The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1904-11-24

been turned out of their homes, and
were making their way to morning
school, and hundreds of busy men and
women were hurrying through the
streets, all with worn misunderstanding
faces. As 1 walked to the railway
station felt almost overpowered by
the desolateness of the place, To be a
mere unit in this unthinking, unheed-
ing crowd, to be pushed and jostled by
the hurrying passengers, who all
walked as if their very lives depended
on their speed, to hear around him the
rapidly spoken foreign language, with
its strange North country accent, all
made me feel very keenly that 1 was
indeed foreigner in strange land.
was glad to be once more in famil
iar-looking train, and actually on my
way to London.
Fortunately the Monday proved to
be lovely, still, autumn day. 1 did
not like to call upon Mr. Baxter-the
man that father had instructed me to
call upon-until the afternoon; and,
indeed, l thought he could not be
found at home earlier. So l roamed
about London, and looked at my
watch about four times an hour, It'll
at length the time came when l could
call hanson and drive to Lancaster
Gate.
There are some houses which the
nom ant you enter them suggest the
idea of money. The Baxter house
was one of them; everything was
faultlessly arranged your feet sank
into the softest of carpets; you were
served by the most obsequious of SER
wants; all that was cheap and common
or ordinary was banished here; and
you felt that the chair you sat on was
a very superior chair; that all the
pictures and ornaments were the very
best that could be bought; and that
, ordinary people who could not boast
, of very large fortune were only ad-
mitted into this aggressively superior
> dwelling on sufferance. With all its
grandeur, it was not a house which
tempted you to break the tenth com.
mandment; it inspired you with kind
of wonder, and if the guests had truly
spoken the thought which most fre.
quently occurred to them, it would have
been: 81 wonder now what he gave
:. for this?'
When was shown into the great
: empty drawing room with its luxuriou'
o couches and divans and its wonderful
O collection of the very best upholstery
O and the most telling works of art,
o felt as strangely as had felt in tn
o dirty streets of Hull, that was
n stranger and foreigner. Befor
% many minutes had passed, however
# my host came into the room, greetinl
Ar me politely, but somewhat stiff1y
n "Glad to make your acquaintance" b
~ said, scanning me little curiousIy al
ar he spoke. "I've heard of you, of course
from my brother. am sure they ar
!. all very much indebted to you for plan
ming their Norwegian tour so we'll.
8 Had he also heard of me from Daisy
This was the thought which rushe
N through my mind as l sat opposite tn
Englishman and noted his regula
features, short, neat-looking, gre
beard, closely cropped hair, and rathe
cold eyes.
Any one watching us two coul
scarcely have conceived greater COZ
trast. I, a young Norwegian, cage
70 hopeful, bearing in my face the loo
is of one who has all the world befor
#. him; he, middle.aged Englishma
st. who had bought his experience, and i
q. whose heart enthusiasm, and eager el
.,t joyment of life, and confident belle
ad in those he encountered, had Ion
I ceased to exist. Nevertheless, th
ha Mr.. Baxter was kind-hearted ma
or he felt little sorry for me, and ref1ec
nd ed to himself that was far more
m. for the post at Chrissiania than his ow
he son Argyll.
lis "It is curious that fou should ha'
ng come today" he remarked. "Only t
IN day the final decision was arrived
is about this long-mooted idea of Il
new branch of our firm at Christian
in Perhaps you have heard rumors of it
.ty 81 have heard nothing at ALL said
st. "My father did not even mention it. "
ad "It is scarcely possible that he b