The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-09-29
THE LATE MR.. KNAPP
" " "
A STORY WHICH GOES TO SHOW
THAT you CAN'T ALWA Us
TELL WHAT PEOPLE
MEAN BY WHAT THEY SAY.
v "

/. TELL WHAT PEOPL =
MEAN BY WHAT THEY SAY. X
You see, she was such a queer little
thing that we couldn't help taking her
to u hearts at once. But there, that's
just the way with me. It always seems
to me as II everybody ought to know
the people l know, without any partic-
ular explanation.
Well, it was Just this way: That
summer that mother and | wanted to
paper the sitting room, though father
would have given mother his head II
she had asked for 1t, heads didn't
count. It was money we needed, and
of that he had M Then after much
hard thinking l devised Il plan, and,
though 1t was a great shock to father
and mother at first, | carried the day,
and the upshot Of 1t was that we adj
vertised for a summer boarder for our
spare room. Unless you have done the
same thing ut some awful crisis in
your life you al never for a moment
imagine, o reader, the awful mixture
OF hope and fear that held place In our
hearts until we received a neatly writ
ten, briefly worded note signed
"Phoebe Knapp"
Mother was taken with 1t at once,
and as she delights in all things miser-
able because she Can make them feel
better, she was especially c%aptivated
by the closing sentence, which ran,
"Having recently met with a bereave.
ment, the rest and quiet you offer will
be a great boon to me-"
"Widow. likely" said father as we
read this note aloud in his presence for
the fifth time.
Miss Or Mrs, Katie"' asked mother,
although we both knew the signature
by heart-"Yours sincerely. Phoebe
Knapp"
"I'm sure l don't know. | can't read
between the lines" l answered. rather
%'hippantly, | fear.
This unknown vas beginning to take
q sort Of weird possession of me. 1t
seemed uncanny that everything
should turn upon the movements Of a
stranger whom we had never seen, and
wherever l turned l could not help see
ing a silent figure In a long Grape veil
lifting its hand and commanding me to
do this or that, upon which l was al
ready engaged.
However, we We're all ready for her
at last, and when father came from
the station and deposited upon the
front piazza a tiny little Of
about so years of age, with big, fright
ened gray eyes, and delicate, sensitive
features, q creature that would have
looked small alongside a robust child
OF 10, the contrast between this little
object and The commanding figure Of
my imagination was so great that L
almost had a fit Of Mysteries on the
spot. l took refuge in fight, while
mother cooed and coddled the poor
dear" and took her up to her room.
You see, mother was just In her ele-
ment, while l had all my notions to
readjust to existing circumstances.
My flights Of fancy will be the death
of me some day. father says.
I caught mother on the stair a mo-
ment al they were coming down and
breathed softly into her ear, "Miss or
Mrs"
.- ! - y nAOWs ! SOulNA \ ~ OuSs
answered mother in that awful stage
whisper of hers that sends me nearly
into fits whenever she tries 1t. But
boarder did not seem to notice. l made
a venture on a bold stroke. ~ shall
call her Mrs. Knapp, and then she can
correct me II she doesn't like 1t. I've
always heard that IL gives a middle
aged married woman much greater
offense to be called Miss than 1t does
to address a single sister as Mrs. 80
here goes"
II hope you had a pleasant trip down,
M-m," | said pleasantly, allowing my
voice to die away on the last syllables
Al l found my courage oozing out at
the tip of my tongue. | couldn't say
Mrs. Knapp after all, to ave me.
/ noticed with much amusement that
father and mother avoided the pitfall
as successfully al l did. during that
first meal, and we all went out on the
piazza after supper to enjoy the sunset.
Here our guest set our minds at rest.
"How James would have enjoyed
fhis" exclaimed she softly, as II half
to herself. Mother nodded SO vigorous
~ and t%riumphantly behind her back
that ! was afraid she would notice 1t
and SO FASTENED to nod In reply. We
knew now. She was a widow. "He
ioved to sit beside me and watch the
setting sun, even In the city" she went
on softly. ut seems terribly lonely
without him. Oh, IL | could only have
brought him out into such a peaceful
place as this, he might be alive now!
That last hot spell was SO hard on him.
l thought perhaps he had a sunstroke,
but | could not tell"
Mothers eyes hlled with sympathetic
tears. and as she laid her hand gently |
over that OF Mrs. Knapp she inquired
tenderly. "How long Is 1t since he died,