Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-12-30

wouldn't want anybody else to get hold
Of it,. Guess ,ncbbc you know there's some.
loGy trying to get Il hook in this invention.
feshm: II you'd bring it right up to 412 and
hand ii to me. and, Miss Maldcn-ir you
will. Id like Ecu to tear up the combination
of that safe suon's you've opened it. I've got
4 Other things in thcrt. You sec. this is kind
of in iris!. sa<lc'S lI1t lenses She Bit n,
corner OF her iipf:s' she heard that.
III be down in an hour. Mr.. .Krom,'' she
said. I'm going TO leave the Office early"
: Paying tho cab in front Of the Ellcnior-
ough hotel. she surveyed the establishment
ii s'nudge1 red brick facade seven STORIES
high: one nf the -numbcrlesS small hotels of
the sort called family or - residential
The Ellcnborougl,. however, was only IL poor
relation Of her DcermOrc. Climbing three
steps and pushing through, Il revolving door.
she found herself in Il small office that had
the general effect Of badly tarniSlicl, tilsrl.
There was a desk ahead Of her and to the
right of that an elevator age, at whose open
door stood Il Negro boy in blue uniform with
brass buttons. A young man arose behind
the desk, looking at her with intcrrcgatory
expectancy. Her glance fell calmly upon his
s questioning fEcc and passed on to the clcva-
tor toward which she moved.
Fourth floor" she said TO the boy, aud
stepped into tho cage.
She was then aware of a crucial moment,
II moment of stress and doubt. The boy
was turning q rather startled look upon the
young man at the desk. She suspected that
the young man WAS looking; back in pcrUlcx-
ity.- Whether the clerk Toddcd. assent or It
was merely telepathic She didn't know. But
the boy stepped into tho cage. slammed tho
door shut. and threw tho lover with Il vigor-
ous movcnncnt--like one refusing to be re.
sponsi0le for the consequences. She under
stood then that unattached. strange young
females were NOT, AS, a rule. permitted 10 so
up in the elevator without giving d s~atisfnc.
tory explanation OF themselves. The Negro
:, boy seemed quite gloomy when he opened
the elevator! door for her ut the fourth floor.
But when she said, Which way is room
412"' he frightened.
"'Foah twelve? Right down there. That's
Mr.. Krom's room. He's sick" said the boy,
+ und when she replied, Yes. ! know" he
showed all his teeth-a load off his mind, for
n young woman might respectfully call on 4
sick man. The l1llcnborough's responsibility
was an enormously trying problem to him
and. to others. :. pa.
She Knocked on the door and from within
heard u faint humping sound as of some one
colliding with furniture. Then the door
swung open and her heart was CONSTRUCTED.
Big, Krom stood before fler in his shirt
sleeves, his hair rumpled a black bandage
both eyes. 1t gave her a poignant
apprehension Of what it means to be- sight
less as he stood waiting for her to speak.
Miss Maiden" she said. 1--WE brought
the. Bag
Fewas thanking her. b~eaming-except the
black bandaged eyes-and Nshe put the bag
into his hand She could see that in addition
to the eye bandage the shades at the two
windows had been pulled down. making the
room dim. She asked something about his
eyes and he told her again, in greater detail,
how the pain had walked him up in. the
night, and about going to the specialist and
what the, specialist had said:
Plumb darkness. He fixed this thingson
my. eyes and said he wouldn't. give a copper
cent for my eyesight II 1 took it off before he
N said when and I wasn't togo outdoors or
have any light in the room. Regular duns
geon. You see.'' He spoke quite good ma
tufedly about it. standing in the doorway,