Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1940-04-25
CHAPTER III-Continued

might be hard to locate, IN big
apartment house, and the money re-
main with its finder, after all.
The house looked, tremendous to
Sheila; there were windows on both
sides OF the big door at the top of the
brownstone steps. Bay windows, and
behind them rich, heavy curtains,
Topped back, filed the little space
between the lowered shades and the
wide sills. And through this little
space light escaped Hospitality.
These people were rich, all right.
Now for the butler. Her heart
beating uncomfortably, Sheila rang
the bell
A kindly faced, middle-aged Irish
woman opened the door and asked
concernedly:
"Did ye want to see somebody.
dear'r?"
Sheila was all but staggered. She
recovered her brogue with a gasp.
''They lost a little pur'rse," she
managed to stammer, "an' found
it. I brought it back to yez."
The woman gave her so scrutiniz-
ing a glance that Sheila's heart
failed her, and she wished herself
well out of the adventure. But there
could be no retreating now; she re-
peated her story, accompanying it
with a shy smile. She extended the
pocketbook, entirely forgetting her
p1an and her SIISpicionSs
eye found it," Mamie O'Connor
asked, after another look.
"Wit' money in it,
Another pause. Then the woman
said briefly.
"Stip in"
She closed the door behind Sheila.
''Kape it," she directed, as Sheila,
still entirely forgetting her precon-
ceived plan, would have given her
the bills. "And set here whilst l 60
see," she added.
Sheila sat down on a marble
bench; the maid disappeared at the
back of the big hall.
The beauty, the warmth, the COM
fort of it stunned her. She had new
er been in such a place before. She
couldn't 60 on with this; it fright
ened her. Sheila obeyed mad i'm
pulse toward flight. Laying the purse
on the bench, she was on her feet,
she was at the big door.
The rattle Of key in the lock sent
her back to her bench trembling.
The door through which she had en-
tered opened again, and squarely
built, black-headed young man let
himself in.
He glanced at her; spoke to the
returning maid:
sis Mother home, M;mie?"
"She is mot, then, Mr.. Frank"
the servant returned easily.
"They've gone over to church. But
the Judge and the baby are here"
The young man glanced again at
Sheila, and as he was close to
the maid now, could ask her ques-
ton in an undertone. Mamie's an
swer told Sheila what the question
was.
''She found Miss Gertrude's blue
bag in the street, and your papa
wants to see her."
ooh, that's all right then!" he
said, going on toward the stairs.
Sheila's heart was suddenly sing
ing. A new young man, unexpected
ly encountered, and looking admira-
ton at her sent her spirits up. This
was beginning to be terrifically ex-
citing
She followed Mamie across the
warm wide hall, with it's rugs and
statues and palms, and through one
of the curtained great doorways that
fianked it at dignified intervals on
either side. They entered an apart
ment that Sheila knew instantly was
the most luxurious she had ever
seen, even though the details of it
reached her consciousness much lat
er, one by one.
There was stout, middle-aged
man here, velvet-coated and COM
fortably dressed man, with a ring
of dark curls surrounding a bald
spot on his head. To Sheila he
seemed, even at this first glance,
to radiate good nature, kindness,
strength. With him was a small
romping girl in a shocked pink silk.
Both got out of a deep chair as
Sheila came in, and the child chung
to her fathers hand as she studied
Sheila curiously.
"How do you do?" the man said.
The tone of his voice added, "you
dear, forlorn child" and Sheila felt
her heart twist. "The maid told me
that you'd like to speak to me-" he
went on.
That the maid, in the voice and
with the majestic gesture of sibyl,
had predicted the wrath of God "for
anyone who cud find it in his
hear'rt to refuse to see white-faced
little ger'rl," the man did not add.
''Sit down there in that chair.
Veronica and / are all alone to-
night, aren't we Pokey? They're all
gone to church to rehearse for Ger