Show BI iby EDNA I 1 BY CLARK AGNEW by doubleday nou bleday valre co service da CHAPTER II 11 continued Sell Se linas nas quick glance encompassed ilia room in the window we were rl a few hardy plants in pots on oil a n green paint ed cd wooden rack there vas a sofa with it wrinkled calaco cover coer three rocking chairs some boine stark crayons 0 of incredibly liard hard featured dutch an all dents on the wall it was all nent neat stiff unlovely hut bia selina had known too runny many years ot of boardinghouse boarding house ugliness to bo be offended tit at this luid had lighted a small glass gins 9 bowled lamp A steep uncarpeted stairway led orf off tile sitting bitting room up tills this maartje pool talking led the way to Sell Se linas nas bedroom bedro otti solina selina was vas to learn loarn that flint tile farin worn wom nn nit often inarticulate through lack of companionship becomes it a torrent of talk when opportunity presents itself A narrow dim close smelling liall hallway uncarpeted at tilt end of it a door opening into the room that AN was as tobe to bo Se gelinas linas As its ita chill struck tier to the marrow tareq alu co objects object caught tier lier eyes the bed a huge and not unhandsome walnut mausoleum reared its somber height liel glit almost to the rooms top the mattress of straw t find corn husks was unworthy of till nce tilt but over it mrs irs pool lind mercifully placed it genther foat lier be bed welled and quilted so that flint belinn lay soft anil and warm through the winter along ono wall stood a low cliett bliest BO 0 richly brawn ns as to appear black the front panel of this was ivas curiously carved selina stooped before it and for the second time that tiny day said how beautiful I 1 then looked quickly round at Af aartje pool as aa though fearful of finding tier her laughing as mans klaas pool had biad laughed but mrs MM pools face reflected the glow in tier own slie she came over to selina anti and viti lier her over them lie chest holding the lamp so that its yellow name lama lighted up the scrolls and tendrils of the lie carved surface with one discolored forefinger site she traced tile lie hold bold nourishes flourishes on the panel see ilow how it makes out letters selina peered closer why sure this first fiest ones tin nn S sl I 1 11 maartje aartje was kneeling before the chest now sure nn an S for sophia it Is a holland brides chest and here Is ac K and liere here Is big D it makes kroon devries DeV rles it la Is ally ways two hundred undred li years sly mother site she save gave it to me when I 1 avas married and tier mother she gave it to tier her when site she was married find and her mother gave it to tier her when site she was married nud and tier lier 1 I should think so sol V exclaimed se sc una ilan rather meaninglessly but stem stein ehg the torrent in ili it anything there ought to be brides clothes in it yellow with ago age it Is 1 ill cried Matir maartje pool and gave a little bounce that imperiled tile la m ii not no tile the two on their knees sat smiling at each other wide eyed like vere here walt wait bl maartje aartje pool loot thrust the lamp into Se Sell linas nas liand raised the lid ild of the chest dived aled expertly into its depths amidst a great rustling of old newspapers anti and emerged red faced with n dutch basque and voluminous skirt of fellk an age yellow cap wings stift with embroidery stood out grandly on oil either side a pair of wooden slices shoes stained terra cotta like the sails of tile he Vollen dain fishing boats and carved caned from toe to lien in a delicate and intricate put tern A bridal gown a bridgi brill ap in hirl dill shoes well I 1 said selina with tile feeling of ft a little girt girl in a rich attic on 11 rainy day she clasped clapped tier lier li hands linds may I 1 dresa up in it sometime some tinte Af aartje pool folding the garments bas hastily tily 1001 looked shocked anti and horri horrified lied never must inest anybody dress up in a brines brides dress only to get married it brings bad uck then its as selina stroked the arld silken folds of the kart with a jolln alln P ud caressing forefinger fin ger so you get married to a high prairie dutchman I 1 let you wear it at tills this absurdity they both laughed bellna zia thought that flint ahja school venture was start ing out very well she would have such things to tell tier her fallier then site she remembered she shivered a little littie as slie she stood up tip now there surged over tier her a great wave of longing for or tier her father fat herfor for the theater treats for ills philosophical drawl for tile the chicago streets linit and the ugly chicago houses for julle for miss FI listers school for anil tiny any ono one that wits waa accustomed known and therefore ther eforo acar site sho lind a horrible premonition hat chilt slie site was going to cry begun began to blink very fust fast turned a little blindly in tile min dim light and caught sight of tile rooms third nr resting object A blue lilack cylinder of tin sheeting like a stove and yet ct unlike it ivill polished poll shed like the length of pipe in the sitting bitting room below indeed it wits evidently a giant lower flower of this stem that demanded pointing pool depositing the lamp on tile little pie pvc to leaving