The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-07-31
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glad sho was indeed, but yet strangely
troubled by forebodings which she could
not dismiss
10 was about half past II o'clock IN
the morning when they stopped in
front of brown painted frame house
which turned its gable to the street A
heap of ashes and garbage lay in front
of it, and frightfully malodorous alley
separated il from the two adjoining
buildings A slatternly maid with a
smudged faced opened the door for
them, and after brief colloquy with
Hattie was induced to indicate the loca-
tion of Mr.. Brun s room. The stairs and
the floor Of the hall were covered with
q square patterned oilcloth, in which
holes We're worn in sundry places, and
in the corner behind the street door q
pile of swecpings was lying undisturb-
ed, it being evidently the custom of the
house not to remove it as long as it
did not interfere with the opening Of
the door.
"Now, said Hulda, gaining "a sud-
den mastery Of herself, 81 shall have 70
ask You kindly TO wait for me here, or.
if you prefer it, yon may return TO the
Office. / shall not need you any more
now. You have been very kind to me,
and am very grateful to you.
Hattie met this declaration with a
look of blank amazement She had in
tended TO "assist" at the scene of recon
ciliation and to participate as the benev-
olent friend of the heroine in the vari
ous chapters of the romance until il
ended and "thcy lived happily ever aft.
erward. Hulda's dismissal Of her seem
ed therefore, to say the least, ungracious
But, surely" she objected ''ye
don't intend to have me leave yc here
shall sit down ON the steps and wait
for ye. "
Every we'll But think you had bet
ter not.
"Oh shucksl 1 guess ye may want
me yet Yo needn't hurry ON my ac-
count. "
Hulda walked up the creaking stair.
case and paused outside the door which
the maid hod indicated. Her heart ran
riot Her ''lood hammered in her tenn
pies. A mist gathered before her eyes
and hoatcd slowly away as she gazed at
it. She must be strong nuw-strong,
strong. She murmured the word with d
passionate Intensity and pulling herself
together resolved, come what may, not
10 surrender TO any weakness
Sha knocked at the door, and with
her heart in her throat listened for n re-
sponsc. She could hear some one move
about inside in 1urried fashion, stun.
bling over a chair and raising or closing
window. She repeated her knock. ano
after pause of half a minute tho door
was opened from the inside, and young
man with tousled hair and handsome
but dissipated face confronted her. He
wore a pair Of slippers down at The
heels, and his slender figure was wrap
ped in a shabby ovcrcoat
'What do you want?' he asked pee
vishly.
He could scarcely distinguish her fea
lures in the dusk Of the hail. but yet q
startled look came into his eyes, and h,
fell back a step and opened the dool
wider
Good heaycnsp' he cried as the light
from the window fell NJ m her face
"Ildida, in Gods name, what are yoJ
doing hcrc?"
II was di1lvult TO tell whether he wa
not more astonishCd than delighted t.
see her, but after an instant Of utte
blankness he seemed to feel that hi
welcome was none too cordial, and pull
ing her into tho room he kissed he
graspod both her hands and gazed a
her and then kissed her again.
''Why do you take fellow so by sur
prisep' he exclaimed in apologehc con
fusion. 'Who under the SUN expected