The Dwelling Place of Light, Volume 1

one of the least comfortable and agreeable of human experiences. Such, as summer came on, was Janet's case. The memory o

om them neither benefit nor satisfaction, she understood instinctively that they were impeding to growth. Unlike Lise, she was able to see life as it is, she did not expect of it miracles, economic or matrimonial. Nothing would happen unless she made it happen. She was twenty-one, earning nine dollars a week, of which she now contributed five to the household,-her father, with characteristic incompetence, having taken out a larger insurance policy than he could reasonably carry. Of the remaining four dollars she spent more than one on lunches, there were dresses and underclothing, shoes and stockings to buy, in spite of darning and mending; little treats with Eda that mounted up; and occasionally the dentist-for Janet would not neglect

ere. Was it the glance cast in her direction that had caused him to delay his departure? Janet was seized by a sudden and rather absurd desire to retreat, but Canal Street being empty, such an action would appear eccentric, and she came slowly forward, pretending not to see her employer, ridiculing to herself the idea that he had noticed her. Much to her annoyance, however, her embarrassment persisted, and she knew it was due to the memory of certain incidents, each in itself almost negligible, but cumulatively amounting to a suspicion that for some months he had been aware of her: many times when he had pa

Bumpus," he said. "I

ard calmness that rarely deserted her-the calmness, indee

you." Simmons was the watchman who stood

ghing a little, and in his laugh she detected a note apologetic, at variance with the conception she had formed of his character, though not alien, indeed, to the dust-coloured vigour of the man. She scarcely recognized Ditmar as

etty," sh

ly exerted while beneath her manner he felt throbbing that rare and dangerous thing in women, a temperament, for which men have given their souls. This conviction of her possession of a temperament,-he could not have defin

e simply assented. He raised the hood, revealing the engine. "Isn't that pretty? See how nicely

off a little way, but near enough to see, gazing at the shini

y electric spark comes just at the right moment to explode it, and the explosion sends the piston down again, and turns the shaft. Well, all four cylinders have an explosion one right after another, and that keeps the shaft going." Whereupon the most important personage in Hampton, the head of the great Chippering Mill proceeded, for the benefit of a humble assis

ntly, honesty compellin

n scorching through her body. Then she knew with conviction that the explanation of the automobile had been an excuse; she had comprehended almost nothing of it, but she had been impressed by the facility with which he described it, by his e

as he replaced the boards. "I

in herself an inarticulateness seemingly imposed by inhibition connected with his nearness.

look back at him once-and smile, to experience again the thrill of the current he sped after her. By lifting his hat, a little higher, a little more confidently

ation. Something had happened to her at last! But what did it mean? Where would it lead? Her fear, her antagonism, of which she was still conscious, her resentment that Ditmar had thus surreptitiously chosen to approach her in a moment when they were unobserved were mingled with a throbbing exultation in that he had noti

reached the vestibule she had a moment of sharp apprehension, of paradoxic

, though the blood rose to her temples, she kept her eyes fixed on the keys. He went quickly into his room: she was convinced he had not so much as glanced at her.... As the days went by, however, she was annoyed by the discovery that his continued ignoring of her presence brought more resentment than relief, she detected in it a deliberation implying between them a guilty secret: she h

ss Ottway overtook her,

ak to you, to tell you

et, who had regarded Mi

iss Ottway explained, in

go, I have an unmarried

mar knows that. He's g

er, Mr.

Janet said sincerely, for she liked and respected Miss Ottway,

ended you to Mr. Di

ed Janet,

stly do so." Miss Ottway drew Janet's arm through hers and patted it affectionately. "Of course you'll have to expect some jealousy, there are older women i

hat Miss Ottway looked at her in surprise. "I'm awfully grateful to y

ore money won't be unwelcome, I guess. Mr. Ditmar will speak to you this afternoon. I leave on Saturday. I'm real glad to do you a good turn, Janet,

her. Then she went to Grady's Quick Lunch Counter and ordered a sandwich and a glass of milk, which she consumed slowly

," said

mmaculate, yet virile in his light suit and silk shirt with red stripes, he was seated at his desk engaged in turning over some papers in a

come to his notice. The renewed and heightened perception of this feral quality in her aroused a sense of danger by no means unpleasurable, though warning him that he was about to take an unprecedented step, being drawn beyond the limits of caution he had previously set fo

" he said pleasantly, a

erself on an

our work here?

said

demanded, st

ld I?" sh

t? It isn't as hard as it would

g anything aga

t, t

if I liked my

you do it?"

