The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-15

"She is a dear old lady, Phyllis!''
'I think the incest thing possible is an old
lady who is Irshr'
"Oh, girls, she is a duck!'
They were art students, and there were
seven of them; but they all spoke at once
you could only hear the loudest. The sew
enth and latest conner was being helped in
the disposal of her belongings, and having
her photographs stuck up and talked about
Just then the bed was creaking under the
six. who were giving her information.
"She is delightful-and never breaches"
But looks so venerable. Papa was
charmed with her.
"She isn't prim, you know"
zone wants to hug her."
I'VE all do, badly"
Need you shout?" said the latest conner
They all dropped their voices and got grad
ually off the bed, when some of them
smoothed the sheet and the others subsidized
on the floor.
The old lady they were praising happened
to be down stairs entertaining visitor. II
the noise had not been so great the girls
might have heard a Shrek as that visitor
stepped in.
"Oh, what have you done TO yourself?
she had screamed. The cid lady shut the
She had neat little figure and a nice pale
face-one of those faces in which people
see history and at which they like to
look Her hair was as white snow.
L have done all that in me lay,' she
said.
The visitor seemed horror-struck Her
eyes were round and her mouth wide open
Sne threw up her hands and backed against
the piano.
your beautiful hair" she said. oh
Frances, Frances-is it powder?'
The old lady shook her head and no white
cloud followed.
ut was devils glory" said said she 1T It
bleached, and now | prosper"
The caller sank into chair and groaned.
From overhead came gust of young
women's voices all together.
Listen to Them said Frances O'Rell,
pointing solemnly to the ceiling. You
know quite well that they would not be
under my roof and wing If l looked as |
Used 10 do. And you know that my black
wispS were detestable fraud. 1t is only be-
cause l am Irish that there is a bubble
on the top, and nobody understands that
my heart is drowned. And l might be
sixty; am so old, so old at heart, kathie
ii is only on top that l laugh a little. My
hair should have turned gray long ago. 1t
is fraud no longer
visitor. who could not get over the shock
SO soon.
Frances was right about the bubble. A
spot of color came to her pale face. and she
struck her hands together, laughing like
one of the girls upstairs.
"Oh, nor she cried. How he would
stare. He would be terribly shocked. On,
thank you, Kathie, for the idea. ] will go
tomorrow and show myself"
She saw her still gaSping caller to the
door, and then rang her small family down
to tea
They treated her with adoring Difference
as a dear old thing, while she sat, all
dignity, behind the teapot
Then she went upstairs to see that the
newcomers room was al in order. She
tographS, and smiled upon seeing one that
had been pushed behind something most
! likely escaping notice from the helpers
inspected the rest. Frances looked al the
half-hidden photograph and sighed. Then
she patted the pillow with kind little
touch. smoothed the counterpart and went
/ away. But she did not go downstairs; in
stead, she turned into her own small room
She had a photograph, too, one that she
! had kept out of sight and tried to forget
! entirely Lately she had been forgetting il
| now. softly. as one touches dead thing
| Tied up with ii were two little twists OF
! hair. one brown, one very black. Pulling
| loose a white strand of her own, she LAID
! over them and sighed again, as any ole
lady might at relic of the past
| Il am another person now" she said. "a
| am old and these things are dim and dis
| tant 1t is easier to feel that than it useC
| TO be. l have only to look in the glass
and see things plainly, instead of just think.
| ing them. 1t is harder TO be placid wher
/ only the heart is gray. | am old, old, old
| they believe me now; and. l believe myrelf
| And-to-morrow shall astonish Tom.
/ an old lady could not jump IN while the
/ bus was going. He stood with his bach
| against the stair, and pushed ner thought
| fully inside; then waited for a little. be-