The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-09-29

quite u SOOu uehI VI TIE uuyS LudI IOA-
lowed. with the effect that l, who was
q wide awake girl at that time. Pc
culiarly susceptible to first impress
sions, imbibed HI impression Of the
late Mr.. Knapp's eccentricities that
was not altogether complimentary to
the departed gentleman. y
poor dear!" said she one day. "Hc
tried so hard to speak. If he only could
have told his wants." We never asked
her any questions. We just let her talk
on, feeling that this was the kindest
and best. I inferred from this last re.
mark that her husband had been af.
fected by paralysis. particularly as she
had said on another occasion: II used
to sit ut my window, and James sat at
his. + sewing, he looking out OF the
window ut what was going on In the
street. He seemed perfectly happy as
long as | was there. But then we can
never tell. often wish now that 1
had done more for him or could have
learned better what he wanted"
what did the physicians say or do?"
| asked.
"They said It was the breaking up Of
the system by old age. | never felt
that they quite understood the ease"
Poor little thing! Married to an aged
pnralytic and yet regrctting his death
as the breaking up of the one tie OH
earth! What desolation-wilat utter
desolation her case seemed to me! I
was moved to take her in my arms and
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for me.
Not only was the late Mr.. Knapp old
and imbecile and paralytic. but he had
other traits which must have rendered
him highly Objectionable as II daily
companion.
"Just about this time every afternoon
l always gave James a bowl Of rcam
with fresh sponge cake in 1t. He would
not touch 1t unless 1t was in n certain
bowl nor unless it was fresh from the
bakers. And yet they tried to per.
suade ne that he didn't know any
thing"
From which l inferred that. added to
his other peculiarlties. the late Mr..
Knapp possessed an extremely I'm.
pleasant temper.
"And. oh, Mrs. Curtis!' she walled,
'after the poor dear was dead and
gone, they wouldn't let me bury him in
the family lot" From which | infer
red that the dear departed had come of
a family Of unpleasant tempers. Such
heathenish doings l never heard tell
of. Surely, however they felt toward
him during his life, nothing but a fiend
would deny him the family resting
place after he was dead!
But l forgot my interest in Mrs.
Knapp and her affairs by reason OF
some of my own. | had a delightful
letter from Tom Dixon. saying he
would be with us for a week. Now
Tom was a favorite cousin Of mine.
and l spent a good deal Of time fur.
nishing up my little belongings so that
l might look my very best when he
came. And then, l was putting finish.
ing touches to Toms room, too, until
the minute he arrived, SO that l really
had no time to talk 10 Mrs. Knapp or
to listen to her II she wished to talk to
me.
Dear old Tom! How good it was to see
him that day with his blithe ways and
"bonny brown hair" We talked and
talked till supper was called, and then
we still talked all the way to the dining
room door, and yet we found time to say
nothing about any n but ourselves.
As we seated ourselves at the table l
saw Mrs. Knapp's vacant place (for she
was a little late) and realized that I
had not mentioned her presence in our
household.
"Why, we have a boarder, Tom," l
began. in answer to his look Of inquiry
at the empty place. Just rs l spoke
she glided IN. r+
"Why, who on earth would have
thought OF finding you here" and he
shook her hand in a grasp SO hearty
that l could see 1t was painful to her.
She colored family and said a little
unsteadily, ''This Is indeed a surprise,
Mr.. Dixon" and l read between the
together agreeable one.
But Tom didn't seem to notice any
thing (most men are dumb about such
things, you know, so kept my eyes
and ears open and waited for develop
ments.
At last they came and in a most
startling manner. .5,..
So hear poor Jim is gone ut lastT"
sale Tom. turning to Mrs. Knapp as he
buttered his seventh biscuit (Tom al
ways was rather a greedy youth and
enjoyed most heartily the good things
Of this life, mothers cooking among
them.
"Oh. Mr.. Dixon. how can you speak
Of him In that way!' exclaimed the
widow, hurrying from the room In a fit
of sobbing.
Tom stared.
well, I'll be darned! What under
the sun il the matter with the woman
he exclaimed.
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