Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 267: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

258 SAVED. lently that Peter opened his round, sleepy eyes reproach- fully. Suddenly, without warning, he lifted his head and gave a short, explosive bark, which so disturbed Peter that he leaped upon the table, with bristling fur and thickened tail. ‘‘What is it, Bruce?’’ said Nora, patting him. ‘*‘Do you hear anybody? Is Miss Rose coming? Yes, I hear footsteps myself. Let’s go and see.”’ She tossed aside her sewing and rushed to the door, with the dog capering beside her. To her keen disappointment, only a small, tow-headed lad stood on the mat outside. ‘What is it?’’ demanded Nora, without ceremony. ‘‘Now—there’s a lady down to the hotel, and the doctor says will you please come down right away,’’ he announced, deliberately. Then added, reflectively: ‘‘You’re Miss Del- mar’s maid, an’t you?”’ ‘‘Ts Miss Delmar ill?’’ cried Nora, apprehensively. The boy hesitated. ‘*T reckon so,’’ he answered, at last. ‘‘Is she in any danger?’’ exclaimed the frightened girl, striving to read the dreaded answer in his expressionless face. But he was shuffling the snow from side to side with his shoe, and his eyes were bent upon his task. When he final- ly lifted them, their look was one of such perfect uncon- cern that the girl was exasperated. ‘Have you lost your tongue,’’ she exclaimed, ‘‘as well as your wits?”’ ‘Tf disremember,’’ he returned, ‘‘but it seems to me I heard one of ’em’s dead.”’ Gomichbooks-com