Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1913-08-01
CHAPTER xI.-fcontlnued.)

CHAPTER xl.-(Contlnued.)
When he turned into Van Ness ave
nue. the Ryan house was one block
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-
ton. Its size and the bright summary
perfection of surrounding grass and
flower beds lent 1t impressiveness and
redeemed 1t from the position of
colossal blight on the prospect to
which architect and builder had done
their best to relegate 1t. Prosperity,
a complacent. overwhelming prospect
ty, was suggested not only by its bulk
but 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 Dor
ders. Every window-pane cleaned
like a mirror innocent of dust or
blemishing spot. The marble steps up
which Cannon mounted were as snow
lily unsullied as though no foot had
passed over them since their last abb
luton.
The door was opened by a China
man, who, taking the visitors card,
left him standing in the hall. and, deaf
to his queries as to where he should
go. serenely mounted the stairs. Can
non hesitated a moment, then hearing
a 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 the ball.
They were softly litsby the afternoon
sun filtering 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 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 a thatch of sleek black
hair, and which he recognized as ap-
pertaining to a young man whose IA
Their 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 deliv-
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 LUMINOSITY vivid against the fiat
surface of cream-colored wall behind
hef. 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
furried alarm.
An open door just opposite offered
a refuge, and, passing through 1t with
n forward questing glance alert for
other occupants who might resent in
trusion, the old man entered 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 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-
Toned carpet was on the floor. and sew
eral tufted arm-chairs. begirt with
dangling fringes, were drawn up So
ciably before the fire. This burned
cheerily, a red focus of heat barred
by the stripes of a crate. and sur
mounted by n chastely severe white
marble mantelpiece. He had been in
the room often before and knew 1t for
Mrs. Ryan's own particular sanctum.
when o celebrated decorator had been