The Democratic advocate., 1882-06-24

''Oh you needn't be afraid of that;
shouldn't think of touching his things
Here is half crown for you, and pleast
show me into Mr. Reade's room at once.
Something in the young lady's tone oi
Notwithstanding too, perhaps, in the
sight of the shining half crown she put int
his not unwilling handbook all the brav
ado and bounce out of old Timothy. He
touched his shaggy forelock meekly, and
showed Miss Harfeld into the one sitting
room his master used in the house.
'Well, you'll have to take the blame il
the master is angry he grumbled, ''for
don't know whatever he will say to me for
letting you in. It's quite against all rules. .
's0h, | don't mind that at all; he may
scold me as much as he likes! said Lot
tie, cheerfully; then her quick eye looked
about the dingy, dusty, comfortless-looking
room. Take that tray away, please, she
said, pointing to the slatternly remains of
scanty breakfast left upon the table
Old Timothy never could tell afterwards,
in relating the story to his eronies, why it
was that he obeyed her, but somehow or
other he did
"She just said, stake away that tray,
please and | picked 'un up and carried
'un out. | should have stood on my head
if she'd hai told me She had that way
with her."
Then Lottie took brief survey Of the
chamber in which she found herself. She
was too true daughter of a scientific and
welLbred man TO attempt any tidying or
dusting of those dearly beloved books and
papers, which she found here in as great
profusion as in her fathers study at home.
But somehow her airy touch went round
the shabby room and frightened it. She
straightened rumpled chair cover, put
back useless stool into lis place, wiped
the pens afresh and laid them in the pen
rack, then she opened window and let a
little fresh sunshine and balmy summer air
into the mussincss Of the sitting close at
ulasphere. In making her little rounds she
glanced, without touching them, at the
books and papers, and she made the disoov-
cry that they were al on one subject
chemistry
She did nos Of course understand quite
what branch of the science il was that Mr.
Reade was studying. but evidently he Was
engrussed in some deep researches, and this
made her qnite cheerfal and hopeful.
Il knew the man wSs not 30 bad a. he
was painted. she said to herself joyfully.
man with one ah@orbing taste or
pursuit has always = vulnerable point. |
shall get Al him somehow, think.
Then she sat down in the one comforta-
ble armchair in theroom--Mr. Read own
particular seat--znd waited for his arrival
Wen, she had to wai; bong time. The
day was warm; bee hummed druusily in
through the open window; there was a dis
tans shecr-teil tingiing on the hill, and
presently Is4,io fell fast ssleep in old Dun
stan Rcades leather-eoyered armchair
That was how he found her, when, quite
anpFepared for any such marvellous dis
eoTery (haying lcs himself into the house
without encountesing Tima&hyl. Mr.. Reade
came in by himself into his study. Time
shy, to be sare. heard kim come IN fast
ensagh. but he was in dreadful fright Of
what weala haPPea, and keFs himself qaiet
and ssill in the kitchen awaiting the event.
Wei. Dansssn Reade came in, and there
was white mass of soft silk and lace curled
up Ia his armchair. lie did not quite see
what IL was a. Erzt
Bless nv heart = he said below his
breath. and came neanr Then he saw q
white hand and wrist thrown back over the
arm of the chair,
= A sroasaSf The impertineat hAggages
In another minute be would hare shout
ed for Timothy, have rayed aloud at him
aud As his unconscious visiioF-but some
shiag arrested him- Perhaps if she had
been awake he woald have tGrned her out
summarily aud roughly, refusing 10 listen
% what she had 10 say, and oaly furious
with her for being there But she was
asissp, and she lay - still, and looked -
peFfectly lovely IN her childhke uncon-
seriousness, that, somehow, he stood still and
said nothing. only looked at her, Her
bright hair made sort Of sunlight in the
roosn, her little pink and white face looked
80 refined and sweet among the uRloYely
surroundings Of the dreary place, her very
dress, - dainty and 80 pretty; the little
hands Aung back cArelessly, with their blue
veins showing through the creamy skin,
the small foot peaping cut from behind her
skirt; al was 80 unlike anything he had
seen for - long; she looked like an exotic
flower fallen by mistake into cabbage
gArdcn-
n....... III. f. :. L.. b-...sh ...a
sat down opposite 10 her, with his eyes NV
eted upon her face. II did not occur TO
him to wonder who she was, nor where she
came from; he only knew that he was gaG-
Ing at something that was passingly fair.
..If she wakes she viii spoil il all = he
said to himself Il haven't seen such a
sight as this for years-Rot for years = and
he sat quiet and still. hardly daring 10
breathe for fear be should wake her
Old Timothy, who had erept outside the
do0r TO listen what would happen, could
not make out the absolute silence within
the room bit, and stole back TO his kitch-
en- again quito puzzled and perplexed.
Presently something consciousness,
perhaps. that somehow he was looking at
her-roused Loftie from her slumber. She
stirred uneasily, then half opened her eyes.
Danstan Reade's face grew hard and
grim again. Asleep, she was lovely pic
ture--awake, she was merely noisy, shriil-
voiced woman--one Of the sex he hated.
She would be horribly frightened, he re-
heeted, with grim satisfaction, when she
woke and found him opposite her.
If yOu have seen child awake out of
its midday sleep, with just little stretch
of its arms and rosy flush upon its face,
and a little opening Of its rosebud lips
that was how Lottie awoke. Then, when
she was awake, she did not start up ner-
yously, or look frightened or scared-no,
not in the very least The image of that
grim-faced miser glaring at her did not APP
pear to alarm at all. She just moved her
head very little against the back of the
chair and smiled at him.
"0h, you have come back, have you p
said Lottie.
"What are you doing here ?" asked Mr..
Reade, sternly
well, | was waiting for you, answered
the girl, unabashed.
sWho let you in ?" Don't you know
that / don't allow women in here-a set of
baggage-lazy hussies every one of them !"
swell, so they are-you are quite right. y