e," she

light annoyance at her composure. He found it difficult with this

would you like to

ven't got the choic

urer of the corporation. I shall miss her, she's an able and reliable woman, and she knows my ways." He paused, fingering his paper knife. "The fact is, Miss Bumpus, she's spoken highly of you, she tells me you're quick and accurate and painstaking-I've noticed that for myself. She seems to think you could do her work, and recomm

said, and added nothing, no word of grat

xplain things to you, and tell you about my peculiarities. And wh

r she had gone, staring through the o

been eliminated from the mercantile establishment at Dolton. The news was received with something like consternation. For the moment Hannah was incapable of speech, and her hand trembled as she resumed the cutting of the pie: but hope surged within her despite her effort to keep it down, her determination to remain true to the fatalism f

n you to get on, Janet. I guess I've told you you've always put me in mind of Eliza Bumpus-the one that held out aga

old us, Edward

you're goin'" (he pronounced it very slowly) "you're goin' to be Mr. Ditmar's private stenographer! He's a smart man, Mr. Ditmar, he's a good man, too. All you've got to do is

d-out Janet has sense, she's willing and hard working, he won't" (pronounced want) "he won't be the loser by i

rotested, "but I know it's hard to get w

s thus characteristically and with unintentional sharpness she expressed her maternal pride by a r

ation had sat in silence. Lise's expression, normally suggestive of a discontent not unbecoming to

thing to your sister? Ain't y

e top of the salt shaker. "I don't see why I couldn'

aise" in his life, was smitten

e said consolingly. "You

er control. "I've got a picture of Waiters giving m

ourself," Hannah declared. "T

to read it, while Janet collected the salt and put it back into the shaker. Hannah, gathering up the rest

r go after her?"

She's got sort of queer, lately

then-" Hannah shook her head, and

rned after a brief interval, with

e new business relationship in which she stood to the agent of the Chippering Mill. The sky was still bright as they walked out Warren Street after supper, Eda bewailing the trials of the day just ended: Mr. Frye, the cashier of the bank, had had one of his cantankerous fits, had found fault with her punctuation, nothing she had done had please

o live there? That b

l the ambitions of the late Mrs. Ditmar, recognized it as soon as Eda spoke, and dragged her friend h

ed Eda, as soon as she had

Janet. "Only-I'm

got a right to look at

riend should scent a romance, and for this reason she had never spoken of the symptoms Ditmar had betrayed. She attempted to convey t

Ottway's recommended me for

Eda. "Why didn'

it's only a trial. I don't kno

ke you, not saying a word about it. Gee, if I'd had a raise like tha

ur with herself, and annoyed because she

cariously; and her romantic and somewhat medieval proclivities would permit no such momentous occasion t

ted Janet, her heart warmi

their way to the cool recesses of Winterhalter's to complete the feast. That glorified drug-store with the five bays included in its manifold functions a department rivalling Delmonico's, with electric fans and marble-topped t

e said. "What str

table confection, assented. The penetrating odour peculiar to drugstores, dominated by menthol an

nst their legs, and sometimes they were forced to turn, clinging to their hats, confused and giggling, conscious of male glances. The crowd, increasing as they proceeded, was in holiday mood; young men with a newly-washed aspect, in Faber Street suits, chaffed boisterously groups of girls, who retorted with shrill cries and shrieks of laughter; amorous couples strolled, arm in arm, oblivious, as though the place were

ey'd never been near a loom

and popcorn men, venders of tamales and Chile-con-carne hoarsely shouted their wares, while from afar could be heard the muffled booming of a band. Janet's heart beat faster. She regarded with a tinge of awe the vast expanse of tent that rose before her eyes, the wind sending ripples along the heavy canvas from circumference to tent pole. She bought the tickets; they entered th

hick-necked youth, pretending not to

out!" cried Eda, d

urt you, dearie," the

uously, but grinned in spite

blank amazement at padding tigers whose phosphorescent eyes never left these morsels beyond the bars. The two girls wandered about, their arms closely locked, but the strange atmosphere, the roars of the beasts, the ineffable,

voted to birds, and surveying the somewhat dissolute occupant. "Why, he's just like one of th

"Isn't he pleased with him

dy we know looks just like that. Wait a minute-I'll tell yo

re isn't!

down, and she looks at you in that same sort of surprised

astically. "She thinks she's got all the men ci

presently they turned. A chimpanzee, with a solicitation more than human, was solemnly searching a friend for fleas in the mi

a voice, "come to pay a cal

dressed, his own features were wizened, almost simian, and by his friendly and fa

s!" Eda e

had apparently entertained some doubt as to this inclusion, "we're all desce

ou giving u

, you'd know they're our ancestors, you'd know we came

me from them," cried Eda

difference? Some of us aren't a

uthlessly. And when, from the entrance to the performance tent, they glanced back over their shoulders, he was still g