Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1904-11-18
! MAID across the way, who, q

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 snit of light
gray. tan shoes and straw hat with
blue ribbon; tnat he approached the
cottage of tho 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
I'll the mirror as he pulled his reddish
lnustache, 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 a
brush and comb---the former OF which
he tried on his light hair; took out a
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 doorway.
At the very moment that the young
man disappeared from the bedroom,
Mrs. KiiEsley's voice might have been
heard probably was heard-in the
lower hall. 1t was not monologue.
Another voice penetrated the stiffness
of the seaside cottagean infants
voice, which Mrs. Kingsley strove to
subdue by reiterated reference to a
bottle of milk which mamma would
presently produce.
There 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
imaginedl, Mrs. Kingsley and her son
passed up the stairs, through the mp
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 1t low, and flew down again to
prepare the refreshment for which her
son was still pouring forth his pas
sionate petition.
The bottle with which Mrs. Kingsley
presently returned iss worthy Of de-
scriptiornot for It's naked self, be-
cause it was an ordinary nursing bot
tie, but on account of the manner In
which It was prepared for use. 1t was
enveloped in knit washrag, fastened
with safety pins, the object not being
TO conceal its nakedness, but to afford
a means of fastening the bottle in
place on the pillow, to which 1t was
pinned at 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 formssa dozen mother touches. too
rapid to. be follow ed aud too subtle TO
be explained, were laid here and there
about the child, and, as quietly as a
spirit might have come and gone, the
mother left the room.
Luiled by the strong probability that
the.infant had been left on the thresh-
old Of repose, Mrs. Kingsley went soft.
ly 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
figures close to the screen door
THE idear' said one voice. I'D as
soon ask her as not"
Its awfully good of you. And
what a cute veranda for such an af-
fairl-such delightful place to hang
the lanterns" said the other voice.
Mrs. Kingsley stood still. She d.
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 ron know,