Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-08-09

sScuse me, mdddm-rny ledder boa,
b'leepe."
Miss Lidy was staring; at the window,
open to admit any wandering pun Of
wind, girl. Her hands were clasped
over forgotten piece Of sewi1g. Her
gaze was turned outward. Miss Lidy
caught her face only In profile, which
was beautiful. 1t was the warm, rich
coloring, however, Of the carelessly
massed hair and the softly rounded
cheek and chin which reminded the lit
tie artist Of her peLcils and pad. She
was glad to have the janitor discover
that the key of "A-Floor 8" had mys-
teriously disappeared from his bunch.
1t necessitated his descent TO his own
subterranean quarters and gave her a
golden opportunity to stare at her "op-
posite."
Miss Lidy never went without her
tools She squared herself comfortably
against the locked door Of the apart
ment that was to be hers and fumbled
In the black silk bag on her arm for
her pencils and paper. The girl was
evidently plunged In a profound rev.
erie. II she had been giving Miss Lidy
sitting by appointment, she could not
have behaved more beautifully" Miss
Lidy had ''taken n course" at home,
and she fiattered herself that she was
''really good at free hand drawing" /"
Nevertheless she sighed anxiously as
her pencil travelled over the pad:
"Her coloring, her exquisite coloring
how ever am / to do justice to thatY'
The hurried heavy tramp of the jani-
tor returning with the right key reused
the girl. She turned her head swiftly,
gave look of surprise at the open
door, one of Indignation at Miss Lidy
and swept forward with the determine
tion evidently of slamming the door
shut
Miss Lidy Martineau's friends
claimed that she had the most disarm-
ing smile in the world. 1t stood her in
good stead now. She nodded pleasant
ly at the girl she had been drawing.
"Oh. I'm so sorry you caught me at
It! Your pose was perfect My child.
you are tremendously pretty, and I
hope we will be good friends, as we are
going to be such close neighbors-just
this little scrap of hall between u.s."
Thank you." said the young lady In
a listless manner before shutting her
own door In quietly apologetic way.
Miss Lidy declared In later years that
IL It had not been for her determination
to finish the picture begun under such
adverse circumstances she knows she
never could have brought herself to
rent "A--Floor 81 In the Ricardo for q
whole year-"such pigeonholes for
rooms. you know"
1t was on that first afternoon when
she had gone out to the nearest grocery
store and was coming back loaded to
the chin with paper bags. off which she
expected to exist for several days, that
she stopped to examine the card stuck
In the letter box OF "B-Fioor s."
$50 my opposite's name Is Gerault--
Colonel q. p. Gerault. That's the man
Of the family, Of course. | wonder
what the mother of my beauty is like"
"Scuse me. madam--my ledder box.
d reeve.
A thick voice sounded close In her
ear. A hot vinous breath made her
draw back quickly In disgust A ma
jestic figure lowered far above her; a
wavering. unsteady hand was extend
ing tiny key toward the letter box: a
superb head, from which heavy iron
gray locks swept In untrimmed profu-
sion. was barred In respectful salutation
to her or to her sex; pair of mourn
fully large gray eyes regarded her vac.
uously. Miss Lidy gathered her paper
bags in a closer grip and almost ran
up the four flights Of steps she had
found so formidable.
"Wellr' She was safe inside her own
den. That's Colonel Il. p. Gerault!
No wonder my opposite looks as II the
weight Of the universe rested on her
pretty shouldersl Such a sad young
face. such exquisite coloringI wish
Dabney could see her."