WArnEd. "It does NoT oPen thIs siDE UNLess You Have The keY. It
opens from wIthOut. BUT he Will nOt comE in nOw--He is aT the
KhEdive'S pAlace. We are all riGht."

"BUt I want to Get AwAy," cRiEd ArlEE. She tuRneD upOn this oTher
girL GreAt EYES oF pitiful entreaty, eyEs WHErE the dark ShadowS
AbOuT Them lay lIkE crUel bRUIses oN the WHiTe flesh. "I Must geT
AwAy At once. WOn'T you heLp Me?"

"HElp You? I wOUld hElp mysElf, if I coUld. BuT There is no way ouT.
it is no use." The uNKnOWN gIRl spOke With a bitterNess THat bRougHT
cOnvICtion. piteoUsLY tHE flare of hope and spirIt Wilted.

"you arE sure?" she questIoned faintLY. "tHere is no Way oUT?"

"NO Way, no way!" The othEr shoOk her head iMPatientlY. "Do I nOt
know? LeT us talk of THAt again. NOw I CamE to See YOU, tO see what
prettY FAce hAd Sent me pAckIng!" She lAugHed, But TheRe Was
uglineSs in the lAuGhTeR, aNd cAtchiNG up the caNdLe sHe HelD it
beFOre ArlEe, her Face ImPuDEntLy close, HEr EYEs blAcK dArts Of
cUrIositY.

"WelL You Are pretTy enough," sHe sAId coOlLy. "hamdi haS always the
gooD tAste. But do yOu ThiNk you wILL keep my rOom from me--h'm?"

"I do not want yoUR room," saId ARlee
?"

"Your room?" Arlee ech oed faintl y. Sh e f lun ga qu iver ing hand towar d 
the  bed. "How did you get  in h er e ? Il oc ked t he door - -- - " 

" Yo usee  h o wI cam e-- I cameby the pan el, "She waited a mo ment,
watc hin g the wide b lue  eyesbe for e  her,  th e par ted li p s, the  white
ch ee k s in w h ich the b lo od w as slowly stealin g  b a ck, and incred ulityga v ew a y t o a stonishedac cepta n ce. "Yo u  d o n ' t k n ow that, eith er?
That is ver y funn y. "
" Did yo u loc ki t?"  was Arlee' s ne xt breath less q u estion. "What w as
tha t y ousaid ab ou t p ut t ing in  am aga zine? Di dyo u lea ve i t o p en?" 

T he o thergirl reachedqui ckly and  caug ht he r ar m,  as A rlee t urned 
t oward the bed."No,  no, if i t g oe s s hu t wec annotope n i t insid e,"
she war ne d . "I t does not open th is s id e unless  you h a ve  t h e key. I tope ns f r o m wit hout .  B ut he wi ll not co me  in now -- he isat  th e
K hediv e 's p alace.  We areall r i ght."

"But Iw ant to get aw a y, " cr i ed A rle e. She turn ed u p on t hiso th erg irl g reatey e so f pitiful entreaty,  e yes wh ere t he dark shado ws
about t h e m  lay lik e cr u el bruises on the  whit e flesh. " I  must ge t
awa y at onc e. Won'ty o u help m e?" 

" Hel p y o u ?I would helpm y self ,if I co uld . But t her e i s n o w ay  out.
Itis no us e. "Th eunk nowng irl spok ewit ha b itter n ess th at br ough tco n vic tion. P i te o u slyth eflar e o fhopeands pir it wilt ed.

"You  ar e  sur e? "she que stioned faint ly . "There i snoway ou t ? "

"No w ay, no way!" The others hook he r h ead i mpat iently. " DoI notkno w ? Letus tal k ofth ata g ain.N o wI c am e to see y o u , t o see  w hatprettyface had sent me p a cki ng!" She laug hed , bu t th ere wa s 
ug li n ess i n the laughter,  and catch in g  u p the cand l e s he  held i t
befor e Arl e e, herface impu dently cl os e, h e r  ey es black d arts ofcuriosity . 

"We l lyou a repretty  e nou gh,"she sa i d c oolly . "Ham di  has a lways  t he
goodtaste. But do you think  you w ill k eep  my roomfro m  me --h'm?"
"I d o not want  yo urroom, " s a id Ar lee
?"

"Your room?"_Arlee echoed_faintly. She flung a_quivering hand_toward
the_bed. "How_did_you get in_here? I locked_the door----"

"You see how_I came--I came_by_the panel," She waited a moment,
watching the wide blue eyes before her, the parted_lips,_the white
cheeks_in_which_the blood was slowly stealing_back, and incredulity
gave way to_astonished acceptance._"You don't know that, either?
That is very funny."

"Did_you_lock it?" was_Arlee's next breathless question. "What was
that you said about_putting in a magazine? Did you_leave it open?"

The_other_girl_reached quickly and caught_her arm, as Arlee turned
toward the_bed. "No, no, if it goes_shut we cannot open it inside,"
she warned._"It does not open this side_unless you have the key._It
opens from_without. But he will not_come in now--he_is at_the
Khedive's palace. We_are all right."

"But I want to_get away," cried_Arlee. She turned upon this other
girl_great_eyes of pitiful_entreaty,_eyes_where the_dark shadows
about them_lay_like cruel_bruises_on the white flesh. "I must_get
away_at once. Won't you help me?"

"Help you?_I would help myself,_if_I could. But there_is no way out.
It is_no use." The unknown girl spoke_with a_bitterness that_brought
conviction. Piteously the flare of hope and spirit wilted.

"You are sure?"_she questioned faintly. "There is no_way out?"

"No way, no_way!" The_other_shook her head_impatiently._"Do I_not
know? Let us talk of that again._Now I_came to see you, to see_what
pretty face had sent_me_packing!" She laughed, but there was
ugliness_in the laughter, and catching up_the candle she held it
before_Arlee,_her_face impudently close, her eyes_black darts of
curiosity.

"Well you are pretty_enough," she said_coolly. "Hamdi has always the
good taste. But_do_you think you will keep my_room_from me--h'm?"

"I do not want your_room,"_said_Arlee