Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-01-04
CHAPTER XVI.


Opposed.
There was q new tenant in the
Hicks street tenement. He arrived
late one afternoon AID was shown
two rooms, one In the rear building
and another in the front one. Both
we're on the fourth floor He de-
INJURED al the former, thought il
gloomy but finally consented to try It.
The other, he said was too expensive.
The ianitor-new to the business
was not much taken with him and
showed It. which seemed TO offend the
newcomer, who was evidently an ir-
ritable fellow owing 70 III health.
However, they came TO terms az /
have said. and the man went away,
promising to send in his belongings
the next day. He smiled as he said
this End the icritCr who had rarely
seen such change take place in q
human face, looked uncomfortable
for moment and seemed disposed to
make some remark about the room
they we're leaving But. thinking bet.
ter Of 10, locked the door and led the
way downstairs. AS the prospective
tenant followed, he may have noticed,
probably did. that the door they had
just left was a new one-the only new
thing to be seen in the whole shabby
place
The next night that door was locked
on the inside. The young man had
taken possession. As he put away
the remnants OF a meal he had cooked
fft~ he ID
rouudings, ana impercepdbly sighed
Then he Frightened again, and sitting
down on his solitary chair. he turned
his eyes on the window which, uncur.
tained and without shade, stared open.
mouthed, as II were, at the opposite
wall rising high across the court.
In that wall. one window only
seemed 10 interest him and that was
on level with his own. The shade
OF this window was Up, but there was
no light back Of it and so nothing OF
the interior could be seen. But his
eye remained fixed upon, IL. while his
hand, stretched out towards the lamp
burning near him. held itself in readi.
ness to lower the. light at a minutes
notice.
Did no zee only the opposite wall
and that uuillumined window? Was
there no memory OF the time when
in a previous contemplation of those
dismal panes. he beheld stretching be
tween them and himself, q long, low
bench with q plain wooden tub upon
IT,, from which a dripping cloth beat
out upon the boards beneath a dismal
note, monotonous as the ticking Of a
clock?
One might judge that such memo
ries were indeed his. from the rapid
glance he cast behind him at the
place where the bed had stood in
those days. 1t was placed differently
now.
But II he saw, and IL he heard these
suggestions from the past, he was not
less alive to the eXaCtions of the pres.
ent, for, as his glance flew back across
the court, his finger suddenly moved
and the fame It controlled sputtered
and went out. At the same instant,
the window opposite sprang into view
as the lamp was lit within, and for
several minutes the whole interior re.
NAMED visible-the books, the work.
table, the cluttered furniture. and,
most interesting of all. it's owner and
occupant II was upon the latter that
the newcomer fixed his attention, and
with an absorption equal to that he
saw expressed in the countenance op-
posite.
But hts was the absorption OF
watchfulness; that OF the other Of in
trospeotion. Mr.. Brotherson-(we
will no longer call him Dunn even
here where he is known by no other
name)-had entered the room clad IN
his heavy overcoRt and, not having
taken It OF before lighting his lamp,
still stood with 1t on, gazing eagerly
down at the model occupying the
place OF honor on the large center
table. He was not touching H-not
at this moment-but that his thoughts
were with II. that his whole mind was
concentrated on II, was evident to the
watcher across the court; and. as this
watcher took In this fact and noticed
the loving care With which the enthu-
siasdc inventor finally put out his en-
ger 20 rearrange a thread OF twiri .
wheel, his disappointment found utter
8nce iu a sigh which echoed sadly
through the dull and cherries room.