The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1900-06-23

lIt lOW blnii way W NY hOhliAhg NV
minute taper in my hand to guide
Une through the darkness. l stopped
suddenly halfway down the corridor.
IN the dim Pickering light of my taper
I saw fastened to the door of my land
1ady's room a white sheet of paper. 1t
was pinned above the doorknob and
contained a brief message.
''Dear children" it read, "God bless
your home coming. l love you both,
dear daughter and beloved son. l
couldn't wait for you. because l had to
go to the theater. Your Mother"
"Ah," l said to myself, 1.-THE young
couple are coming home" AS the latch
of my own door clicked l heard two
persons come up the stairway.
"My mother is not at home" said a
CHEEKY, manly voice, ''but here is her
greeting, as kind and loving as ever"
don't know what else the man or
skhe woman said-sweet love words, 10
doubt, such as young husband and
wife are apt to indulge in on their we'd
ding night.
Mrs. Alberta Damman had been my
lAndlady now for two years. She was
a little, rOtund woman, with a viva
rious temperament, which betrayed ev-
esry minute the presence of actor blood
In her veins. For many years, she told
me, she had been wardrobe woman In
i&he only stock company house in the
city. She had saved up little money,
(which she loaned at reasonable inter-
est to actors and actresses in hard luck,
and she was able beside to do profit
liable business in purchasing and selling
scast-off party dresses and stage gowns
The glib-tongued wardrobe woman was
as passionately fond of the theater as
she was picturesquely disorderly about
the three rooms which she herself oc-
scupied. My own rooms, in happy con-
serast, were neatly and simply fur
nished, and always kept scrupulously
clean. The disorder in hers was ap-
ipalling and sitting to me. Furniture
from all kinds of periods hobnobbed
with chandeliers and cheval glasses of
Song-forgotten periods.
Mrs. Damman's son was very differ
" emit in character and disposition from
bis mother. While she was shreWd and
full OF temperament, he was taciturn
and slow of comprehension. Despite
his 80 years he was as helpless as
child almost In his habits he was
absolutely correct and faithful to his
employer, who had given him the posi-
don Of head bookkeeper at moderate
salary. His mother and he always ate
their meals together. On Sunday he
went to the theater and during the
week he waited patiently for the old
iady's return from the playhouse, that
= De might partake of supper with her.
Eoung Damman grew courageous one
day and confessed to his mother that
he loved a girl and had promised to
marry her. Mrs. Damman's verbosity
would not permit her to conceal this
fact from me. AS she was serving my
coffee one morning she acquainted me
with the new state of affairs.
: do you know your sons fianceeT
asked just little uneasy as to how
she would take this sudden surprise.
No, she had never seen her, but in
.aquiry among friends ELECTED the in
formation that she came of respecta-
BILE family and was a good-looking
Boung miss.
.I'u receive her as my daughter" she
-leaid, land they can both live here. My
sons salary is not large enough to sup
port a separate household, and can
not give him anything out of my own
means, so they will have to make their
home here. and my daughter-in-law
vwin have to learn how to please me-
Now the wedding had been celebra-
~ted and henceforth the young people
would be my neighbors, for their room
was next to mine. If my misgiving:
had continued about the new member
of the household that friendly wei
come, pinned to the door of my land
1ady's quarters on the eve of her ar
rival, would have dispelled them. IL
the morning, Mrs. Damman. as usual
brought my coffee and rolls.
"They are here" she said, with
broad, motherly smile. Didn't 20,
hear the noise we made when l cam
home last night. My daughter is
perfect little witch-pretty as a-peacf
too. know you'll like her."
An hour later l sauntered down tn
hall A fresh voice. fresh as a birds
sang a gay little ditty.
1.-The BRIDE" l unused. and present.
she hove in sight welding brooI
with a pair Of round, dimpled arm
barred to the shoulders. The momer
she saw me she blushed and disaI