The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-17

- 1LATTENING himself closely
II against the black logs of the
| - wall, Rowland. paused on the
g2SS platform at the top of the
stairs. His cropping hand touched the
jam of door, and he held his breath
when his fingers incautiously ratified
| the steel of a latch. In another mo-
| ment he passed on three paces-four-
along the platform, at last sinking on
| his knees in the snow close under the
| window. His eyes searched the lighted
! room an inch at a. time. He saw
section of wall at first dimly illumi-
| mated, then a small table near the
window covered with books and maya
| zines and beside it a reclining chair
| buried thick under great white bear
robe. On the table, but beyond his
| vision, was the lamp. He drew him
self few inches more through the
snow, leaning still farther ahead, until
| he saw the foot of white bed. A lit
tie more and he stopped, his white
face close to the window pane.
On the bed, facing him, sat Meleese.
Her chin was buried in the cup of her
| hands, and he noticed that she was in
a dressing gown and that her beauti
full hair was loosed and flowing in
glistening waves about her, as though
she had just brushed it for the night.
A movement, slight shifting of her
eyes, and she would have seen him.
He was filed with an almost master
! ing impulse to press his face closer,
to tap on the window, to draw her
| eyes to him, but even as his hand rose
to do the bidding of that impulse
something restrained him. Slowly the
, girl lifted her head, and he was thrill
ed to find that another impulse drew
him back until his ghost1y face was
part of the elusive snow gloom. He
| watched her as she turned from him
and threw back the glory Of her hair
| until it half hid her in a mass of cop
per and gold. From his distance he
still gazed at her, choking and unde-
| cided, while she gathered it in three
heavy strands and plated it into a
shining braid.
For an instant his eyes wandered.
Beyond her presence the room was
empty. He saw a door and observed
that it opened into another room,
which in turn could be entered through
the platform door behind him. With
! bis old exactness for detail he leaped
| to definite conclusion. These were
Meleeses apartments at the post,
| separated from all others, and Meleese
was preparing to retire for the night.
If the outer door was not locked and
he entered, what danger could there
be of interruption? 1t was late. The
post was asleep. He had seen no light
but that in the window through which
me was staring.
| The thought was scarcely born be-
fore he was at the platform door. The
latch clicked gently under his fingers.
Cautiously he pushed the door inward
and thrust in bis head and shoulders.
| He was in a narrow corridor. Ahead
of him there shone thin ray of light
from under the door that opened into
Meleese's room. Nerving himself for
the last move, he went boldly to the
door, knocked lightly to give some
warning of his presence and entered.
Meleese was gone. Then at the far
end of the room he saw a curtain, un-
| ment of a person on the other side of
it.
"Meleesev' he called softly.
White and dripping with snow, his
| face bloodless in the tense excitement
of the moment, he stood with his arms
| half reaching out when the curtain
was thrust aside and the girl stood be-
fore him. At first she did not recog-
nize him in his ghostly storm covered
| disguise. But before the startled cry
that was OH her lips found utterance
the fear that had blanched her face
gave place to a swift sweeping food
of color. For space there was no
word between them as they stood sep
arated by the breadth of the room.
Rowland with his arms held out to
her in pleading silence. Meleese with
her hands elutched to her bosom. her
throat a-tremble with strange sobbing
notes that made no more sound than
the 1uttering of birds wing.
And Rowland az he came across the
room to her found no words to say,
none of the things that he had meant
to whisper to her, but drew her to
| him and crushed her close to his
breast, knowing that in this moment
nothing could tell her more eloquently
han the throbbing Of his own heart,
the passionate pressure Of his face to
her face, Of his great love, which
seemed to stir into life the very 81,
lence that encompa ssed them.
| It was a silence broken after q. mo-
ment by short choking cry, the quick
breathing terror of a face turned sud-
denly up to him robbed of its flush
and quivering with fear that still
found no voice in words. He felt the
girls arms straining against him for
freedom. Her eyes were filed with a
staring. questioning horror, as though
his presence had grown into a thing
Of which she was afraid. The change
was tonic to him. This was what he
had eXpected-the first terror at his
presence, the struggle against his will
land there surged back over him the
forces he had reserved for this mo-
ment. He opened his arms, and Me-
| leeSe slipped from them, her hands