Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-08-05
Il INSTALLMENT.
Out of the Storm.

man.on the wrong side Of the win.
dow--and to be on the wrong side Of
coy windows was this mans lot
forced the umbrella down against his
head and shoulders to prevent it from be.
ing blow out Of his hand, for the autumnal
gale was full Of unexpected lulls and
RACES. Under his left arm was a leather
portfolio, snugly held. From time to time he
teetered and balanced himself against some
extra. heavy blast. The covering Of the UNI.
brella gave forth a low, continuous rumble.
He stood at the side, at the very edge. Of
the square Of yellow light, shot with spar.
skling rain, that poured into the darkness.
brightly as it passed the window sill. but fl.
/tering quickly into a dull gray mist above a
dull green panel of grass.
The window through which the trespasser
peered-and he was a trespasser. since, for
the present. he preferred the window to the
door-was in a mean house on a mean street
In a mean village. az village which was mort.
hund. but which refused to die, out Of spite.
probably. The %clapboards OF this particular
house were dingy gray. The porch dropped
forward, like the shoulders Of a man, sick
of life. The picket fence might easily have
been mistaken for the teeth Of some prehis-
toric monster that had lived not wisely but
tco well. so full of gaps and ~raggedness was
1t. The green blinds alone retained some of
their pristine freshness; or it might have
been that the rain had temporarily Vanished
them. -
The trespasser could see clearly every
move. every expression Of the young man on
the cozy side Of the window: and beyond
him, shelf upon shelf Of books, and above
these. ancient Ming, Green Kaga. Mari, and
Cloisonne. The house was like a human
wreck, filled with wonderful memories:
something like himself. Memories! Mem.
. cries that nothing could smother, neither
time. nor place, nor action.
His sudden convulsive grip Of fury, com
htned with a blast from the tempest strong.
er than any preceding, broke the shaft of
the umbrella where it entered the handle.
The black canopy whirled aloft and away.
drunkenly, and vanished like some evil bat
out Of Broken. G
It seemed incredible. that the young man
within, where all was so cheerful with lamp
=. light and fire light. was in nowise disturbed
by the fire Of the malevolency that burned 80
fierce in the trespasserts eyes. The gift Of
vprescience was not this young mans, how:
ever. for he was utterly unaware of the
others presence or that the air was electri-
cally charged with malevolency. Only the
troubled conscience knows aught Of occult
forces or fears them. "
The man outside presently became sensible
to the. fact that he~was being soundly POM
rneled by the rain; so he hurried to the porch
end pulled the doorbell. How long had he
been peering into the window? Twenty
minutes, perhaps. Uncomfortable but neces-
sary since the opportunity freely to study the
young man was one not lightly to be ignored.
And what had he learned? That the boy had
a mobile countenance and, when alone. per-
mitted his thoughts to print themselves dis
tinctly upon 1t. But would the countenance
be mobile under the observation Of strange
eyes? That remained to be learned.
The young man sat reading at a nat top
desk, upon which stood a students lamp,
it's nickel oil container furnished beyond re.
demption. The upper half OF his face was
partially masked in shadow. but easily re.
marked; his chin and mouth, in the free
light, were noticeable for tho squareness Of
the one and the whimsical tenderness Of the
, other. He read from typewriter sheets
which lay fiat upon the desk. Sometimes he
would prop his elbows and rest his Jaws upon
his palms; or he would slump in the chair,
his arms dangling, stare into a darkened cor
ner, and upon this Rembrandt background
paint a dream. aspageant In scarlet. perhaps.
or one in silver and gold
Outside the wind howled and rain slashed.
But 1t was warm and cheerful in this room.
Logs burned briskly In the fireplace. Shelves
and shelves Of books lined the four walls:
books with red backs and blue. hand fooled
= in silver and gold, whole calf and limp Mo-.
roeco-hundreds Of them. Atop the. highest
shelf were a dozen exquisite vases. ancient
China and Japan. The desk, a heavy nut.
wood, was beautifully carved; precious Flor
entine.
TO the young man, 10 thoroughly absorbed
in his typewritten sheets. neither the desk
nor the pottery sisnihed anything to his
mind beyond the fact that he always gath.
cred a mysterious pleasure In beholding
them. That these objects were out Of place
In this room he instinctively knew. but he
could not have told whysshe knew. The
h5or was covered with an ordinary rag car
BET. worn at the thresholds and under the
desk; the wall paper was old and faded. peel.