The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-26
THE LATE Mr.. KNAPP
4 STORY WHICH GOES TO SHOW
THAT you CAN'T ALWAIS
TELL WHAT PEOPLE
hfE " HY LII At THEY SLY
MEAN By WHAT THEY SAT-.


So*o#o#o#o%o#o o#oxoxoxoMo#o#o
You see. she was such a 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 if everybody ought to know
the people 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 il
she had asked for it, heads didn't
count 1t was money we needed, and
of that he had none. Then after much
hard thinking | devised plan, and,
though it was a great shock to father
and mother at first, | carried the day,
and the upshOt of it was that we ad-
vertised for summer bOarder for our
spare room. Unless you have done the
same thing at some awful crisis III
your life you can never for 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 it at once,
and as she delights in all things miSer-
able because she can make them feel
better, she was especially captivated
by the closing sentence, which ran
l"Having recently met with a bereave
ment. the rest and quiet you offer viii
be great boon to me-
widow, likely" said father as we
read this note aloud in his presence fol
the fifth time.
Miss or Mrs, Katie?" asked mother
lalthough we both knew the signature
lby heart-"Yours sincerely, Phoebt
Knapp"
I'm sure don't know. | can't reat
between the lines" l answered. rathe
fippantly, | fear.
This unknown was beginning to TAX
a sort of weird possession of me. |
seemed uncanny that everythin:
should turn upon the movements of ;
stranger whom we had never seen, an'
wherever turned | could not help see
ing silent figure in a long Grape vel
lifting it's hand and commanding me t
do this or that. upon which l was a.
ready engaged.
However, we We're all ready for he
at last, and when father came frOr
the station and deposited upon tn
front piazza a tiny little woman o
about so years of age, with big, fright
ened gray eyes. and delicate, sensitiv
fea atures, a creature that would hav
looked small alongside robust chill
of 10, the contrast between this littl
object and the commanding figure @
my imagination was so great that
almost had a fit of Mysteries on th
spot | took refuge in flight. Will
! mother cooed and coddled the ''poo
dear" and took her up to her room
You see, mother was just in her elt
ment. while | had all my notions
readjust to existing circumstances
My flights of fancy will be the deaf
of me some day, father says.
| caught mother on the stair a MI
ment as they were coming down an
breatned softly into her ear, Miss {
Mrs.Y'
81 don't know. couldn't find out
answered mother In that awful stag
| whisper of hers that sends me nearl
into fits whenever she tries it. But OF
boarder did not seem to notice. | mac
a venture on a bold stroke. 81 sha
call her Mrs. Knapp, and then she ca
correct me If she doesn't like it. ~
always heard that IL gives a midd
aged married woman much great
\ offense to be called Miss than it do
: to address a single sister as Mrs.
4 here goes"
81 hope you had pleasant trip dow
M-m," | said pleasantly. allowing n
voice to die away on the last syllabi
as | found my courage Oozing out
the tip of my tongue. l couldn't 81
- Mrs. Knapp after all, to save me.
noticed with much amusement tn
father and mother avoided the pitfi
as successfully as | did, during th
first meal. and we all went out on t
piazza after supper to enjoy the sunst
Here our guest set our minds at rest
How James would have enjoy
thisv' exclaimed she softly. as if HI
to herself. Mother nodded so vigorol
ly and triumphantly behind her ba
that | was afraid she would notice
and so hastened to nod in reply. '
n knew now. She was a widow. 81
n loved to sit beside me and watch
setting sun, even in the city" she we
on softly 1T seems terribly lone
without him. Oh. If | could only ha
brought him out into such a pcacel
Y place as this. he might be alive no
Y, That last hot spell was so hard on hi
| thought perhaps he had a sunstro
no but | could not tell"
Mothers eyes filed with sympathe
tears. and as she laid her hand gen
over that of Mrs. Knapp she inquil
tenderly, How long is it since he di
ID. dearT"
"Six weeks answered the wide
20 HE was all that | had in the wOI
and | have been SID lonely ever sin
But, please, Mrs. Curtis, cannot t
about Ii quite yet"