Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-10-06
fences ana luxuries which nave OF lat.

| grown 10 De so commonly regarded as
necessities. II boosted, for instance.
no garage; no refrigelating system
maddened those dependent upon it;
dissipated electric lighting system
never went out of nights, because it
had never been installed; no brass
bound hall boy lounged in desuetude
! upon the stoop and took too intimate
and personal an interest in the ten.
ants correspondence. The inhabi.
tants, in brief, were free to come and
go according to the dictates OF their
consciences, unsupervised by neigh.
borly women folk. unhindered by
parasitic corps of menials not in their
personal employ.
| Wherefore was Maitland astonished
and the more so because OF the season.
AT any other season OF the year he
would readily have accounted for the
phenomenon that now fell under his
observation, on the hypothesis that the
woman was somebody's sister or cous.
IN or aunt. But at present that expla-
nation was untenable; Maitland hap
pened to know that not one OF the 9TH
er men was In New York, barring
himself and his own presence there
was thing entirely unforeseen.
Still incredulous. he mentally conned
the list: Barnes, who occupied the
first fiat. was travelling on the con-
tinent; Conkling. Of the third, had left
fortnight since to join a yachting
party on the Meditegranean; Bannister
and Wilkes. of the fourth and fifth
floors, respectively, were in Newport
and Buenos Aires
odd" concluded Maitland.
SO it was. She had just closed the
door, one thought and now stood
poised as IL in momentary INDIGESTION
on the low stoop, glancing toward
Fifth avenue the while she fumbled
with refractory button at the wrist
of long white kid glove. Blurred
though it was by the darkling twilight
and thin veil. her face yet conveyed
an impression of prettiness; an i'm
preston enhanced by careful groom
ing. From her hat, small affair,
something green, with a superstruc-
ture of gray ostrich feathers. to the
tips of her russell shoes-including a
walking skirt and bolero of simmer
ing gray silk-she was distinctly
smart" and interesting.
He had keenly observant eyes. had
Maitland, for all his detached pose:
you are to understand that he COM
pretended all these points in the flick
ering OF an instant. For the incident
was over in two seconds. In one the
lady's hesitation was resolved: in an
other she had passed down the stems
| hNyN OF
him glance, without even the trem-
Ding OF an eyelash. And he had a
view OF her back as she moved swiftly
away toward the avenue.
PerpleXed, he fingered upon the
stocp until she had turned the corner:
after which he let himself in with
latch key, and, Diminishing the affair
temporarily from his thoughts, or pre-
tending to do SO, assembled the single
Hight OF stairs TO his fiat.
Slmu ltaneously heavy feet were to be
heard dumping up the basement steps:
ana surmising that the janitor was
coming to light the hall, the young
man waited. leaning over the balus-
teTs. His guess proving correct. he
called down:
~ uSodl Is l0dL you.
"Th' saints presarve us! But twas
yersilf gave me tn sthart, Misther
Maitland, sor." O'Hagan paused in
the gloom below, his upturned face
quantity Illuminated by the flame of
wax taper in his gaslighter.
I'm dining in town tonight. Ola
gan, and dropped around to dress. Is
anybody else at home?"
NlVver wan sor. Shure, tn house
do be quiets amy tomb"
men who was that lady, O'Hagan?"
Leddy, sor?"-in unbounded amaze.
ment
Yes" impatiently. "A young WON
an left the house Just as was com.
ing in. Who was she?"
"Shure an / think We must be
Dir amin, sor. Divvle a female-ray-
spicts to ye!-has been in this house
Tor NANNY an nanny tn wake. sor."
But, l tell you"
Belize twas somewan list sthepped
INTO the yeSthibule, mebbe to tie her
shoe, sor, and We thought"
oh, very well" Maitland reln-
quished the inquisition as improbable.
wiling to concede O'Hagan's theory q
reasonable one. the more readily since
ne 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, OHagan," he
toId the lrishman, you may come and
shave me and lay out my things. If
| you will"
very good, sor. In wan minute"
But OIiagan's conception of the
passage Of time was a thought vague:
MS one minute had heightened into
ten before he appeared to wait upon
his employer