smiled pridefully drum drum for hent your 3 our room selina touched it it was waa icy when there Is ire fire mrs ills pool added hastily selina wits was to learn tint flint its heating powers po erg were ken even when the stove in tile sitting bitting room was blazing awny away with ft a cheerful cliv erful roar none of tile lie glow communicated itself to ilia drum it remained as coolly indifferent to tile blasts breathed upon it as a girl hotly besieged besl eged by on an unwelcome lover Maart jel roared it a voice oze from below stairs the voice of the hungry kinle ther 9 avais wafred wafted up too a faint smell of scotching scorching then canle sounds of a humping and thumping along the narrow stairway OR he deril cried maartje in n panic tier her hands high in air she was off left alone in tier her room selina unlocked tier her trunk and took from it two photographs one or of ft mild looking man with its his hot hat a little on tho the other of a woman who might have been a twenty five year carold old selina minus the courage courageous jaw line looking about for a fitting place on alch which to stand these letisher framed treasures site she considered the top of the calli drum ruin humorously then actually placed them there for lack of in better belter refuge from which vantage point they regarded tier her with politely interested eyes perhaps they would put up it a shelf for her that would servo serve for tier her little stock of books find tor for tile the pictures as well slie she was enjoying that little lush flush of exhilaration that flint conics to a woman unpacking slie site took out her neat pile of warm woolen underwear her stout shoes she shook out the crushed folds of the alie wine w ine colored cashmore cashmere now it if ever she ithe should lime live regretted its purchase but she tild nt no one site she reflected as site she spread it r on tile tho bed possessing wine col ored cashmere cas limero could be altogether downcast prom from below stairs came the hiss of frang fa ing selina washed in the chill water of the basin took down doun tier her hair and colled it ngali aguin before the lie liny little mirror over oer the washstand wash vash stand slip she adjusted the stitched white hands bands of t lie severe collar anti and patted the cuffs cuff 0 f the brown ladys clola the tight basque was vas fastened with buttons front from throat to waist iler her line long iong head rose above tills this trying trains base such grace and dignity ns as to render the stiff curment beautiful it was a lay of appalling find equally appalling tightness in ili dross dress of panniers pan balloons gal loons plastrons pla rovers bustles bust les till all manner of lumpy W that selina could appear in tills this disfiguring garment it a creature still graceful slim find and pliant wits waa a sheer triumph oi of spirit over oer matter site blew out the light now anti and descended 1 the steep wooden stairway to t 0 the unlighted parlor the door between parlor and kitchen was closed selina sulfred sniffed sensitively there was pork for supper she was to it learn that there was always pork for supper slipper she hesitated it moment there in ili tile the darkness then she opened the rumon rumen door there swam out at tier lier a aliaze of sli smoke loke from which enier emerged ged round blue eyes ees guttural talk tile lie smell of frying grease of stable of loam and of woolen wash freshly brought in from the line nn an inrush of cold air that sent the blue haze laze into swirls the outer kitchen door opened A boy ills his arm piled high with hoove wood woid entered a darl dark handsome sullen boy who stared at selina over the arin armload I 1 ond of wood selina stared back at lint him I 1 there sprang apran g to life between the boy of twelve and the woman of nineteen an electric current of feeling I loelf thought selina and even een took a step toward him inexplicably drawn Il hurry lurry then with that wood therel there 1 fretted Sl Nl aartje lit at the stove the boy flung the armful into the box bos brushed ills ida sleeve an and d coat front mechanically still looking nt fit selina klans klaas pool arrendy at table thumped with ills knife sit ayn teacher selina 11 hesitated esita ted looked at maartje Maar Al maartje aartje wan waa holding a try ing pan aloft in one hand while with tho the other site thrust and poked it a freih stick of wood into the open lidded stove the two pigtails pintails pig tails seated themselves at tile tho table set with its red checked cloth anti bono handled cutlery lung flung ills cap on a vall hook and sat at down only selina and Alu maartje artje remained standing sit down I 1 sit domail klass pool said agul jovial ly well how Is cabbages ile he chuckled and winked A duet of oc from tile the pintails pigtails pig tails tolls maartje at the stove stoe suil led but a trifle grin grimly ity one might have thought i watching etching tier lier hat dantly wass kloss tin and not hugged his hie joke in secret only the lie boy itself remained unsmiling een selina feeling tile the red aloun mounting ting to tier lier cheeks checks smiled a little nervously and sut sat down some suddenness di lenness maartje pool now thumped down on the table n great bowl of potatoes fried in grease it a platter of linin