The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1904-09-14

- worn mouse looked IN It's
q silence and isolation like
the relic Of a long dead
1o~ past. Not the abandoned
relic, however, for the hand of a pains.
taking florist and gardener was in evil
dence in the little yard on which the
house fronted.
In spite Of tie flowers. however,
there was such an atmosphere of sa-
cred quiet about the house that except
for the presence Of a .abby cat on the
step, it would have seemed to be unin-
habited. But any urchin along the
street could have told you who lived
there; it was Miss Phoebe" while the
question. How long has she lived
there:" would invariably have brought
the answer, "She's always lived there"
Just across the road from Miss Phoe-
be's residence stood a plain. grim, old
two-st0ry building, whose front door
step abutted OF the pavement. As Of
the other house across the way. any
one in the neighborhood could have
told You who the occupant was. and
of him. too. would have said that he
had always lived there.
Certainly every morning for more
than twenty-five years Mr.. Lorton had
been seen to issue from his front door
punctually at Z o'clock, in order to
ride to the station in the old bus
which passed at that hour. And from
her window Mics Phoebe had watched
his departure each morning. and not
ed his return at evening, by the faint
glow Of a light through the chinks Of
the ever-closed blinds.
Thus had passed twenty-five years,
when one morning there occurred an
unprecedented break in the chain
forged BY long habit; the old bus
passed down ON its Z o'clock trip. and
Lorton failed to make his appear
ance. Naturally, Miss Phoebe was
moved from her wonted placidity. as
one planet in a system is disturbed by
the least cratic movement of another
In its orbit.
All through the long hours Of the
morning she watched the door of the
house across the street for the appear
ance of its owner. but at last she was
forced to conclude that some import
ant engagement must have called him
forth before the fixed hour Of his ris-
ing.
Late in the afternoon she went about
the garden attending the flowers with
her usual care. There was q small
square hole in the side of one of the
gateposts. where q pair of the prettiest
Of the ~blue-coated songsters had nest
ed every year, feeling secure from mo-
lestation under Miss Phoebe's kind
" protection.
From time to time Miss Phoebe
glanced at the closed house over the
way. It was silent and still. It was
not yet time TO: the return Of Mr..
II he had gone away that
morning.
While Miss Phoebe was leaning
against the little gate, her spirit drift
ing with the gentle current Of happy
she was suddenl- startled
from her dreamland voyage BY q
strange noise in the post at her side.
Quickly she glanced around, Just in
dme to see q rat leap from the little
square hole in the post. dragging with
It to the ground the debris Of a blue
birds nest Of the season past. The
agile rodent scampered away among
The eround t4inging vines. and Miss
Phoebe stopped down to pick up the
hest. 1t seemed the first time that the
little square hole had ever been emp
y; and as she rose she stopped to
peer into the longinhabited shelter Of /
he nesting birds, now cleared Of its /
little specimen Of bird architecture. !
As she glanced into the cavity. her eye
taught sight Of some white object far
back in its depths. After trying in vain +
Q make out what 1t was, she picked
up = little stick, and thrusting It into
ne hole. rncountered-what? 1t
'eemed only = piece Of waste paper, |
ret at the sight Of It Miss Phoebe
up and leaned forward
Nth one elbow placed on top Of the
~ ,feDce post, while her breath came
~ - = littIs quick saspa