Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-11-09

S12 MAID across the way, who, at
IN the moment, was engaged in
pulling down the blind prepare
tory to the lighting of the lamp, Is
ready to testify that the young man
was dressed in a summer suit Of light
gray, tan shoes and a straw hat with
q blue ribbon; that he approached the
cottage Of the Kingsleys, opposite,
without hesitation, opened the screen
door without ringing, and-that is all
she knows about the case.
She Is perfectly correct, as far as
she goes. After closing the screen
door behind him, he tripped up the
stairs, with his straw hat in his hand,
went to the rear end Of the upper hall,
and entered the bedroom on his right.
Near the threshold he stopped, gazed
intently into the large mirror over the
dresser, smiled, and then continued on
his way direct to the dresser, after ar
irving at which, he looked at himself
in the mirror as he pulled his reddish
mustache, and arranged the stray hairs
OF his head at the part which was in
the middle). He then opened the up
per drawer Of the bureau, took out q
brush and comb-the former of which
he tried on his light hair; took out
pair Of lady's gloves, which he tossed
back again; took out purse, which he
examined and threw abruptly in one
corner OF the drawer, and turning
about, crossed the room and disap-
peared behind gay curtain that hung
over a doorway.
At the very moment that the young
man disappeared from the bedroom,
Mrs. Kingsley's voice might have been
heard-probably was heard-in the
lower hall. 1t was not a monologue.
Another voice penetrated the stiffness
OF the seaside cottage-an infants
voice, which Mrs. Kingsley strove to
subdue by reiterated reference to q
bottle Of milk which mamma would
presently produce.
ere-there-mamma get his bot
tie right away--mamma put him down
and get his bottle-there there"
AS this dialogue proceeded (the
baby's side Of which we leave to be
Gmagined), Mrs. Kingsley and her son
passed up the stairs, through the up
per hall, and entered the bedroom from
which the young man had just disap-
peared.
The mother laid her baby on the
bed near the gay curtain suspended
over the doorway, lighted the gas and
turned it low, and flew down again to
son was still pouring forth his pas
glonate petition.
The bottle with which Mrs. Kingsley
presently returned is worthy Of de-
Scription-not for its naked self, be-
cause 1t was an ordinary nursing bot
tie, but on account Of the manner in
which 1t was prepared for use. 1t was
cnveloped in knit washrag, fastened
with safety pins, the object not being
to conceal it's nakedness, but to afford
a means of fastening the bottle in
place on the pillow, to which 1t was
pinned ut the base, and thus allowed
to rotate and accommodate itself to
the movements Of the child, without
getting beyond his reach,
The baby having been laid with his
back to the dim light and his face to-
ward the gay curtain, the bottle was
pinned in place, and Immediately ST.
lence fell upon the Kingsley cottage.
The sheet was gently laid over the
tiny form, dozen mother touches, too
rapid to be followed and too subtle to
be explained, were laid here and there
about the child, and, as quietly as
spirit might have come and gone, the
mother left the room.
Lulled by the strong probability that
the infant had been left on the thresh-
old Of repose, Mrs. Kingsley went soft
" down the stairs, as though her foot
steps on the carpet might wake him.
Her mind was filed with visions of a
quiet rock In the hammock swung in a
shady corner Of the veranda.
AS she reached the lower hall. these
selfish thoughts were harshly disturbed
by the sounds Of suppressed laughter,
and the vague outlines Of two female
fglves close to the screen door.
'SFhe ideal! said one voice. "I'd as
sook ask her as not"
tits awfully. good of you. And
what cute veranda for such an af-
fair!--such a delightful place to hang
the lanterns" said the other voice.
Mrs. Kingsley stood STILL She di-
vined what was in store for her. She
asked herself whether there was any
more sleep for the baby. Then she
sprang forward and opened the door.
why, Mrs. Kingsley, do you know,
we have come to ask the queerest
thing of you-"
"Oh, Miss Knickerbocker," said Mrs.
Kingsley.
'YeA, and my friend, Miss Van Ev-
era. Miss Van Evera, Mrs. Kingsley.
Do you know, we have been surprised
by Miss Van Evera and her friends
bicycle party from town-and we
have such utterly forlorn accommodate
tiCnS OF our little cottage, that mamma