The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-08-22


an left the house just as was com.
ing in. Who was she!"
"shure an l think ye must be
dr'amin', sor. Divvle female-ray-
spicts to ye!-has been in this house
for nanny an NANNY tn wake, sor."
But, tell you"
"Belike twas somewan jist sthepped
into the vesthibule, mebbe to tie her
shoe, sor, and ye thought"
"Oh, very WE'LL" Maitland relin-
quished the inquisition as improbable,
willing to concede O'Hagan's theory
reasonable one. the more readily since
he himself could by no means have
sworn that the woman had actually
come out through the door. Such had
merely been his impression, honest
enough, but founded on circumstan.
tial evidence.
when you're through, O'Hagan." he
told the 1rishman, you may come and
shave me and lay out my things. II
you will
VERY good, sor. In wan minute"
But O'Hagan's conception of the
passage of time was thought vague;
his one minute had heightened into
ten before he appeared to- wait upon
his employer.
Now and again, in the absence Of
the regular man." O'Hagan would at
tend one or another of the tenants in
the capacity of substitute valet; as in
the present instance, when Maitland,
having left his hosts roof without
troubling even to notify his body-serv-
ant that he would not return that
night, called upon the janitor to under
study the more trained employee;
which O'Hagan could be counted upon
70 do very acceptably.
Now, with patience unruf1led, since
he was nothing keen for the evenings
enjoyment, Maitland made profit Of
the interval to wander through his
rooms, lighting the gas here and
there and noting that all was as it
should be. as it had been left-save
that every article of furniture and
bric.a-brac seemed to be sadly in want
of a thorough busting. In the end he
brought up in the room that served
him as study and lounge-the drawing
room of the fiat, as planned in the for
gotten architects scheme-a large and
well-lighted apartment overlooking the
! street. Here, pausing beneath the
moment, determining that, as else
where, all things were in order-but
gray with dust.
Finding the atmosphere heavy, stale,
and oppressive, Maitland moved over
to the windows and threw them open.
A gush of warm air. humid and redo
lent of the streets, invaded the room,
together with the roar of traffic from
its nearby arteries. Maitland rested
elbows on the sill and leaned out, star
/! ing absently into the night; for by
y now it was quite dark. Without con-
Germ, he realized that he would be late
at dinner. No matter; he would as
willingly miss it altogether. For the
time being he was absorbed in vain
| speculations about an unknown WON.
4. an whose sole claim upon his consid-
! Grafton lay in a certain but immaterial
glamour Of mystery. Had she, or had
she not, been in the house? And, If
the true answer were in the affirma.
tive, to what end, upon what errand?
His eyes focused insensibly upon a
void Of darkness beneath him-night
made visible by street lamps; and he
, found himself suddenly and acutely
sensible of the wonder and mystery of
the City; the City whose secret life
ran fluent upon the hot, hard pave
| ments below, whose voice throbbed,
! sibilant, vague, strident, inarticulate,
upon the night air; the City of which
he was part equally with the girl in
gray, whom he had never before seen,
and in all likelihood was never to
see again, though the two Of them
| were to work out their destinies within
the bounds of Manhattan island. And
1T would be strange" said Maitland
thoughtfully, IF :" He shook
his head, smiling. ""Two shall be
born,'" quoted Mad Maitland, senti-
/ mentally
1.-TWO shall be born the whole wide
world apart"
piano organ, having maliciously
sneaked up beneath his window, drove
him indoors with q crash Of metallic
melody.
AS he dropped the curtains his eye
was arrested by CLEAN of white upon
his desk-a letter placed there, doubt
less, by O'Hagan in Maitland's alb.
sence. At the same time, a splashing
and gurgling of water from the direc-
ton of the bathroom informed him
that the janitor-valet was even then
preparing his bath. But that could
! wait.
Maitland took up the envelope and
tore the flap, remarking the name and
/ address of his lawyer in its upper left
| hand corner. Unfolding the Enclosure,
: he read date a week old, and two
lines requesting him to communicate
with his legal adviser upon q matter
| of pressing moment"