CHAPTER XIX.
AN ANGRY ENGINEER.
That night, as Frank was reading in his room by the light of a kerosene lamp, he heard voices from a room adjoining. There seemed something familiar in the sound, and he laid down the book on engineering which he had been studying.
The voices ceased, but there was a sound of clattering dishes.
The wall was thin, and up near the ceiling a crack showed a ray of light.
Frank began to study again, and again the voices interrupted him. This time he was sure there was a familiar sound about them.
“Is it possible?” he muttered, starting to his feet. “Can they have a room so near?”
His curiosity was aroused, and, with a desire to satisfy himself, he drew a chair to the partition and stood upon it. This enabled him to peer through the crack.
He found himself looking into a room much like his own. In the middle of the floor, directly in the range of his vision, was a table, on which stood a lighted lamp. The table was spread for a meal, and at that table sat the street musicians, the blind girl and her brother. It was evident that they had just sat down, for, as Frank looked, the girl bowed her head to ask a blessing.
Hushing his breathing, Frank tried to hear her words. He could not understand them all, but he heard her mention his name, and he knew he was included in that blessing.