Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1909-05-08
fences and Iuxuries which have of late

necessities DOdStGQ, IOr instance,
| no garage; no refrigerating system
maddened those dependent upon it. a
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
bor1y women folk, unhindered by a
parasitic corps of meniaIs 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 untenab1e; 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 a thing entirely unforeseen.
Still incredulous, he mentally conned
the list: Barnes, who occupied the
tinent; Conkling, of the third, had left
| fortnight since to join a yachting
party on the Mediterranean; Bannister
and Wilkes, of the fourth and fifth
floors, respectively, were in Newport
and BuenoS Aires.
"Oddi" concluded Maitland.
So it was. She had just closed the
| door, one thought; and now stood
poised as if in momentary indecision
| on the low stoop, glancing toward
Fifth avenue the while she fumbled
with a 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, a 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
lady's hesitation was resolved; in an
other she had passed down the steps
and swept by Maitland without giving
him glance, without even the trem-
bling of an eyelash. And he had a
view of her back as she moved swiftly
away toward the avenue.
Perplexed, he fingered upon the
stoop until she had turned the corner;
after which he let himself in with a
latch key, and, dismissing the affair
temporarily from his thoughts, or pre-
tending to do so, assembled the single
flight of stairs to his fat.
simultaneously heavy feet were to be
heard dumping up the basement steps;
and surmising that the janitor was
coming to light the hall, the young
man waited, leaning over the balus-
tiers. His guess proving correct, he
called down:
"O'Hagan? Is that you?"
9TH saints presarve u.s. But twas
yersilf gave me tn sthart, Misther
Maitland, sor:" OHagan 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 homer"
Nivver a wan, sor- Shure, tn house
do be quiet's amy tomb
Then who was that lady, O'Hagan? ~
''Leddy, sor PIN unbounded amaze
ment
Yes" impatiently. "a young wom-
an left the house just as 1 was COM
ing in. Who was she?''
-.Shure an l think We must be
dr'amin', sor- Divvle female-ray-
spicts to ye,-has been in this house
for NANNY an NANNY tn wake, sor.'
But, 1 tell you
Belize twas somewan jist sthepped
into the vesthibule, mebbe to tie her
shoe, scr, and We thought
ooh, very WE'LL Maitland relin-
pushed the inquisition as Improbable,
reasonable one, the more readily since
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 Irishman, you may come and
shave me and lay out my things, if
you will
Very good, sor. In wan minute
But O'Hagan's conception of the
passage of time was a thought vague;
his one minute had heightened into
ten before he appeared to wait upon
his employer.
Now and again, in the absence of
tho rpor11ar xxyo,,IJ