Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-10-23

lDat Is, which Is romantic
enough for three volume, but her
surname took away from whatever
romance 1t had ever held. and Miss
/ 10 had never changed her name.
Josephine Stallabrass. an unmusical
com bination, but common enough Ia u
country abounding with Medlocks,
Mortlocks and Guiyers, Hitehes and
Abbies, unmusical all. Miss 10 was
neither young nor old. Some people
are the same aye all their adult life.
Her face lad not wrinkle, her eyes
were blue, clear and penetrating, her
skin as supple AS that OF child. her
mouth not small, but we'll shaped Ii
is difficult III few words 10 fully
describe the beauty or otherwise Of Il
person, and 1t is not our business here
to make a pen and Ink portrait Of
Miss 10; but her pervading express
sion, her atmosphere one might almost
call it. was one of deep, grave peace.
10, In days gone by had suffered
keenly. had bent, not broken. under
the cross she carried, as is the way
with brave women, and the outcome
had been what we now find her at
forty. a helpful. strong woman.
She was poor-the neighbors did not
know how poor. or of course help
would have been proffered- man
aged to pay her way and no more;
she could just make both ends meet,
but they did not overlap by a hairs
breadth.
Her father had owned the mill and
left but little behind him when he
died; the mill itself had passed into
other hands. but Miss Jo still occupied
the little cottage attached to 1t.
The rooms were low ceilinged and
black panelled, boasting quaint old
fashioned furniture. In the living
room on the ground floor, red tiled and
some inches lower than the Intel Of
the door, was an old oak settle that
one could almost see ones face in. for
thrifty housewives, had FURNISHED 1t
for a couple of centuries or more.
Miss 10 had occupied this house all
her life. Since her school days she
had never slept out of 1t, and now,
with the soft June twilight falling
upon it, for once in her life she felt
and almost rebelled against the unut-
terable loneliness
The mill house stood at the end Of
a long narrow lane, with six foot
bitches on either side and giant elms,
their branches INTERVIEWING, arched
the roadway and made twilight on
| the brightest day.
If any one had peeped into the liv-
ing room now and looked at Its ten
ants sweet face he would have seen
/ that an expression almost of despair
rested upon 1t.
| Miss JOS rent was due; the amount
was only four pounds, and SHE was
utterly unable to pay 1t; moreover,
this was the last quarter of her ten
ancy, and she knew that nothing
would induce her landlord to renew
her lease He wanted the cottage for
I
which she could raise money. Had
she known It, a collector would have
paid her ten times the amount she
owed for the old oak settle, had she
been willing to part with 1t; but no
collector had ever clapped eyes upon
1t. She had very small store OF eggs
and poultry, but so had every one.
As she stood at the door watching
the blinking lights Of the alehouse al
the end OF the lane, the past came
before her very yividiy. and her eyes
were tear-dlmmed
Twenty years before Guy Hale had
come to lodge with them for some
months. An extension OF the line was
being made and he was IN charge of
section As to his actual social posi-
tion II was superior tG hers, and he
was well-read and intellectual; but
his father, marrying again, had turned
him adrift, and he had taken 10 engi'
neering as duck takes 10 water, and
went through the mill thoroughly
greasy, grimy and happy.
He was older than she, and young
widower. but his married life had beer
a short and wretehed one; they hac
separated, and he showed Jo the ac
count of her death by shipwreck. Th'
twain fell In love. 1t is honest to say
that he fell In loye'for the iirst TINT
In his life, while Josephine gave hin
e whole hearted, passionate devotion
that no one but her lover knew he
to be capable Of
. They had been "cried" twice, and oil
the third occasion the quiet, haif
empty little church had been startie'
: by the Il forbid the banns' III IN
clipping tones OF Londoner Ant
the strange woman-town, not couhtr.
bred, bedecked and bedizened' caiie'
Guy husband
The shock nearly killed the loyin
woman. Their her father died. an
she managed to exc oft very scah'
Lying by. dang seddt drsssnakins Joo
for the farmers wives, and FOR tim
: shs had a few little pupils, too youn