Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-05-06

L, hdSISHlHS 10 cIldnge TIE I'M
preston that | had given her, for l
really needed some income from
that room. 1t had stood empty now
for two months, and there was Toms
bill for his football suit already sent
in, and [ was expecting another dun
every morning. Tom was good lad,
but i thought that sometimes he
ina gined that his mother was made
of money.
sMy aunt who lives with me,"-
really, I lived with Aunt Jane Mary.
but tha- there was no necessity for
explaining, and 1 thought that /
should retain my visitors respect
more fully if L did not mention the
fact-''is quite an invalid
Does she never come downstairs"
inquired my prospective boarder
"She never leaves her room,'' said
1. "The doctor promises now that
she may be able to get up by the last
of August, but hardly know"
ooh, that will be time enough for
my purpose" said the girl with a
short laugh. II mean that 1
shall have accomplished what 1 came
for, rest and change, in that time"
Perhaps you would like to look at
the room,' I said.
Yes replied the young woman,
moving towards the hall door.
l laid my dish-towel down in the
rocker, where had been seated, and
went into the house. / turned into
the first room on the right. "This
is it, 1 said.
She entered and surveyed the
premises. The room was a corner
one with windows on the veranda-
two in front and two on the side
large, comfortable, old-fashioned
bedchamber. The great mahogany
bed, that had been my dear mothers,
stood ready for the next tired occu-
pant. 1t had only to be made up
with the understanding old sheets
that were laid away in the closet,
the pillow cases on top of them, with
sprigs of lavender between.
Its a lovely room,'' said nv
visitor. She opened the closet
doors-without asking If she might,
which 1 did not exactly like. 1t
Shocked my old-fashioned notions.
for the room had not been taken by
her yet.
"What nice, deep closets! And
where does that door lead top She
indicated a door near the outer wall
on the side of the room.
This room was once used for the
dining-room," said I, land those
stairs go down cellar, but we have
| another small cellar, and with such
| light housekeeping as mine, Q sighed
as 1 thought of dear Toms appetite
in the holidays, which was blessing,
even if l had to work hard to supply
| it) we need no other. so this has been
| abandoned"
81 couldn't have people coming in
| she.
ooh, certainly not" 1 answered.
eff you take the room, it is yours, of
course. No one uses the cellar
| now"
| She opened the door and descend
| ed the steps. I could not see what
she wanted in the cellar, but thought,
after all, it was natural that she
should wish to know what was un-
derneath the place where she might
be going to sleep. "You needn't
come down." she called upward. ]
could not hear her moving about; she
was quiet in all her motions. After a
| few moments she reappeared.
Zone of the windows is broken
she said, ''but the hole is not large
enough for anyone to crawl through"
II will have it mended," said /
meekly. I was sorry the moment /
had said this. 1t showed her how
much 1 wished to rent the room.
'Well," she said, 81 don't know as
that is really necessary. There is a
good bolt on the door, l suppose"
what door?" said I.
"The door opening on those stone
steps leading up to the back yard
How closely she had observed every
thingi
81 hardly know" said 1. 81 haven't
been down there in so long"
''Waiti I'll see," and before 1 knew
what she intended, she had disap.
peared in the darkness of the cellar
and was lost from sight. I descended
a few steps after her.
Don't come down." she called
back IN her low, soft voice, "you fl
up the doorway and cut off the
light" Whereupon I retreated from
my own cellar and from this master.
full young woman.
/ waited for a few moments, and