The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-06-25

Z iO0 40 AC AAdSc AS "oAeo q AASeAs
and then pulls the handle again
more sharply this time, and still nc
one comes.
When Betty does think proper to
come up and open the door he will
tell her that it is too bad keeping a
fellow waiting out here in the fog
and cold all this time. She
is coming at last-no, it was fancy
it seems as if Betty had slipped out
for something, and perhaps the cook
is up stairs, and his mother may be
doing by the fire, as she has begun
to do of late.
Losing all patience, he gropes for
the knocker, and cropping in vain,
begins to hammer with bare fists on
the door, louder and louder, until he
is interrupted by rough voice from
the ratings behind MIN.
"Now, then, what are you up to
there, eh ?" says the voice, which
belongs to burly policeman who
has stopped suspiciously on the
pavement.
Why" says Rolleston, 81 want
to get in, and l can't make them
hear me. l wish you would try
what you can do; will your"
The policeman comes slowly into
the gate. Il dessay," he says jocu-
larlv. SIS there anythink else
Come, suppose you move on"
A curious kind of dread of he
knows not what. begins to creep
over Wilfred at this.
"Move on ?" he cries; "Why
should l move on? This is my
house; don't you see? l live here. "
"Now, look ere, my joker I don't
want Job over this" says the con-
stable, stolidly. You'll bring a
crowd around in another minute if
you keep ON thot 'ammering."
mind your own business" says
the other, With growing excitement.
'That's what l shall have to do if
you don't look out" is the retort.
'Will you move on before l make
you ?"
"But, I say" protests Rolleston,
I'm not joking; l give you nay word
I'm not. | dc live here. Why I've
just come back from school, and l
can't get in"
"Pretty school you come 'front.'"
growis the policeman; 'andles on
to your lesson books, if | knows
anything. Ere, out you go"
Rolleston's fear increases.
81 won't! / won't!" he cries fran
tically. and rushing back to the door
beats upon it wildly. On the other
side of it are love and shelter, and it
will not open to him. He is cold
and hungry and tired after his walk !;
why do they keep him out like this ?
"Mother?" he calls hoarsely.
Cant you hear me, mother? It's
Wilfred let me in!"
The other takes him-~not roughly
by the shoulder. 'Now, you take
my advice" he says. "You amt
quite yourself F.; your making mis-
take. l don't want to get you into
trouble if you don't force me to it.
Drop this ere tomfool game and go
home quiet to wherever it is you do
live"
II tell you live here, you fool p
shrieks Wilfred, i'll deadly terror lest
he should be forced away before the
door is opened.
"And l tell you you don't do
nothing of the Sort" says the police
man, beginning to lose his temper.
"No one don't live ERE, nor amt
done not since I've been on the beat.
Use your eyes if your not too far
gone"
For the first time Rolleston seems
to see things plainly as they are ; ne
glances round the square-that is
just as it always is on foggy winter
evenings, with its central. inclosure
a shadowy black mass against a
reddish glimmer, beyond which the
lighted windows of the houses glow
in yellow bars of varying length and
tint.
But this house. his own-why, it
is all shuttered and dark; some of
the window-panes are broken /; there
is pale gray patch in one that looks
like dingy bill the knocker has
been unscrewed from the door, and
on its scraped panels some one has
scribbled words and rough carica-
lures that were surely not there
when he left that morning.
Can anything-any frightful dis
come in that short time?
No, he will not think of it; he will
not let himself be terrified all for
Now, are you going ?" says the
policeman after a pause.
Rolleston puts his back against
the door and clings to the sides.
MOP he shouts. II don't care
what you say l don't believe you
they are all in there-they are, tell
you, they are-they are !"
In a second he is in the consta-
ble's strong grasp and being dragged,
violently, to the gate,
when a soft voice, a woman's, inter
cedes for him.
"What is the matter? Oh, don't |
don't be so rough with him, poor
creature" it cries pitifully.
'I'm only exercisin' my duty,
num-" says the officer, she wants to
create a disturbance ERE"
No." cries Wilfred, she lies l
only want to get into my own house
and no one seems to hear me. You
don't think anything is wrong, do
you ?"
1t is a lady that has been pleading
for MIN as he wrests himself from
his captor and comes forward she
sees his face, and her own grows
white and startled. "Wilfred !" she
exclaims.
"Why, you know my name !" he
says. 'Then you can tell him it's
all right. Do / know you? You
speak like-is it-Ethel?"
"Yes." she says. and her voice is
low and trembling. Il am Ethel"
He is silent for an instant; then
be says slowly, "you are not the
;ane-nothing is the same; it is all |