The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-12-26

came down from the floor above
on good evening, Mr.. EMrlllaH
said Mrs Moore. Did your sister
Just then the voice Of Captain Han
ska broke in from behind the door
Wait a minute. Ask Mr. Wade q
he minds my not getting up. I've a
cold and I've taken some medicine
Very well, Captain" replied Mrs
Moore. Estrilla. seeing that she was
engaged. went on downstairs 10 the
! front door
This narrative has gone, so far
from the point Of view OF Mrs Moore
We will shIf, now 70 Miss Harding.
for time let her mind be the crystal
of our thought A moment before Mrs
Moore came back and told Mr.. Wade
/ that Captain Ilanska would see him,
! Mr. Estrlla appeared at the door of
! the parlor Although they had seen
/ but little OF him at Mrs. Moorc's, he
| was popular for a Latin lghtncss Of
| temperament Il cheerful and winning
smile. II nimble wit which lost nothing
| because Of his quaint accent, and va.
| rious. wnsomo. actor tricks which
Mrs. Moore called "capers" At that
moment they were singing "iip.hi.
addyhiay," then in Its first run. Mr.
| Estrilla, bundled up in hat and mack.
| intosh. cut a Curyet In the hall, kicked
out one Of his small Andausian feet.
| Joined note OF the chorus in pleas.
ant light tenor voice, changed TO a
falscttO tone which was plainly an
imitation OF Miss Harding's singing.
| and whirlcd toward the outer door.
Miss Harding called:
Come In and sing" But Mr.. rs.
trilla only plyotod through the door.
calling,
"Buenos nochcs-yIphiaddy
Perhaps five minutes later. Miss
Harding went upstairs for handkcr.
chief. For a moment che was absent.
mindcd-a rare thing with her-so
that instead OF turning on the second
floor, whore her room was situated.
she continued another flight and
brought up, suddenly aware OF her
mistake. at the third.noor landiag
Something held her there for a mo.
ment-the sound OF high words from
Captain Hanska's room Miss Hard
Ing paused longer than necessary. She
was an honorable girl enough, but the
most honorable Of rs pay instructive
tribute to our curiosity.
Il tell you both ! won't" came Cap.
tain llanskg's rather harsh voice
"Oh. think perhaps can mako you
change your mind came other ac.
cents which, Miss Harding reflected.
went perfectly with the personality
of Mr.. Lawrence Wade.
Some sort Of q rumpus going on UP
there" said Miss Harding as she re-
gained the parlor Then remembering
that she must account to Miss Jones
for her presence on the third floor
the bachelor quarters OF the establish.
ment--sho added vaguely. you can
hear 1t Just Gs plain"
They had all stopped singing from
very WEAKNESS Of voice, and Mrs.
Moore and Professor Noll had retired
to leave the young couples alone with
their devices, when Mr.. Wade ap
penrcd again in tho hall-this time on
his way out Every one saw him
plainly. especially Miss Harding, who
sat facing the door.
Look who's here Essie!" she Wits.
pcred In an undcrtonc to Miss Jones.
As She recalled it afterward he
seemed little pale. He cast no more
than one quick absent glance AT the
group by the piano; and the door
closed behind him. Within ten min
utee, the company" left and the
young women went to their room.
There was silence in the house.
Silence until half past two o'clock
and then Tommy North. who occupied
the third floor front, came home from
n stag smoker drunk
This was not the first time that ne
had returned. uncertain of tongue and
foot. in the hours OF vice. On the last
occasion, he made so much noise that
Miss Harding refused him her coun.
tenance for week and Mrs. Moore
gave him warning That warning
rested at the bottom OF his maudlin
psychology as no crept up to the
front door. unlocked it. and stole
within.
The vigilant Mrs. Moore, who woke
at every night entrance OF dodgers.
leapcd out Of bed. opened her door
crack, and observed Tommy as he
stood balancing himself under the dim
point OF the gas-jet Oblivious to the
open door and the watchful eye. he
made turn about the newel.post and
began putting one foot cautiously be-
fore the other. saying over and over
n drunken refrain which ran:
Hay foot-straw foot-one goes up
and the other goes down" So he
vanished from the vision OF Mrs.
Moore. BY similar devices he nego-
tieted the stretch of hall carpet on
the second floor, and took the next
flight. He was near his haven now
his own room. third floor front. In
the dim hall light. he balanced him.
self and let his tongue play again
Energy and persevernnce-vict
almost won." he said Just talk to
your feet and let EN- do your work"
But the muscular effort OF climbing
two flights had sent his liquor surging