thero there was vas broad bread cut in chunks tito the coffeo wn avas rye rc toasted in tho the oven ground rind taken without sugar or cream of tills this food there wills was plenty it ninde made sirs mrs monday night meal ineat seem nin nill bros lill Se gelinas yell linas nas visions of chi chickens chens oly uly kocks kooks wild dricka crusty crullers crul lers and pump pumpkin kIll pies vanished never neer I 1 to 0 return site she imd had been very hungry but now nair as slip she talked nodded sin smiled fled she cut her ter food into infinitesimal bites altey did not chew them so well anti and despised herself lier for being dainty well she thou thought glit its going to bo be different enough flints certain this Is a vegetable farm anti and they dont eat vegetables geta blea I 1 wonder why what a pity flint eliat she lets herself look like flint just because sties shea a farm woman iler her hair screwed into that flint knob tier her skin rough and neglect fd that hideous dress Slin ashes not bi bad id loo looking liIng either A red spot on oil either cither cheek now and tier her OKI eyes so blue A little like those women in tile lie dutch pictures father took nie ne to see in chere 7 where new neav york years yearn ago agol yes ses but that wom tins ans face was vas placid this ones strained ned why need slid she look like that frowsy drowsy horrid old I 1 the boyas boy Is somehow foreign looking italian queer they talk a good deal like some german neighbors we had lit in milwaukee they twist sentences literal translations front from the dutch I 1 suppose jakob pools hired liand hand nas avas talking supper over tile the nien men ant relaxed related pipe in mouth P lo 10 ta INS afir w fields of cabbages what you said they are beautiful he stammered wa avas clearing the hie supper slipper things lings ti with geertje and joelna making 11 great pretense lit at helping if they the giggled like that in school delitia thou thought glit she bite would in time go mud anu anti knock their heads bends together hoepf nt at the table slit sat poring over it book one slim hand chapped and gritty with rough houi h vork outspread on oil the cloth selina noticed without site noticed that flint tile the lingers ere iong ion salin nit and the lie broken nulls and title selina M wanted anted suddenly to lip lie ilone alone in tier her room in the room loom that but nit an hour before had been a stra stratigo tige tin and terrifying chimber chamber with its ili to doerin erin t bed its chill drum its ghostly br lilua chest now it had biad become a reft refuge igl snug safe infinitely desirable alic e turned to lira airs pool 1 I I 1 think ril ill go up to my mi room im very e tired the llie ride I 1 suppose e im ill not itsek her olac voice trilled on oft sure said Mn maartje artje briskly site she lipai finished the supper dislikes und and nau us busy hus t a linge lauge bowl flour it a bakin baklas board sure suie go up tip I 1 got mi lay bread to set net yet et and what hat fill all it I 1 could liae have some hot water anter stop atop orice once flint reading and show school teacher where chero Is lot liot water jolna never in my world did I 1 see such site she cuffed it 11 conNen lent pigtail by way wa of emphasis A t wall arose aroe never neer mind it matter dont bot bother lier 11 selina wits was lit in it a sort of 0 panic now she wanted to be out ot of tile lie room but the boy itself with quiet had find taken a battered tin pall from its book on the wall had lifted on an lion iran slab nt at the back of tile the kitchen stove A mist of steam arose ile he dipped the llie pull pall into tile lie tiny reservoir thus revealed repealed then as selina banle ai ag though to take it lie he walked past tier site she heard him film ascending the wooden stain vily site wanted to lie after him hut but first slip must know the name of the book over oer which ho h lind had been poring but between her and tilt the book outs outspread pread on the table were bool dog pintails pigtails pig tails site she pointed with ill a determined forefinger ts abat book hoeff wits waa rending reading maartje aartje Af a 4 brent ball ot of dough on tle tile baking board ifer her arms arma were ft ere white with fill flour she kneaded find meled expertly foorden Wo orden buck well vall that meant nothing foorden boek woo foorden aden b dimly the mean lag ing of tile the dutch words began to come to tier hut but it be she brushed past tile the men in the tipped bae brict chairs stepped over the collie cicro across is the table foorden sword vord boek book word book hes reading lending tile diction aryl selina salil aloud iles hes reading tile the dictionary I 1 I 1 site shu had tile horrible feeling tillit title she was going to laugh and try cry nt at once hysteria selina tiling lung a KOOI good night over tier her shoulder and made for the stairway lie he should have all tier her books she would send did to chicago for books site she would spend tier her thirty dollars a month buying inn hi books for him ailin ile he find been 1 lending tile dl lind had placed tile the pall of hot mettr anter on the little washstand wash stand and lint tile lie gills lie he wits was intent 0 on it replacing tin the glass chimney within tile four prongs that held it birlin lit in the |