The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-09-27
THE LATE Mr.. KNAPP
~ y "
4 STORY WHICH GOES TO SHOW
THAT YOU CAN'T ALWAYS
TELL WHAT PEOPLE
MEAN BY WHIT THEY SAY.

*o&o&o&o&o&o&o&o&o&o%o%oMoT
You see, she was such n queer little
thing that we couldn't help taking her
TO our hearts at once. But there, that's
just the way with me- 1t always seems
to me as IL everybody ought to know
the people | know, without any pnrtic-
| ular explanation.
Well. II was lust this way: That
summer that mother and | wanted to
paper the sitting room. though father
would have given mother his head If
| she had asked for IT, heads didn't
count, 1t was money we needed and
of that he had noAe. Then after much
! hard thinking devised plan, and,
| though II was great shock 10 father
| and mother nj first, carried the day,
and the upshot Of II was thnt we ad-
vertsed for n summer hoarder for our
| spare room. Unless you have done the
same thing nj some awful crisis in
| your life You can never for II moment
| Imagine, q reader the awful mixture
of hope and fenr that held place In our
hearts until we received n neatly writ
| ten. briefly wordcd note signed
Phoebe Knapp"
Mother WAS taken with 1t Mt once,
and ms she delights in all things miser-
able because she can make them feel
| better. she was especially enptivated
by the closing sentence. which ran
Having recently met with II bereave-
ment, the rest and quiet you offer Will
he n great boon to me"
widow. likely" said father rs we
read this note aloud In his presence for
the fifth time.
Miss or Mrs, KatieY" asked mother
although we both knew the signature
by henrt="Yours sincerely. Phoebe
Knapp"
I'm sure | don't know. | can't read
1ippantly, fear
Lllls unknown was beginning to take
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 turned | could not help see
| Ing silent figure In n long Grape veil
| lifting its hand and commanding me to
do this or that, upon which | WAS al
ready engaged.
However, we were ali ready for her
ut last, and when father came from
the station and deposited upon the
front plazza tiny little woman of
about so ycars of age, with big, fright
ened gray eyes, and delicate, sensitive
features creature that would have
looked small alongside robust child
of 10, the contrast between this little
object and the commanding figure of
my Imagination was so great that
almost had fit of Mysteries on the
spot | took refuge In flight, while
mother coocd and coddlcd the poor
dear" and took her up to her room.
You see, mother was just In her ele-
ment, while | had all my notions to
readJust to existing circumstances.
My flights of fancy will be the death
of me some day, father says.
caught mother on the stair mo-
mcnt as they were coming down and
breathed softly into her ear, "Miss or
Mrs. p
81 don't know. l couldn't find out"
answered mother In that awful stage
whisper of hers that sends me nearly
Into fits whenever she tries 1t. But our
| boarder did not seem to notice. | made
II venture on n bold stroke. 81 shall
call her Mrs Knapp, and then she can
correct me II she doesn't like 1t. I've
always heard that 1t gives a middle
aged married woman much greater
re
to address a single sister as Mrs, so
here goes"
81 hope you had n pleasant trip down,
Mn" / said pleasantly, allowing my
voice to die away on the last syllables
as found my courage oozing out at
the tip OF my tongue. | couldn't say
Mrs. Knapp after ALL to save me.
noticed with much amusement that
father and mother avoided the pitfall
rs successfully as | did, during that
first meal, and we all went out on tho
piazza after supper to enjoy the sunset.
Here our guest set our minds at rest.
GLOW James would have enjoyed
this" exclaimed she softly, as II half
to herself. Mother nodded so vigorous
ly and trlumphantly behind her back
that l was afraid she would notice 1t
and so FASTENED to nod IN reply. We
knew now. She was n widow. "Hc
loved to sit beside me and watch the
setting sun, even In the city" she went
on softly. ut seems terribly lonely
without him. Oh, If | could only have
brought him out into such peaceful
place as this, lie might be alive now!
That last hot spell was so bard on him.
thought perhaps he had sunstroke,
but | could not tell"
Mothers eyes filed 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,
dearY
"Six weeks" answered the widow.
HE was all that / had In the world,
and have been SO lonely ever since.
But, please. Mrs. Curtis, | cannot talk
about 1t quite yet"
Nevertheless, she did talk about It"
quite good deal In the days that fol-
lowed, with the effect that /, who was
a wide awake girl at that time, pc
cullarly susceptible to first impress
sions, imbibed an impression Of the
late Mr. Knapp's eccentriclties that
was not altogether complimentary to
the departed gentleman.
Poor dear" said she one day "IIe
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. | inferred from this last re-