The Argosy, January 1907 — page 185: what you’re looking at

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

HOME, for graciously conferring the favor of your company upon me. I assure you I shall never forget this night. Can you get in all right?” “Oh, yes,’ I heard the girl reply. ‘“T have my key with me, you know. If you will be so kind, I will ask you to open the door for me. Sometimes it 1s rather difficult to turn the key in the lock.” “Certainly,” said the man’s ‘Where is the key? ”’ And then I heard the girl utter an ex- clamation of dismay. “Good Heavens!” she cried; “ I’ve lost it. I had tied it in a corner of my handkerchief, and—lI’ve lost the hand- kerchief.”’ “Holy smoke!” exclaimed the man. ‘“ How will you get in?” “Oh, it’s all right,” the girl replied. “T’ll ring the bell. I hate to disturb anybody at this late hour, but it can’t be helped.”’ Thoroughly interested, I peeped out of my bedroom window, and to my amazement discovered that this conversa- tion was taking place at the foot of the stoop of our house. “Who the deuce can they be?” I muttered. ‘‘ The girl apparently thinks she lives here. She isn’t a servant. Her looks and her voice proclaim that fact. She isn’t one of my sisters. Who the deuce can she be?”’ [ had just about decided that the girl lived next door and was merely standing outside our stoop, when our front-door bell rang, and hastily donning my clothes, I hurried down-stairs. As I opened the front door I was amazed to find how very pretty the girl was at close view. She was dressed in white from head to foot, and she wore the most bewitching of hats. As the door opened she turned to her companion, who stood at the bottom of the stoop, and called: “It’s all right, Mr. Holt! The door is open! Good night,.and thank you a thousand times! ”’ Then she turned to me with a pleasant smile. ‘So sorry to disturb you,” she mur- mured. “I lost my key, you see, and couldn’t have got in Otherwise. It was very good of you to. come down.” 1 stared at her in amazement. voice. SWEET HOME. 367 ‘Pardon me,” I stammered at length. ‘““Aren’t you making a mistake in the house? This is number ninety-six.” ‘Of course it is,” she replied, with a laugh. “I’m stopping here, you know.” Then noticing my look of astonishment, she added: ‘‘ When did you arrive?”’ “Early this morning,” I gasped. “Oh, that accounts for it,’ she said confidently. ‘“ That’s why we haven't met before, I mean.” And apparently thinking that this was “quite sufficient explanation, she brushed past me and stepped lightly up the car- peted stairs. “Well, [ll be hanged if this doesn’t beat the band!” I exclaimed as I saw her go straight and without the slightest hesitation into my sister Ella’s bedroom. And then a light dawned upon me. “Why, of course!” I exclaimed. ‘How stupid of me not to have guessed it before! She must be a girl friend of Ella’s, and she’s stopping at the house for a time. What a peach she is, too! Of course, Ella will introduce me in the morning. I can see that this home-com- ing is going to be even more pleasant than I had imagined.” And with this cheering remtcaoa I closed the street-door and returned to my bedroom. This time I managed to get undressed and into bed without in- terruption, and soon was fast asleep. I do not know exactly how long I had slept when I was awakened by a noise in my room. I sat up in bed thoroughly awake, and felt for the revolver which, traveling or at home, I always kept under my pillow. ‘The room was in darkness, but I could plainly hear somebody moving about, and I crooked my finger around the trigger of my revolver expectantly. I was. about to call out ‘ Who’s there?”’ and put an end to the suspense, when suddenly I heard the sound of a safety-match being struck, and as it flamed up I saw that the intruder was a tall young man. Apparently without noticing my pres- ence, he coolly proceeded to light the gas. This done, his glance traveled in my direction, and as he saw me sitting ay in bed, watching him closely, he tarted backw ard, uttering a sharp ex anaes of alarm: ECORMICLOOO (E@)