Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-02-02

II
nally he completed his toilet and set
forth. lie landla.ly met him Ia the hall
"Bpn jour. Mmc Pinot. he said. gayly.
n he ran downsiain: lat Mine. Pinot
was 80 struck with III. changed aTrrr.
aDce that she conlj not lind words ,o
yturn his saluiation
well" said she. In French. for ,he
saii u 90 herself. something has hap
T-.nc,l. he do--n't look like the same I-er.
son saw this morning"
And indec.l be- did not There was a
color In his checks and brightness In
hts eye that had not hccn thsrr In many
a day III. encounter with Archie Til
linghast AMI hi. assignment from Tie
Dawn office would have l-,cn exciting
enough without this great climax.
llc lo~t no time In walking to West
Twentieth strc,. but when ho turned
into that street and the little gothic houses
s,osl In all their prr,tincss before him,
he slackenc,i his spccd For moment
he thought that he was VI, but lao con-
cludcd that u was only the effects ~ an
exciting day Rack anl forth ho walked
in front ~ the huus.s be was ~ soon 90
enter. and could no, make up his mind
Ia pull the tell handle. Rush llurlstone,
you're fool!" he finally said. Don't
you know this Il businessy' Then ho
mounted tho STEPS aud rang the b.ll
How musically II tinklc,l IN the basement
belowl The door vas opened 10y man
servant In livery. u whom he demanded.
ia Mis- Knowlto inl-
II will inquire " YOU will h. god
enough to scnd up your card" replied
the man. with the cvasiyc hnsw CO Of the
we'll trained -rrvani II public T-rson.
az the sam. time ushering Rush. Who
handed him Mr Mu-guye's note ~ la.
trsluction. into gem of drawing
room. \ grand piano stool Ia the mii.
dlc u the rom. which was adorned with
fine painting. aud some rarc portraits of
distinguished singrr. Flowers In las
ket- and In vases filed the place with
rich perfume. Easy chair. and bric.a-
brlc al.undcd The whole atmosphere
~ the nom was one ~ luxury and good
taste. "Thi, L. her home tlought
Rush. looking alout him. ''these are the
rugs her tiny feet tread upon. these are
her hooks. there stands her piano. over
Who.e ivory keys her ivory fingers
glile.- In this way be- amused himself
until be- heard the ristling ~ a woman's
gown on the stairs lIis heart stopped
beating and sccmcl 60 grow - big thA,
be was afmiI be- could not spcak when
shc entered Ten thousand thought. iew
through hi. mind IL ar~o from his
chair. anil. shutting his eyes. said TO
himslf: "when that door op.ns shall
scc the most divincly beautiful creature
that tryads this earth. one for whom
would lic down and dir-nay. mOrr. fOr
whom ! woutl stand up and live
\ son 81 ecstasy took possession %
him. The door swung lack on IT, hinges.
hc opened his eyes and Aunt Rebecca
i,andfori entered the nom Rush start
,d II be- had bocn struck In tlie face be
could not have had harder blow. Il
took him few seconds Ia recover his
wits. II he had had Ia sI-ak first he
would certainly have disgraced himself
but Aunt RsbcCca b'gan al once
"Shes very busy just at this moment
Mis- sandfori had an ugly way of say.
ing "shc- or cher" when she mean, her
niece. forgetting that there were any
other shes or her. IN the world. "and
asked me Ia step down and 49, you I'm
very partial To pres t1ys myself. Mr
Ilailstorm" Ian0thcr ugly trick Of hers
was to get Jsople's names Nrongl. "and
I'm always glad TO have a little chat
with them. Take ssat. pray. lOu
wanted To 49, her about that strike.
Well. now. rally don't sec how sho
could Say anything ON that subject. She
doesn't want Ia pitch into Maxmann be.
cause the man really means well. but,
you know. Italian opera u an expansive
luxury. That's Why IT, fashionable It'll
never H. popular. though. marx Iny
words English open is what'll fetch
the I.ople ~ that child ever sings In
English ope'a she'l make her everlasting
fortune tell her -, tOo. hut they all
have foolish pride alsIut Italian olera
IL. nonsense. arrant nun~cn~c The big'
get u,oney !. In the English opcu. yOu
uiark my wonls.
Rush had no doubt that she was cur
rect. but hc hadn't come there to hear
Mis- Rsl.cca Sanforh's opinion 81 tie
relative merits u English and Italian
o,sra. lie wa- diplomatic young man,
however. and when Ic found that the
ir.i.rt of rscing Mis- Knowlton looked
dim i,e trie,i all hi. arts Wlsn Aunt
Irlscca. Who was an inipulsiSe woman
fm all lIcr shne~dncss anal Jri~luc man
ner. learned that II was III. tint assign
ncnt. She took I-rsOnai interest. and
said be- should "sse that child a. sure AS
ihrrv WIS Moss IN the bulrtisl,cs, aud
.he left tile rom To fetch lar.
This time there was no mistake. Rush
hoirl the clear no,.-s ~ Mis- kDowlton's
,oice as she descendel the stairs. AMI IN
a moment she was advancing toward
him with her hand extended Such n
bsau,iIul hand. tool II felt like a rose
leaf n u lay In his Tor half "a second
II am very glad 10 meet you, Mr.
Iiurisione. and shall bs most hapIy u j
can ie of any service 10 you.
Then she AT down ON one side Of him
| (Aunt isebecca eat on the other, and
.took him all In. as she afterwards told
him. She saw tall. well made young
man with brown hair. clear. dark skin.
and strong. white teeth that budding
nustacbe made no effort 10 conceal. lie
was certainly handsome. and he had an
easy. natural manner. that was very ai-
tmctive.
About the strike she would rather not
cay anything. but. as he had taken tho
trouble 10 nnd her and did not want 10
go hack empty handed. she would say
that. although she did not believe In
strikes, her sympathies were with the
strikers In this instance.
They did not strike for higher pay
Shs nd. "but fos What they had aircady