Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1898-02-10

(sAN[K ~ York. and sup
\AGZ |EN ports herself by
lr~SZNN% coloring fashion
~ plates for a maya
zine there"
This was the last statement my law
yer made upon the long-winded recital
OF the state OF my affairs when | re-
turned from seven years absence TO
take up my abode in my own lone.
He had by my directions renovated ana
put into good order the large. hand
some house that was my Inheritance
from father. grandfather and great
grandfather. passing il each genera
ton through a course OF modernlZln2
that still left the stately. old-fashioned
walls and extensive grounds intact. We
Hiltons were very fond of Hilton place
and had ample means wAerewlth 10
maintain is beauty.
But beside my own home l also pos
se>sed several houses in the village OF
Crawford and one cottage just al the
boundary line Of my garden. pretty
place that my mother had chriStened
tl II Notti-t iAol1i t-II -4AAAlft4 - ga :
ferns that nestled in the little garden
under fanciful miniature grottos and
piles of rock placed there.
II was after twilight On n warm April
evening that. passing the cottage. | saw
through open windows my new tenant.
She was bending over small table. ap-
parently dra wing. while the circle of
II
her. l had fancied vulgar common
place woman. This was what saw:
y figure slender and graceful. with
hands as white and perfect as if carved
in marble. y face purely oval. color
less and fair, With regular features and
shaded by hair of midnight black
Twice while | looked she lifted her
eyes. large. lu>trou> and dark. full of
suppressed pain. y face that covered
q heart full OF bitter anguish, brain
sensitive and cultivated
am physician. though have prac-
ticed little. preferrng to write for the
Use of younger students: but love my
profession. and cannot quite keep its
instincts quiet when | study new
face. And all these instincts warned
me that here was a woman burning a
candle already iiickering AT both ends.
l had quite forgotten that mine was
not strictly honorable position. thus
spying on a solitary womans privacy.
when an elderly woman. seemingly an
upper servant of better days, came into
the room.
viii you neverrease working:" she
said. fretfully. when the daylight is
gone. and you cannot sort your colors.
you take up that drawing that is ruin
ing Your eyes. Rest. child
Then the voice l knew must belong
to that face. full. rich. melodious but
fre'ghted with sadness. answered her:
Rest You know cannot rest
play. then. Do anything but strain
your eyes any longer over that fine
work"
The widow rose then. sweeping her
heavy. black draperies across the room
TO the piano, where she played. Surely.
II this was recreation. il was a pitiful
mockery. Wailing. minor music full
of sobbing pain. Heavy chords melt.
ing into sad refrains. \ master touch.
n rare power in the long. slender fin.
gers only called out strains of hear-.
breaking pathos.
\ soft rain drove ME home hi,
unused long and deeply over my tenant
l called several times, and received
courteous welcome, was entertained by
strictly conventional conversation.
heard the piano in some fashionable
SNOWY music, and found the surface so.
eiety of Mrs. Raynor. a gentle. refined
lady, attractive and agreeable-no
more.
might have accepted this for the
real woman but l had IL habit of lin
gerlng about my garden. and as the
drawing-room of Fern Cottage com
manded no other view. my neiyhbors
seldom closed the windows as the
spring crept into summer. Paler more
shadowy. with added sadness in the
great. dark eyes. Mrs. Raynor became
almost ethereal as the warm weather
stole something each day from her
strength and l was not surprised one
morning to see old Susan coming ha
~ into my hallawy.
"Oh. DR.. Wilton" she said. "she has
tainted over those horrid pictures. Will
you Gomez
went at once. finding my patient
Frustrated at last. and gently submis-
sive to all my commands but one. the
most imperative.
Il must work. she said, "as long as
/ can hold a brush"
But you will die l said. bluntly. "if
you do not take few weeks Of entire
rest"