The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-07-11
CHAPTER II.


II II AIN street. already mufHed by
wi the snow, added to its quie-
tude a frozen hush where
4 4 the wonder bearing youth
pursued his course along it's white,
straight way. None was there in
whom impertinence overmastered as
tonisnment or who recovered from the
sight in time to jeer with effect No
'Trab's boy'' gathered courage to en-
act in the thoroughfare a scene Of
mockery and Of joy.
And now that expression he wore
the indulgent amusement Of a man Of
the World-began to disintegrate and
show signs of change. It became fine
~ grave, as Of a high conventionality,
lofty, assured and hammered, as he ap-
preached the Pike "mansion."
1t was a big, smooth stone faced
house, productof the seventies, frowning
under an outrageously insistent man
sard, capped by cupola and staring
out Of long windows overtopped with
ornamental slabs. Two cast iron deer,
painted death gray, twins Of the same
mold, stood on opposite sides of the
front walk, their backs toward it
and each other, their bodies in pro-
file to the street, their necks bent, how
ever, so that they gazed upon the pass
erby, yet gaZed without emotion. Two
large calm dogs guarded the top of the
steps leading to the front door. They
also were twins and Of the same in
teresting metal, though honored be-
You'd the deer by coats Of black paint
and shellac. It was to be remarked
that these dogs were of no distinguish
able species or breed, yet they were
Enthusiastically dogs. The dullest must
have recognized them as such at
glance, which was perhaps enough. It
was a hideous house, important look
ing, cold, yet harshly aggressive, and
it sat in the middle Of its fat acre Of
snowy lawn like a rich, fat man en-
ragged and sitting straight up in bed
to swear
And yet there was one charming
thing about this ugly house. Some
workmen were inclosing large side
porch with heavy canvas, evidently for
festal purposes. Looking out from be-
tween two strips Of the canvas was
the rosy and delicate face Of a pretty
girl, smiling upon Eugene Bantry as
he passed. It was an obviously pref
ty face, all the youth and prettiness
there for your very first glance, elab-
orately pretty, like the splendid pro-
fusion Of hair about and above it, am
Der colored hair, upon which so much
time had been spent that a circle of
large, round curls rose above the mass
of it like golden bubbles tipping
coronet
The girls fingers were pressed
thoughtfully against her chin as Eu-
gene strobe into view Immediately
her eyes widened and frightened. He
swung along the fence with the hand
soonest appearance Of unconsciousness
unit! he reached a point nearly oppo-
Site her. Then he turned his head as
II haphazardly and met her eyes. At
once she threw out her hand toward
aim, waving him a greeting, a gesture
which as her fingers had been near
her lips was little like throwing a
kiss. He crooked an elbow and with
one, two, three military movement
removed his small brimmed hat ex-
tending it to full arms length at the
shoulder level, returned it to his head
with life guard precision. This was
also new to Canaan. He was letting
Mamie Pike have it all at once.
The Impression was as large as he
could have desired. She remained at
the openjnc: in the canvas and watch
ed him Tn til he wagged his shoulders
round the next corner and disappeared
into 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 in
doors without knowing her loss. He
had come to thinly 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. 1t was 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 brown faced girl of sew
enteen precipitated herself through the
air in the midst of a shower of torn
cardboard which she threw before her