lights down in the front hall. [18] “I say, Brown, be careful about opening that front door, will you? Wait half a moment until I get hold of my pistol and I’ll join you. I don’t like this business of our being aroused at a time like this. It must be just before daylight and New York is full of burglars and cutthroats.” Dick then retired into his room and the next sound Mildred heard was his voice expostulating with his mother. “Oh, go on back to bed, dearest, and for heaven’s sake keep father out of this. Certainly there is no danger; besides, if there were I am not such a mollycoddle that I’m going to have Brown bear the brunt. Somebody’s got to open the door or that bell will never stop ringing.” Then Dick’s feet in his bedroom slippers could be heard running down the uncarpeted[19] stairs. A moment later Mildred got into her wrapper and stood with her arm about her mother’s waist, shivering and staring down into the hall. [19] If anything should happen to Dick it would be too tragic! Her mother adored him. The butler was now unfastening the storm doors, while directly behind him Dick waited with his pistol at a convenient level. Then both men stepped backward with astonished exclamations, allowing a queer, small figure to enter the hall without a word of protest. The next moment Mildred was straining her ears to hear one of the most bewitching voices she had ever imagined. Later an equally bewitching figure unfolded itself from a heavy coat. “It’s sorry I am to have disturbed you at such an hour,” the girl began. “But how was I to know that the train from Chicago would arrive at three o’clock in the morning instead of three in the afternoon? I was hoping some one would be at the station to meet me, though of course I didn’t expect it, so I just took a cab and found the way here myself.” [20] [20] Then the newcomer smiled with a kind of embarrassed wistfulness. For the first time beholding Dick’s pistol, which was now hanging in a dangerously limp fashion in his hand, she started.
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