The San Francisco call., 1906-11-04

the snow. added 10 its quiet
ude a frozen hush where th=
wonder bearing youth pursued
his course along it's white, straight
way. None was there in whom I'M
,,e-t5,e,ce oxerraastsred establishment,
or who recovered from the sight IN
time to ieer with effect; no ran
bov' gathered coura ge 10 enact in the
thorouEhfare a scene OF mockery anu
OF iov. Leaving business at A tenn
porary standstin behind eiFa MI.
Bantry swept his long coat steaoily
over the snow and soon emerged upon
mar mart 81 the street where the mart
gave way TO the home. The comfort
able houses stood pleasantly back from
the street with plenty OF lawn ana
shrubherv about them, and often, along
the picket fences. the laden branches
OF small cedars. bending low WIFE theit
burden. showered the young man
swinging shoulders glitteT!nEly as ne
brushed by.
And now that expression he wore
the fnduigent amusement OF q man OF
the world-began TO disintegrate anu
show signs OF change. 1t became hneiE
grave. as OF a high conNentohaillN'
lofty. assured. and hammered, as ne ap
preached the Pike mansion. tIhe re-
motest stranger must at once petceiNS
that the Canaan papers could not nave
called il otherwise without painl
II was a big. smooth-stone-fa faced
house. product OF the seventies. frowh-
ing under an outra geously insistent
Taansard. capped by n cupola. and star
ing out or long windows oVertoppeG
with "orna mental" slabs. Two cast
iron deer. painted death-gray, twins
Of the same mold. stood on opposite
sides OF the front walk. their backs
toward IL and each other. their bodies
in praffie 20 the street. their neclSs bent.
however. 50 that they gazed upon the
r7a sse~-by-yct gazed without emotion
Two large. e. ilnl dogs guarded the top
OF the Stcns Tending to the front door
@hev also wee twins ami OF the same
interesting metal. though honored be-
youd the deer hy coats Of black paint
an Fhenac. it WIS 10 lac remarked
th ft these dogs were OF no distinguish
able species or breed. yet they were
Enthusiastically dogs: the duilest must
have recognized them as such at Il
glance. which Was pcrhaps enough 1t
gvas a h.dcous house. approximations
ing, cold. yet harshly aggressive,
house whose exterior provoked a shud-
te~.ng guess Of the brass lambrequins
arf plush fringes within: solid house,
obvsously-nay. blatantly-the resi-
de-ce or the principal citizen. whom IL
haa grown TO resemble as is the imp
ISL habit Of houses. and il sat in the
sn.Gdle of its fiat acre Of snowy lawn
like a rich. fat man enraged and sit
ting straight MP in bed 10 swear.
And vet there was one charming
thing about this ugly house. Some
workmen were inclosing a large side
porch with heavy canvas, evidently for
1estal purposes. Looking out from be-
tween two strips Of the canvas was the
II. II
smiling upon Eugene Bantry as he
passed. It was an obviously pretty
face. all the youth and prettiness there
for your very first glance; eiaborately
pretty. like the splendid profusion of
hair about and above it-amber-colored
hair, upon which so much time had
been spent that a circle OF large, round
curls rose above the mass IL il like
golden bubbles tipping a coronet.
The girls fingers were pressed
thoughtfully against her chin as Eu-
gene strode into view; Immediately her
eyes widened and frightened. He
swung along the fence with the hand
soonest appearance of Inconsistencies
until he reached q point nearly oppo-
Site her. Then he turned his head. as If
hsphazardly, and met her eyes At once
she threw out her hand toward him,
waving him a greeting-a gesture
WHICH, dc 4Ltl CTS lAd0 DEtA near
her lips. was a little like throwing a
kiss. He crooked an elbow and with
& one-two-three military movement re-
moved his small -brimmed hat. extend
ed Il at full arms length at the shoul-
der level. returned it TO his head with
Life Guard precision. This was also
new to Canaan. He was letting Mamie
Pike have 1t all at once.
The impression was as large as he
=. 1ac iT1r 1f
the opening in the canvas and watched
him until he wagged his shoulders
round the next corner and disappeared
into a cross street AS for Eugene. he
was calm with great calm, and very
red.
He had not covered great distance.
however before his gravity was re
placed by his former smiling look OF
the landed gentleman amused by the
innocent pastimes of the peasants,
though there was no one in sight ex-
cept a woman sweeping some snow
from the front steps of a cottage, and
she. not perceiving him, retired indoors
without knowing her loss. He had come
20 a thiniy built part of the town, the
perfect quiet OF which made the sound
he heard as he opened the picket gate
OF his own home all the more startling.
II was a scream-loud, frantic and
terror-stricken.
Eugene stopped. with the gate half
open.
Out of the winter skeleton of a grape
arbor at one side Of the four-square
brick house a brown faced girl OF II
herself through the air in
the midst of a shower Of torn card
hoard which she threw before her as
she leaped. She lit upon her toes and
headed for the gate at top speed. pur-
sued by a pale young man whose thin
arms strove spasmodIcally 10 reach
her. Scattering snow behind them.
hair flying, the pair sped on like two
branches before a high wind:
for. as they came nearer Eugene (of
whom. in the tcnsity of their flight,
they took no nOte). il was to be seen
that both were so shabbily dressed as
70 be almost ragged. There was a
brown patch upon the girls faded
skirt at the knee; the shortness OF the
garment indicating its age to be some-
thing over three years. as well as per-
mitting the knowledge 10 become more
general than betting that her cotton
stockings had been clumsiiy darned IN
several places Her pursuer was in as
evil case: his trousers displayed a ten
deiicy to frigidncsg at pocket and heel:
his coat, blowing open as he ran, threw