Middletown transcript., 1904-04-09
BY STRANGE PASSAGES
BY MARY MURKLAND HALEY

work.
| Olive, whose home was far SIMMER
establishment than this, though Of long
descended dignity and consequence in
the village. was capable at any sort Of
honsework, and really enjoyed handling
the pretty china and silver. In soma
odd way she could not define, however
she felt out Of place, and wished size had
not come down. Perhaps-sire knew i,
little OF city ways-Grace would not think
it the right thing at all for her to have
done. In a little break in the supply Of
dishes, she slipped away, and started to
find her way to her room.
One flight OF stairs she managed right. !.
she remembered an odd desk or cabinet
in corner of the corridor. At the head
Of the second flight she felt uncertain:
everything looked unfamiliar, and the
next stairway was not visible. 1t was
rather dark. Had they passed through
a door to reach this hall in coming down !?
There seemed no outlet except through
doors, all closed.
She turned one knob-it opened to
\ closet. She futtered to another door:
fancyng she heard steps approaching, she
opened it an an unreasoning furry, and
found herself in a lighted corridor, which
though no one was in sight, had unmis-
taxable evidence, in sounds and scents
and brightness, of being a path to the
festivities of the evening.
Olive stopped moment, just over the
doorsill, to recall the turns she had taken
in coming down from her room. Her
next panic instead of inciting her to
fight, froza her to her standing place in
a sort of numb astonishment; for sud-
denly, at the other end Of the corridor,
man passed, turned, and she met the eve
Of the waiter who had admitted her to
the house. She recognized him easily,
because-well, because she had noticed
in the brief time she had seen him in the
store-room below, that he was remarka-
| bly, handsome for waiter.
After slight hesitation lie walked
toward her, for her face plainly expressed
perplexity.
Olive had collected her senses enough
to know that flight would be silly, and |
awaited him with her natural air of dig
nifty.
| have been downstairs and cannot find
my way back to my room, she explained. |
Will you show me the stairs, or
He waited, looking more puzzled than
she.
A new thought had struck Olive.
l wonder if you could take me to some
place-an upper landing, perhaps where |
| could look down on the party without
being noticed myself?
| dare say, the waiter answered. Sup
pose we try this way round.
He looked at her with distinct amuse-
ment before he led the way back into
the dark hall upstairs, and through an
other corridor to dimly-lighted little
hall at the top Of another stairway.
Really, Olive thought, the servants in
this house we're unbearably familiar. It
did not seem necessary to so indulge
them, even in the city.
There is not much to be seen here,
after all, he remarked, after a minute.
But hardly know how to do any better
for you.
Olive, standing three or four steps down
from the top aud leaning over the banis-
ter, could look down central space about
the successive stairways, and catch fleet
ing glimpses of black coats and bright
gowns. A face occasionally came into
view, if turned up at sufficient angle. 1t
would ''do very well" she said.
The waiter remained on the landing
above her. Idly wondering at this, Olive
remembered that lie had spoken with a
perfectly cultured accent. She recalled
something she had heard about certain
class of walters one saw in summer hotels,
and. it might be for all she knew to the
contrary. anywhere else. Being little
upset and off her guard on account Of tile
odd experiences Of the evening, she spoke
her thought aloud.
| wonder if you are not student? ~
Well-he had an odd choke i'm his i
throat-I happen to be senior at Yale; {
but why i
Oh. that accounts, said Olive, for her /
self, ignoring him. Ii
No, it doesn't, he muttered, taking his !
turn at an aside. La
Olive was leaning far over the banister,
studying the scenes below. Somehow,
she did not feel the walters presence an
offence; he was Enthusiastically a gentle
man, whatever his temporary position, j
and she forgot to consider the unwisdom
Of her remaining alone with him, which f
would have occurred to her had her mind 8
been in less excited condition. Q
Even when he hazarded a remark on f
some passing feature Of the panorama y
they watched, it seemed natural to AMI U
'wer, and by imperceptible degrees they
irifted into conversation OF wide dis p
,ursiveness. IA
Olive sketched romantic biography a
'r two from among her acquaintces, with t.
question for his views on points OF ethics v
herein containen. The young man dis
'oursed OH certain mistaken theories held al
'y men he had known, and expounded a
lis own philosophy Of life; showing, Olive W
iecided, marks Of unusually deep thought W
or one SO young. Ii
A fresh burst of music sounded below.
Dive swayed slightly with the rhythm, W
md one foot went over the stair in ol
wing OF unmistakable familiarity with ce
he figure of the dance-slle and Grace W
lad often danced that together at school W
The young man was watching her; he b,
Ioted again the modish air OF her travel
ng dress, the high-bred poise of her head. q
How long have you been in ser, ice he Sc
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