"'A p-o-o-r old man was sunstruck on Broadway this morning. His son
struck him for five dollars.'" Hi sat pondering over it for a full
minute, then he burst into a loud guffaw that continued so long and
uproariously that neither heard the continued rapping on the front door.
"Hi, some one is knocking on the front door. Do go and see who it is."
"O! let 'em knock, Anna; don't let's break up our party for strangers."
"Well, Hi, I'll have to go myself," and she laid down the corn-popper,
but the boy got up grumbling, lurched to the door and let in Lennox
Sanderson.
"'Tain't nobody at home, Mr. Sanderson," said Hi, inhospitably blocking
the way. Anna had crouched over the fire, as if to obliterate herself.
"Here, Hi, you take this and go out and hold my horse; he's mettlesome
as the deuce this cold weather. I want to get warm before I go to
Putnam's."
Hi put on his muffler, mits and cap--each with a favorite "swear word,"
such as "ding it," "dum it," "darn it." Nevertheless he wisely
concluded to take the half dollar from him and save it for the spring
crop of circuses.
Anna started to leave the room, but Sanderson's peremptory "Stay here,
I've got to talk to you," detained her.
They looked into each other's faces--these two, who but a few short
months ago had been all in all to each other--and the dead fire was not
colder than their looks.
"Well, Anna," he said sneeringly, "what's your game? You've been
hanging about here ever since I came to the neighborhood. How much do
you want to go away?"
"Nothing that you could give me, Lennox Sanderson. My only wish is
that I might be spared the sight of you."
"Don't beat around the bush, Anna; is it money, or what? You are not
foolish enough to try to compel me to marry you?"
"Nothing could be further from my mind. I did think once of compelling
you to right the wrong you have done me, but that is past. It is
buried in the grave with my child."
"Then the child is dead?" He came over to the fireplace where she
stood, but she drew away from him.
"You have nothing to fear from me, Lennox Sanderson. The love I felt
once is dead, and I have no feeling for you now but contempt."