The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-05-22
CHAPTER xI.-(contInued.)

W pIeaSe MIN. but ne Is Indifferent.
CHAPTER xl.-(continued.)
When he turned into Van Ness ave
nue. the Ryan house was one blocl
beyond him, conglomerate white
mass. like a crumbling wedding cake
slowly settling on a green lawn. He
surveyed 1t as he approached, noting
Its ugliness with a musing satisfac
tion. Its size and the bright summarJ
perfection Of surrounding grass anC
flower beds lent 1t impressiveness ant
redeemed 1t from the position Of 9
colossal blight on the prospect tc
which architect and builder had done
their best to relegate it. Prosperity
complacent. overwhelming prosperi
~. was suggested not only by its bulk
out by the state Of studied finish and
neatness that marked mansion and
grounds. There did not seem to be a
whiting flower bed or withered leaf left
on a single stalk in the garden bor-
ders. Every window.pane cleaned
like a mirror innocent Of dust or
blemtshing spot, The marble steps up
which Cannon mounted were as snow
lily unsullied as though no foot had
passed over them since their last ab-
luton.
The door was opened by a China
man, who. taking the visitors card,
left him standing in the hall, and, deaf
20 his queries as to where he should
go, serenely mounted the stairs. Can
non hesitated a moment, then hearing
sound OF voices to his right, entered
the anteroom that gave on that suite
OF apartments into which Dominick
had walked on the night Of tho ball.
They were softly lit by the afternoon
sun altering through thin draperies,
and extended in pale, gilt-touched
vista to the shining emptiness of the
ballroom. The old man was advanc-
ing toward the voices when he sud
denly saw whence they proceeded, and
stopped. In the room just beyond him
Cornelia Ryan and a young man were
sitting on a small, empire sofa, their
figures thrown out in high relief
against the background of silk-covered
wall. Cornelia's red head was in
close proximity to that of her COM
panion, which the intruder saw to be
clothed with thatch of sleek black
hair, and which he recognized as ap.
pertaining to a young man whose IA
ther had once been shift boss on the
Rey del Monte, and who bore the pat
ronymic of Duffy
Cornelia and Jack Duffy had the
appearance Of being completely en-
crossed in each others society. In
his moment of unobserved survey,
Cannon had time to note the young
woman's air Of bashful, pleased en-
barrassment and the gentleman's ex-
preston Of that tense, unsmiling
earnestness which attends the deliy-
cry of sentimental passages. Cornelia
was looking down, and her flaming
hair and the rosy tones of her face,
shading from the faintest of pearly |
pinks to deepening degrees OF coral, |
were luminously vivid against the fiat |
surface Of cream-colored wall behind |
her, and beside the black poll and
thin, dark cheek of her COMPANION |
That something very tender was afoot |
was quickly seen by the visitor, who |
softly withdrew, stepping gingerly |
over the fur rugs, and gaining the en-
trance to the hall with sensation of |
flurried alarm.
An open door Just opposite offered |
refuge, and, passing through it with |
forward questing glance alert for
other occupants who might resent in.
trusion, the old man entered a small |
reception-room lit by the glow of a
hard coal fire. The room was different |
In furnishings and style from those he
had left. 1t had the austere bleak
ness of aspect resultant from a combi-
nation of bare white walls and large
pieces Of furniture Of black wood
upon which gold lines were traced In
ornamental squares. An old.fash.
ioned carpet was on the floor, and sew
eral tufted arm-chairs, begirt with
dangling fringes. were drawn up 60
ctably before the fire. This burned
cheerily, red focus OF heat barred
by the stripes Of CRATE, and sur.
mounted by chastely severe white
marble mantelpiece. He had been in
the room often before and knew II for
Mrs. Ryans own particular sanctum.
When a celebrated decorator had been
sent out from New York to furnish the
lower floor of the house, she had in.
sisted on retaining in this apartment
pieces Of furniture and the works of
art which she approved, and which the
decorator wished to Danish to the gar.
ret. Mrs. Ryan had her way as she al.
ways did, and the first fine "soote" Of
furniture which she and Con had
bought IN the days of their early AZ.
fiuence. and various oil paintings also
collected in the same era of their evo-
luton, went to the decking Of the
Soom she used for her own and often.
est sat In.
Cannon approached the fire. and
stood there looking up at the life-sixe
portrait In oils q the late Cornelius