The suburban citizen., 1900-03-24

- changed in sym
pathy with ones mood, or perhaps it
was an indescribable something about
the small mouth, which was smiling
one moment and serious the next
At any rate, l went to Mrs. Parker's
dance quite fancy free, and came away
that night minus my heart.
Her name was Helen Evertson. We
had danced together three or four
times, had eaten our supper in a
dimlv lighted corner Of the great,
square hall, and at parting l had
helped her on with her long, fur
trimmed cloak, and held her haud in
mine for a moment. Then she had
vanished into the carriage that was
waiting at tho door-and that was ALL
l strolled home, determined that
very shortly 1 would ask Mrs. Parker,
who was an old friend OF my mother's
to take me to call upon Mrs. Evert-
son.
Some two weeks later VIC moved
from the home where my boyhood
had been spont, my father having
bought house farther up town. Our
new residence was one of q row of
houses that extended over half a
block, each one being the exact couu.
terpart of all the others, This made
it rather confusing at first, particu
larly as the numbers were on the
lower panels Of the doors, and, in
consequence, quite useless after dark.
The first few evenings, when return
ing home from business, ! counted
the houses to avoid any possibility of
mistake, after which I came to know
our own door iustinctively and ceased
to give the matter any thought.
The Christmas holidays had come
and gone and / had still no opportun.
ity of following up my acquaintance
with Miss Evertson. / called several
times at Mrs. Parker's, but had always
been so unfortunate as to find her out
At last l wrote her note, to which
she replied, saying that she was just
going to Washington for a few weeks,
but would be glad to take me to call
Mt the Evertsous on her return.
[ left the Office ono afternoon in a
6linding snowstorm, aud alighting
from the car at the corner of our
0treet, hurried along through the
gathering gloom, feeling thankful
when 1 found myself at the door of
my home. turned the key in the
lock, and entering the house closed
the door after me, giving, as 1 did
SO, a sigh of satisfaction and relief.
The house was all in darkness, but
not knowing whore to put my hand
on a match, and taking it for granted
that the maid would light the hall gas
presently, l did not trouble myself
about it, but made my way up to my
own room, which was in the third
story.
had just reached the upper hall
when the front door opened and then
closed, after which came the sound of
an unfamiliar footstep on the stair. 1t
was lighter than fathers and quicker
than mothers, aud could not possibly
belong to either of the servants, who
were both iniddle.aged and moved
slowly. Along the second story hall
and up the next flight of stairs came
the strange step, while 1 grew more
and more curious. L had to hunt
some time to lnd the matches, which
were not in their accustomed place on
the mantlepieee. I discovered them
at last, and as ] struck light / heard
a stifled exclamation from the head OF
the stairs. Hastily lighting the gas /
turned around and at the samo mo-
ment the door of my room was closed
with what seemed to me most unnec-
essary violence, and the sonnd of the
key being turned in the lock fell upon
my astonished ear.
Down the stairs flew the feet which
a few moments before 1 had heard
coming up, and once more the front
door was opend and then closed.
Wondering very much at. these sim
guIar proceedings l ratified the knob
and called all to no purpose. There
was no bell IN my room and it was
evident that father and mother we're
out 1t was useless to try to make
myself heard by the servants.
At last, deciding that this must be |
n joke on the part Of one my young
cousins, who occasionally visited us,