But that minnit I seen an arm shoot out and that fellow shot off as slick! it was Mr. Lossing. He parted that crowd, hitting right and left, and he got up to us and hauled a child from Mrs. Ellis and put it on the seats, all the while shouting:
'Keep your seats! it's all right! it's all over! stand back!'
I turned and floored a feller that was too pressing, and hollered it was all right too. And some more people hollered too.
You see, there is just a minnit at such times when it is a toss up whether folks will quiet down and begin to laugh, or get scared into wild beasts and crush and kill each other.
And Mr. Lossing he caught the minnit! The circus folks came up and the police, and it was all over. WELL, just look here, sir;there's our folks coming out of the elevator!"They were just landing; and Mrs. Ellis wanted to know where he had gone.
"We run away from ye, shure," said Shuey, grinning; and he related the adventure. Armorer fell back with Mrs. Ellis.
"Did you stay with Esther every minute?" said he.
Mrs. Ellis nodded. She opened her lips to speak, then closed them and walked ahead to Harry Lossing. Armorer looked--suspicion of a dozen kinds gnawing him and insinuating that the three all seemed agitated--from Harry to Esther, and then to Shuey.
But he kept his thoughts to himself and was very agreeable the remainder of the afternoon.
He heard Harry tell Mrs. Ellis that the city council would meet that evening; before, however, Armorer could feel exultant he added, "but may I come late?""He is certainly the coolest beggar," Armorer snarled, "but he is sharp as a nigger's razor, confound him!"Naturally this remark was a confidential one to himself.
He thought it more times than one during the evening, and by consequence played trumps with equal disregard of the laws of the noble game of whist and his partner's feelings.
He found a few, a very few, elderly people who remembered his parent, and they will never believe ill of Horatio Armorer, who talked so simply and with so much feeling of old times, and who is going to give a memorial window in the new Presbyterian church.
He was beginning to think with some interest of supper, the usual dinner of the family having been sacrificed to the demands of state; then he saw Harry Lossing. The young mayor's blond head was bowing before his sister's black velvet.
He caught Armorer's eye and followed him out to the lawn and the shadows and the gay lanterns. He looked animated.
Evening dress was becoming to him. "One of my daughters married a prince, but I am hanged if he looked it like this fellow,"thought Armorer; "but then he was only an Italian.
I suppose the council did not pass the ordinance? your committee reported against it?" he said quite amicably to Harry.
"I wish you could understand how much pain it has given me to oppose you, Mr. Armorer," said Harry, blushing.
"I don't doubt it, under the circumstances, Mr. Lossing."Armorer spoke with suave politeness, but there was a cynical gleam in his eye.
"But Esther understands," says Harry.
"Esther!" repeats Armorer, with an indescribable intonation.
