Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-01-23
CHAPTER XIII.

1t seemed an especial exhibition of the
total depravity of inanimate things that
as Anita stepped out Of doors she should
find the wind rioting in the street, the
air clouded with rushing whirlwinds Of
dust tossed up by the lively little Col
orado zephyr" that at certain seasons
seems especially aimed to try the souls
of good housewives. She stood still for
moment, disappointedly hesitating,
but still she could not bring herself to
renounce the cherished plan. 1t was
but a short walk to the Office at most, and
she felt strong enough in her eagerness
to combat any obstacle.
But never did those three blocks seem
so long journey She was obliged to
face driving column of yellow dust
notified with crumpled papers and rags,
dead leaves and twigs, the unsightly lit
ter of i'll kept back yards, in which a
nucleus in the form Of small boy
seemed presently evolved, his bare feet
scarce touching the ground as he chased
his hat, which was ever bowled away
Just beyond reach of the clutching fin
gers.
Here and there in the quiet street,
under the cottonwoods upon which the
yellow leaves were already stealing, as
pathetic in their beauty as gray hairs on
the head of youth, in groups Of two or
three, cows were sorrily punched to-
gether, their backs to the wind, and a
little girl with basket, apparently
prohting by the example Of the kline,
was cautiously shuf1ing along backward,
curiously blinking through the yellow
haze at the lady who, but for this I'M
natural reversal of gait, would have
been just behind her. Anita, holding
on to her hat with both hands, the wind
wrapping her skirts about her limbs
until each step was a new difficulty,
found herself curiously embarrassed by
the gaze of those childish eyes, small and
| tons sewed in the little dust grimed face
1t seemed confession of mental weak
ness to be seen on the street in dust
storm like that by anybody, to say moth
ing Of appearing blown and disheveled,
stripped of all the graceful dignity
which Mrs, Bartels regarded as her in
dispensable adjunct,
Her impulsive spleen was quickly lost,
however, in kindly concern as the heed
less little experimental came to grief ON
| the uneven pavement. ANITA stopped 20
help the child upon her feet again and
restore the scattered contents to the
basket, while, as if it had been mis-
chievously watching for the opportunity,
the wind at this moment seized upon her
own hat and sent it spinning away
through the dust. The child, not to be
outdone in kindness, darted after it and
presently returned triumphant, but not
until the wind had made havoc with the
arrangement of Anita's hair, while the
story of its adventure was grimly marked
upon the hat. Again Anita hesitated as
she shook the dusty plumes, glancing un-
certainly back; but now it was farther
to go home than to press on to her first
goal; and, after all, hurrying on, what
would it matter to Donald in what guise
she came to him?
Alone in the long hall outside the Office
she stopped, with swift feminine touches
striving to improve her disheveled ap
pearance; and when she had brushed
her hat and with sundry little pats help
less to improve had assured herself how
far her hair was awry, when she had
shaken her skirts and smoothed up the
long wrists Of her gloves still she finger
sas her heart tulnultuorsly beating. Shs