The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-22
CHAPTER XVI.

~, a low minutes bcfore l had Thought, mysolf
which Ind already happened beyond fear or
misfortune, I know better, when I saw that sight
ness, ms II even from the road ana through tho
panes Fcrguson's eyes must discover NC. Igno-
rant whether the room in which / stood con-.
tanned anything TO shelter me. or, %barewalled
must of necessity discover mo TO tho first person
who entered with a light. my natural impuis
whcn the moment OF panic passed, was to escape
But it was not easy to do this in haste. BY
CROPPED my way into tho passage. they key was
turning In the lock Of the outer door. and / saw
staircase, but stumbled over tho lowest step and
shake the walls. For a moment the pain was so
sharp that / could only lie where / fell; nor
| had got to my feet. could / do more than
crawl up the stairs and crouch down on tho
landing, a little to one sido and out Of oycshot
Willingly now in return for present safety
would | have forgiven Fortune all her past buf.
fets! For II Ferguson came up. as l thought
him, sure to come up. ! was lost; since l could
neither retreat without noise, nor II / could.
heart beating SO thickly that l could scarcely
listen and thought l must choke. l WAS relieved
to to @ near 70 Fsbs o an svsi s,ri sEpsndi linz, what hat seemed sfss1 I'd
the passage--go grumbling into the lower room;
whence a glimmer falling on the wall Of the
procuring a light.
It was no surprise to me as 1 sweated and
Ut oi III IL iil IlhCb,t u InhL nO was
in the worst Of tempers. Ihehrd him swear-as
| SUP snppossedd.at the open shutter; then, almost
safety, he was out again in the passage. Tmade
R Rox ao mgs eha TN nf s Mq lss going Bu to i Hsssnd nS SS ,. ana
r. SSs' SoE: ! X e. e. sa n'o. 'Ps d ieoSi 'ss srsss & VIZ Come ne
surely now, 1 thought. getting no answer he
s wSn,s GONE 6s ss,I up; 6 aId N my ya heart rtprsat stood odd n But lit it
cause he thought that abe was above. for he
went back int the lower room, and heard him
weigh tho possibility q slipping By The haii:
door unfastened, and with this IN view had
risen to my feet, when, a key again grated in the
LOCK and SURPRISING 1t to be Smith. l returned to
Had i been Smith it would have been some
II no less dangerous than the pIotter. and / fan
cied that l had more to fear from one than from
two. But the step that entered was lighter than
and made the situation clear.
WITH nhs a. y sUs are her here q. lb last soa are y9u!" he cried
every bone IN your body, lass. that you stayed
out tin now, and I to have the fire to lighti You
f Sep9t Clear neS of thi stetDtE !ys so bear r' met p t speak, ar h sos
viper, and don't stand there glowering like a
II am here now" was the answer. My heart
leaPt. for the voice was Mary's; the tone sullen
and weary. l Sopld understand;
~ ho"t ~ III <hhu lDa 10 " 10
you sT y! minds about that. Where is the bag.
Fit is not here"
mot here r he cried.
No" she answered.
And why not, you Jezebel Z"
co "fou nis 1a not so misusps ann me-; :on sae n snsw ccned
one here to take It IN. 'F Il is "a At IL The ' Spread az Eas re-
y SSss sass e qelshs,s ss.s'! That to 6 C. what "a f ! !PlS sSsm'
e.rlf" he as answers H"s sh, dou !af, YOU S SSs i . Knew Sas Hf B.;
his tone that he believed her.
""tToSp MAJ may think what you like" she replied.
night = he answered querulously.
"You must do as you car" she said. You
bread and meat"
1T is a dogs life" he said with a snarl.
1t Is the life you choose" she retorted
.Pestel. he answered after 2 pause Of sheer
astonishment ct her audacity. What is 1T to
Why. a doe's life, tool and not of my choice,'
she cried Passionately., her voice breaking.
pavement on your errands night and dayi And
i hwS' 4n ntp ffg 1 sba Speaking. hiding and sneak
ro "rSar ya o. T Lying Fas you boggsrly besgage!" he
graceless hussyl who boards you. and lodges
you. and finds you in meat and malt. you reck-
"A Syea call iU na gneMsls she answered bitterly
and It was not hard to discern that she was be.
side herself with the long sick waiting and the
II is all that your plots end inl Call names and
you are happy! But am tired. and tired Of 1T,
and all for WHAT FOR those. that when YOU
have brought them back. you will be as fierce TO
it is you call me r. she continued With feverish
rapidly. "nshamelessf Have you not sent me
e Siose 'n o0 m ahS st5eet and T n hqn s tsSut tbt%s es s sns
what would happen to me so long as your letter
went safe : Have you not sent me. where to be
a thought Of pity, or what a i1eep It was s for a
grill Have you not done this and more" she
And yet you take praise for feeding me, and
COLL me g%raceless and shameless !"
though he put on n a s show Of Of buster lUs@ 70 It sp Was e eS.
and what is ali this /" be said. What ais tho
girl, What has set you up now. you vixen 7"
"You!, she cried vehemently. You and
well" he said. with a snort of sullen reason.
ableness, and what is the matter with the
tradci What Is wrong with the trade. l sayi
III tell yqp this my lass. You would live badly
nv vt tS; pull live honestly" she cried. "And as
you drabl" he cried. Leave that alone"
And that. and when. judging from the tone of
his voice., expected him to break out with fresh
ing silence. which fell for me at an unlncky mo-
ment. for; forgetting. in my desire to sec ms well
room. Tho noise ccasing, l dared neither take
that step nor retreat. md It was only when the
silence had continued 50 long that curiosity
looking in, saw that the girl. her fire and fury
hearth, her face nvcrted. while Ferguson him.
self in an attitude OF detection scarcely less
marked stood near her. his head bowed and his
bloodshOt eyes fixed on tho fire.
"Ay, ,he lived honestly, yonr father.' he NUT
But he "' had nd q fair y Wi IrfHi la %y A lsss' and nFa q short 1T
course, and II he had lived to be 80, God knows!
We are what we are made. mind him well,
and the burn we fshed and the pickle things we
took out, and your mother that played with us
In, her Guilty sark, and not a shoe batween us or
a bodle OF money. but the green hills round US;
and all we knew OF tho world, that It lay beyond
NY lass: And well for him! Az, well for him.
Lying. and woe to the evil Kingl'
HIS voice was beginning to rise; In n moment
he would have reached his usual pitch OF de-
nuneiation OF which even now some OF his many
writings afford a pale reflection; but at the
word king here came q sharp knocking at the
panic, and. heeSSiesnss What no pis 1ushed n brr a
ried up the stairs, Tho steps creaked under mo,
but fortunately the knocking was reported so
quickly and persistently that It covered tho