Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1903-03-23

vi tue eAlSlluS Stute VI UldIls Couiu
be endured no longer.
1t was then Julie Mason wrote for
the little niece who had been the
flower girl at her wedding to come out
and spend the winter with them.
The prospect of having a child in the
house, albeit borrowed one, put new
interest into both their broken lives.
They grew less Indifferent to their
manners and appearance, and even
tried to establish better understands
ing with each other-for the child's
sake. The trap was overhauled and
reprinted, pony was bought, and IA
kitten was saved from the drowning
for pet for 'Lisbeth.
But when 'Lisbeth arrived, with the
added weight Of ten years upon her
curly head, she was not the little tot
they had left behind them ten years
ago, and that they, in their blindness,
had still expected to see. Elisabeth
was now woman. and keenly alive
to the fact
Julie Mason took 'Lisbeth to her
arms, as she would have taken any
human soul for the sake of compan-
ionship. but there was still an ache in
her heart for the child she had eX-
pected to see. And Elisabeth. in her
turn, took her aunt, her aunts hus-
band. and everything on the ranch,
straight to her heart. And every live
creature about the place felt the spell
Of her presence; the dear little pigs,
the cunning little chickens, the sweet
little calves. all brought gurgles Of
delight to her lips. The mettlesome
horses Mason himself had difficulty
in mounting We're cajoled by sugar
and kisses into carrying her safely.
The great st. Bernards were I'M
chained and allowed to romp with her
through the halls. The Out-Of-tune pi-
ano was banged and thumped from
morning till night. and buoyant. bub-
bling springtime reigned supreme all
winter long.
The trap. as smart and new as ever.
was again heard Gathering over the
roads. for Jack somehow seemed al
ways able to find time to show Lis
beth the great rolling valley. now
growing fresh grains and young again
under the touch Of the winter rains.
If Jack had to go down to the village,
'Lisbeth had to go, too, because she
was the only one who could hold
Prancing Billy steady. If he had to
ride horseback over the fields, still
'Lisbeth must go along. because Black
bird went SO much better If some one
rode Dick. And it was surprising, to
Mrs. Mason at least, how many ex-
cursiOns Of the sort seemed suddenly
necessary.
AS Julie Mason watched them day
after day, starting Off together, Jack S
shoulders growing straighter. his step
brisker, his manner gentler, the ache
in her heart took a different form and
grew deeper. And when she met them
on their return, 'Lisbeth sparkling and
dimpling and Jack gallant and gentle,
she sighed for her old desolation a
deuX.
That Julie seemed to grow Trailer
and thinner since Elisabeth's arrival,
instead of better, as they had hoped,
Jack did not seem to notice. In fact,
nobody seemed to notice Julie much
any more. 'Lisbeth was sweet and
thoughtful enough when they were
alone together. but 'Lsbeth was not
shrewd enough to keep her aunt from
seeing her ear was attuned for GER
tain step on the walk. certain whistle
down the road, certain voice in the
hallway. She felt her superfluity with
a poignance pressed down and run
ming over.
You don't look we'll this morning,
old girl" Mason surprised her by say
ing one morning. when Elisabeth was
kept in her room by cold and they
were eating their meal in cheerless
silence.
Dredging her memory for some rea-
son to which to ascribe this sudden
solictude on his part, she forgot to
answer him. After a moment he re-
peated his observation-casual enough
in itself.
you are not looking well this morn
ing, Julie"
Miss Mason looked up quickly. Was
this the first time during the winter
he had noticed her i'll looks, she won
dered
Il am as well as usual" she an
swered. quietly. still wondering at his
sudden interest.
The meal was finished in silence.
They had so long ceased to pretend to
have common interest that it was
not necessary to sham. The child, as
she insisted upon calling 'Lisbeth, had
not seemed to notice their attitude to-
ward each other. or had accepted 1t as
matter of course between people
who had been married ten years, and
did not knOw-or did she know?-it
was her presence that was widening
the breach. This was the question
Julie asked herself every day as she
watched her niece and her husband.
and the lines around her mouth grew
haruer as she slowly formed an opin-