The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-01-24
CHAPTER NJ.
Continued-

81 know man." said Dittmer, "who
will lend me five, or even ten shillings
on Monday. My friend will also pay
me back two shillings out ofrmy loan
on the same day. Perhaps our land
lady. WOULD take you into the house,
but she makes rules and will admit no
ladies at all to her lodgings. But it is
impossible, Katharine-you cannot pass
the whole night upon bench. 1t is
impossible"
''We must" said Lily. eff you have
not any money, there is no help for it,
If that were all, what matter?"
''In that case" said Dittmer, 81 shall
pass the night upon the bench with
you. HimmelI Could 1 go home and
leave you hereby yourselves" He
turned and walked with them toward
st. James's Park.
"Oh, Kathariner' said Lily, "what
difference-what difference it makes
to have a man with us! 1 feel some
how as if We, should pull through our
troubles. 1 don't know how it is to be
done, or why we should think so. But
he inspires confidence. Courage, dear.
we have man with us. Oh! why don't
they keep man at Harley House, only
in order to inspire confidence?"
They began their night at about half
past seven. when the place was full of
people walking through, but the girls
were tired They tied their handker-
chiefs round their necks and sat close
together, Lily on the outside and Kath-
arine between her and Dittmer, by
which means she was a little protect
ed from the cold
A night in the open air in the month
of October may be enjoyable under GER
tain conditions, which must take the
form of thick blankets to begin with.
But it cannot by any stretch of imag-
ination be considered warm. The re-
vulsion of feeling, however, with the
two girls at meeting with protector,
the change from despair to confidence
which Dittmer inspired, made them
suddenly gay. They laughed and pratt
tied; they made little silly jokes which
pleased them all three; they seemed
to passersby like party of young peo-
pie perfectly happy and without a
care; just as if their limbs were not
aching all over, and their feet were
not getting as cold as a stone, and as
if they were not desperately hungry.
''It is nine O'clock" said Lily. 'Time
for supper. Herr Dittmer, will you
join us? We have a beautiful supper
made altogether of the finest wheaton.
meal, exquisftely prepared and most
delicately baked till it is a beautiful
rich brown. 1t consists partly of crust
and partly Of crumb. Pray which por-
ton do you prefer, or shall l assist you
to a little of both-without the stuff
ing?' and then these foolish girls
laughed. They were safe. Dittmer
had them in his charge. They We're
quite safe now.
Dittmer refused to share in their sup
per, because. he said, menda ciously. he
had already made a -copious meal Of
bread and sausage, whicl would serve
him till the morning. Then the girls
eat half the bread between them, and
wrapped up the rest for their break
fast.
AT about ten the number of passen-
gers greatly diminished. About the
same time it grew much colder; little
wind sprung up, rattling among the
sparse leaves of the trees. Katharine
kept dropping off to sleep and waking
again with a start. Ely seemed sleep
ing soundiy. and Dittnler was smok-
ing a cigar &telidly: At last Katharine
dropped her"head and fell into a sleep
+, ,oI,5 III 4, n
night when she started into wakeful-'
ness. Dittmer Book still sat with a
cigar between his lips, patiently, as if
n6shM g, ,was-the matter
You are cold,'', he said "Take my
hand and run little, or jump, joost
jomp." Katharine tried just to jump,
but she was too tired either to run or
to jump. She was desperately cold.
Lily. for her part, seemed to mind
nothing. Also Katharine longed with
an intense yearning to lie down and
stretch herself out.
fhen Dittmer showed the ingenuity
Of man.
He made her lie along the bench, her.
head in Lily's lap. He wrapped her
Skirts tightly round her feet He found
a pair of gloves in his pocket-he wore
twelves, / think-and> put them on
Katharine's hands. over her own. so
that she had double pair And then
he produced his own handk kerchief-
large colored silk handkerchief of
patriarchal : character-and tied it
round .her, neck: and over her head.
Lastly, he sat down at her feet and laid
the skirts of his great Overcoat over
Them, so that She might be still more
protested from the cold. .
Now" he said, -'schlafen sic wohl,
Katchen." :. @-i..
He lighted another cigar-remem-
ber that they were cigars of Hamburg.
not of Hayana-and Katharine dropped
off TO- sleepss9gain-
SHRaid rd wakesup till FIVE O'Clock.
GAAmg Germanstiit sat patient and
FesS1fte,s slifs hands m his pockets; he
was nearly frozen with the cold; he
had turned up the collar of his coat:
and he had not slept for one single
moment during the whole night
,.ADittmer," said the. girl.
''Ja: am awake. Sleep on, Katchen.
1t, is only five o'clock
SFNo; have slept long enough. And
tlfese:.t is very hard" She got up and
looked about her. 1t was still night;
by the lamp light she saw that all the
benches near them were similarly occu-
pied with sleeping figures.
Are these people all as poor as our
selves DittnierI And, oh, you have
put your gloves on my hands and tied
your HANDKERCHIEF round my neck. Oh!
it is good of you, Dittmer." She took
his hand. Yesterday I thought I had
not friend in the whole world except
Lily. And 1 forgot you. Forgive me.
1 forgot that you promised to be my
brothes And you have thrown your
great coat over me and are sitting
without it. Qh.sit is shame. Put it