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Helena stood breathing quickly; it was as if she had been s,

and suddenly felt free air She was alone The people--the terrible,

persistently friendly, suffocating people, were gone! She could draw a

full breath; she could face her own blazing fact;Frederick was

dead

She alking back and forth, staring with unseeing eyes at the

confusion of the room--chairs pulled out from their accustomed places;

two card-tables with a litter of cards and counters; the astral-la low on the rosewood table that was cluttered with old

daguerreotypes belonging to the house The dining-roolimpse of the empty disorder of the

roo off plates

and glasses and talking to each other

"Well, I like company," she heard Sarah say "I wish she'd have

soie's harsh ot to cook for 'em" Then the

clatter of forks and spoons in the pantry

"Seelad to see 'eood cake crumbled up on

somebody's plate"

"Well, a oie explained

Ain to close the parlor s for

the night, and started to find the rooone upstairs,nervously if

she had said anything that she would not care to have overheard

"I a breath, and opening