The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-10-03
CHAPTER xxxv-(continued.)

He room gave on one side of the
sitting room and her fathers on the
other. She waited until Colonel Harris
went away, having helped him on with
his overcoat. After he left she felt a
little twinge of remorse. The night
was cold and raw and he really had
not wanted to 60 out. He would have
been quite willing to sit in front Of the
fire, smoking and reading. He had
only gone because his own innate kind
illness and tact had suggested to him
that Louisa wished to remain alone.
He too, like Eide, felt a little in the
way. His daughters grief was Of a
nature that a fathers owe cannot
soothe. The greatest solace for 1t now
would be solitude. So, in spite of the
fog, in spite Of the unpleasantness that
met Colonel Harris on every page Of
every newspaper, he sailed out Of the
hotel and got into a hanson, with the
avowed intention of spending a couple
of hours at his club.
Louisa, left alone in the sitting room,
in front of the CHEEKY fire, sat down
for a moment on the sofa and rested
her head against the cushions. There
was memory even In that, for when She
closed her eyes, she could imagine hat
Luke was sitting at the foot Of the
sofa; she could see him almost, with
his eyes turned ever toward her, and
that quaint gesture of his when he
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neatly groomed head
The memoir was intolerable now.
She rose-restless and feverish-and
stood by h fire. one hand on the high
mantel shelf, her forehead resting
against that hand, one foot on the fem
der, and her aching eyes gazing into
the redhot glow.
It was n OF those big red fires,
party made up Of coke and partly of
coal. wherein only here and there tiny
blue flames fit waywardly, and in the
building Of which hotel ~servants are
usually past masters. The glowing coal
heaped up high in the old fashioned
CRATE presented a wonderful picture Of
mysterious architecture; streets and
lanes Of crimson incandescence. palaces
and towers of molten heat, and the lit
tie blue flames dencing and peeping out
from the fiery depths. mocking and
wayward, twirling and twisting as with
the joy OF life.
Louisa gazed into this city of brit
liant crimson and gold. the streets, the
palaces and the towers And as she
gazed-with eyes almost seared-these
same streets Of fire assumed different
shapes; they became stately n wide,
with rows Of trees forming an avenue
along the middle and tall houses on
either side. One or two people were
walking along the pavement. but
quickly. as IL they had business to
NAA SoAS ~ 0AtSAs o1AO
figure, that OF a woman, in neat ulster
and serviceable hat-was walking
briskly between he row OF trees.
The blue flames danced. and dis
closed a few vehicles hurrying past
swiftly. in the night. huge tramways
numbering along, N one or two flying
motor cabs. And far ahead-right In
the heart OF the glow-the distant
lights Of a more busy thoroughfare.
Now the wide street was more dark
and lonely than before. only the soli-
tary female figure appeared in the fiery
picture, walking among the trees. The
last Of the numbering tramways had
been merged in the distant lights;
only from afar came flying on the blue
flames. a taxtcab at lightning speed.
1t came along, its headlights burning
more and more brightly, 1t ratified past
the solitary female pedestrian. Then 1t
stopped In the dark angle made by a
huge piece OF coal; the blue flames
gavA a hiss and from every corner Of
the crate crowds OF people came rush
Ina to the spot where the taxicab had