The Huttig news., 1913-02-01

seen such change take place in human face. looked uncomfortable for moment and seemed disposed to make some remark about the room they were leaving. But, thinking bet ter of it. locked the door and led the way downstairs. As the prospective tenant followed he may have noticed, probably did. that>the door they had inst 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 for himself, he cast look at his sur roundings. and imperceptibly sighed. Then he brightened 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 1t were, at the opposite wall rising high across the court.
 In that wall, one window only seemed to interest him and that was on level with his own The shade Of this window was up, but there was TO light back of it and so nothing of the interior could be seen. But his eye remained fixed upon it, while his hand, stretched out towards the lamp burning near him, held itself in readi- ness to lower the light at minutes notice.
 Did he see only the opposite wall and that unillumined window? Was there no memory of the time when, in previous contemplation of those dismal panes, he beheld stretching be- tween them and himself, a long, low bench with plain wooden tub upon it, from which dripping cloth beat out upon the boards beneath dismal note, monotonons as the ticking of 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. It was placed differently now.
 But If he saw, and if 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 flame 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- mained visible-the books, the work table, the cluttered furniture, and. most interesting of all, it's owner and occupant. It was upon the latter that the newcomer fixed his attention, and with an absorption equal to that he saw expressed in the eountenanee op- posite.
 But his was the absorption of watchfulness; that of the other of in- trospection. 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 overcoat and, not having taken it eff 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 it-not at this moment-but that his thoughts were with ii, that his whole mind was concentrated on it, 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- siastic inventor finally put out his fin ger to rearrange thread or twirl a wheel, his disappointment found utter ance in a sigh which echoed sadly through the dull and cheerless room. Had he expected this stern and self. contained man to show an open in. difference to work and the hopes of a lifetime? If so, this was the first of the many surprises awaiting him.
 He was gifted, however, with the patience of an automaton and contin- ued to watch his fellow tenant as long as the latter's shade remained up. When it fell, he rose and took a few steps up and down, but not with the celerity and precision which usually HIS bOuDl disturbed his mind and impeded his activity He had caught fair glimpse of Brotherson's face as he approached the window, and though 1t continued to show abstraction, it equally dis played serenity and complete sat isfaction with the present if not with the future. Had he mistaken his man after all? Was his instinct, for the first time in his active career, wholly at fault?
 He had succeeded In getting a glimpse of his quarry in the privacy of his own room, al home with his thouehts and unconscious of any es- pionage. and how had he found him Cheerful, and natural in all his move ments.
 But tlH evening was young Retro spect co.les with later and more lone ly hours There will be opportunities yet for studying this impassive conn tenance under much more telling aud productive circumstances than these. I s.--