Explore "National Avenue" by Booth Tarkington on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Admitted by a coloured housemaid who drowsily said, "Yes'm, she still up," in response to his inquiry, Harlan had only to step into the Shelbys' marble-floored "front hall" to dispel his slight doubts concerning the identity of Martha's callers; his brother was unquestionably one of them.
The heavy doors leading from the hall into the drawing-room sheltering Mr. Shelby's Corot were closed, but Dan's voice was audible and although his words were indistinguishable he was evidently in high spirits and holding forth upon some subject that required a great deal of emphatic expounding. Harlan stepped forward to open the doors and go in but halted abruptly, for at this moment Martha made her appearance at the other end of the hall. She came from the rear of the house and carried an oval silver tray whereon gleamed, among delicate napery and china, a silver coffee pot of unusually ample dimensions.