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

room, halting with the door knob in her
hand, swallowing lump that had risen
in her throat, while in incoherent thought
she tried to frame what she first would
say: but in the chaos of her mind only
rose the vision OF Donald as he would
look, the glowing love that would be in
his eyes as he rose to clasp her in his
arms.
Softly she turned the knob a tender
smile curving her lips, her eyes luminous
with anticipation, softly pushed open the
door and entered the room.
Donald was sitting at his desk, as she
had anticipated, but there the picture of
her fancy ended She did not cross the
room to lay her hand upon his shoulder.
because in the way, very close to Donald,
and pushing back her chair with little
start of confusion. as if she had been
still closer, sat Mrs. Rogers.
"Well, upon my word!' she laughing
ly exclaimed, first to recover her voice in
the surprise of the renconter, did you
blow DOWN."
81 should suppose it would seem sufh-
GENTLY evident" with a faint, sardonic
smile, angrily conscious of her battered
hat and the dusty untidiness of her
dress, while her glance took in the ex-
| Qu1S1L0 uSdLuSSS "a LuS OlIltE > COlASC, Cuo
smooth hair and the dainty, dustless
gown. Evidently Mrs. Rogers had come
in before the storm began, Anita shrewd-
ly inferred, measuring the time in her
mind, at the same time noting that the
door to the outer Office was closed.
Donald had hurried forward, flushing
little with surprise or embarrassment,
to give her a chair. Its an i'll wind
that blows nobody any good" he said,
with that little mockery of his old man.
ner he had come to assume before others
ut is pleasant that you let yourself be
blown this way; but l must say l ap-
prove your taste rather more than your
Judgment. / should hardly have sup
, posed you would care to venture out
such day as this"
"Oh, am sure you could not have ex-
pected me-" little sneer in her tone his
, trained ear could not miss.
, Il believe most women like to go beat
, ing their way through a Storm" chi1ned
in Mrs, Rogers in her vivacious way.
at seems somehow to satisfy that crav-
ing for antagonism that seems to be in
herent in the female heart"
'Do you think SOP returned Donald,
with a smile of careless courtesy, a tiny
|
do you enjoy this peculiar craving?'
"Oh, yes; we all do And most of US
wear our lives out beating against the
wind - that is, continuing imaginary
troubles to fight; don't you think so, Mrs
Bartelsy'
"We are not always driven to taxing
our imaginations, l think; Providence
spares us the effort" sharply glancing
|
dropping eyelids. She had become per-
suaded that Mrs. Rogers held something
in her hand which she was concealing in
a fold of her gown.
providence! ah!' with shrug of her
shoulders. Better call it the devil and
c spell it as it should always be spelled,
without the d. 1t is the evil in peoples
9 own minds that leads them to look for
I trouble and find it, nine times out of ten,
q Mrs Bartels. If women never hated
Q until there was reason for hate, if they
u were never jealous until they had cause,
l. if they never went mad in any of the
s thousand and one phases of feminine
Is madness there would be lots less trouble
IT Mrs. Bartels, and" with careless in
3 consequential little smile, "Orodelphia
% would be good deal pleasanter."
q eyes fixed with the sharp scrutiny of q
IS cat watching mouse. She was bound
to see what was in that hand. All The
n time it had been creeping upward witt
% a scarce perceptible movement, crump
ST ling something more closely in its grasp
s. until, as Mrs. Rogers rose with her last
u word, with swift movement she pushed
something under the edge of her basque
y but not so dexterously but that the keeI
81 eyes watching had caught a glimpse, ;
III mere corner betrayed, of Il little roll O.
y bank notes.
But / must not stay here arguing
moral questions while my poor boy lie
T. hazarding his immortal soul with pro
10 family" she exclaimed, with her childish
~ laugh. "Tbe doctor is laid up with rheu
~ matism, you know" she explained tt
u Anita as if it were the most cheerful bi
v Of news possible, land his remarks some
times seem fairly to impart n sulphurou
odor to the room. 1t is considered goo(
o. for rheumatism-sulphu | don
know but the doctor has some scheme o
his own for fighting the disorder witt
i the fumes of his diabolical EXPLANATIONS
70 at least it seems to ease his mind wonder
fully"
" Donald joined in her laugh, but witt
% perfunctory air. 'You should hire
,, Chinaman to help him swear" he care
y lessly suggested.
=. - 81 hoped you would volunteer" with
" laughing pout. 81 came around, yo1
:, know, to see if Mr.. Bartels and you,
= innocently turning to Anita, as if in
genuously impelled to explain her pres
= ence there, tout of kind charity, t
~ revive my dropping spirits, would no
~ come around late this afternoon for
little game of tennis; but the VIM
- seemed to answer for you before ha
~ fairly gotten the invitation out of m
- mouth"
~ 81 should not have supposed you coul
w Il IF for In