"
"I'll do my best," answered he, "but please believe me. How they got the
contents of the telegram I do not know, but on my honour I did not give
it out nor did I tell the reporters where you are."
* * * * *
Hildreth was so angry she could hardly speak.
"This is a fine to-do," exclaimed Darrie, "Penton distinctly promised
me--"
"I'd like to get a good crack at him!" I boasted, at the same time
enjoying the excitement.
* * * * *
Hildreth began packing her clothes in a large suitcase ... as we later
found she cast all her clean clothes aside, and in her excitement
included all her soiled linen and lingerie....
We had our last meal together. I brought in a large bottle of white
wine. All of us grew rather hilarious and made a merry joke of the
adventure. We poked fun at Penton.
We sallied forth at the front door, Darrie to go to the Martha
Washington. "I don't want to be mixed up in the coming uproar and
scandal," she exclaimed ... "so far, I'm clear of all blame, and I know
only too well what the papers would insinuate."
Hildreth and I took train for New Jersey ... two tickets for--anywhere
... in our excited condition we ran off first to Elizabeth. We had with
us exactly one hundred dollars, which I had borrowed of Darrie before we
parted on our several ways.
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