The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1904-11-17
CHAPTER XIII.

stsh
cut but n very sorry figure.
Dear me. how spruce you look this
morning." said Martha. rs 4 came down
co breakfast. And quite elated. too"
Before 10 o'clock I was In the neigh
borhood OF her house. IL was too early
90 70 there get: NO I fingered about for
a time. How very awkward Il was that
had no knowledge OF her namel | had
quite forgotten TO ask H. As the time
drew near I began TO feel nervous. A
church clock struck eleven rs l tinidiy
knocked ut the dosr. I was answered by
h stout. good tempered looking old lady.
'You have a young lady staying here
began. in a heSitating tone.
"Oh. you are the yeung man that Miss
Clara expects. I suppose. Saying which.
the old lady deliberately drew a pair
or spectncles out OF her pocket. and ad-
justing them. carefully scru;inized me.
Ny appearance. seemed TO satisfy her. for
she said. Ia a more friendly tone. Walk
In. young man; Miss Clara will he with
you directly"
She showed me into a neat little par
lor. Upon the table were several water
colored drawings. some finished. some UNI
frished: also some Berlin wool work.
bouquets OF flowers were everywhere;
upon ths table amidst the work. upon the
mantelptcce In two vases. upon a little
xtand facing the window. and upon the
cottage piano that stood In n corner. The
air was loaded with their perfume. In
q few moments the door opened and
Clara came into the room.
"You have come. then" she said. with
Der sweet. melancholy smile.
An II anght but death or Imprisonment
could have kept me swayl
She painted w~atercolor pictures, and
did Berlin wool work for the shops, she
told me-. She sat down ut once and be-
gan her work. and l waited upon her.
washed her brushes. ground her colnrs,
adjusted the blind. and between these
little offices I watched her busy fingers:
but oftener my eyes were upon her face.
craving its every lineament upon my
memory. Never have I looked upon an
other face so spiritually beautiful. IL
was one Of those heads that the old Ital-
Ian painters loved TO give TO their An
gels and Madonnas. so prcfectly serene,
no utterly free from human passions
The fair wavy hair. untrammeled By
hrt: the oval face. neither full. nor thin,
but perfectly smooth: the low forehead:
the binc eyes: the straight Grecian nose:
the small mouth: the swelling. gracefully
arched neck. the skin 80 dclicately white.
tinted upon the checks with the faintest
cnmation. Her figure was or about the
middle height, exquisitely graceful. yet
painfully fragile. She were n black
dress. mado high Co tho neck. will, a
small. plain white collar.
NJ. N.Ia-.-l 49,. lNslas aka w~.a TOO bRsgW
with her work. and silence was more
congcnial with our mood
At 3 o'clock Mrs. Wilson called us TO
dinner. which we took In n breakfast
parlor below. The old lady was very
chaity and very curious. and asked me
q great number OF indirect questions:
those I did not care 90 answer l con.
trived pretty skillfully to evade.
"You must excuse my questions, sir"
she said: but although Miss Clara Is
no relation OF mine. and. indeed. l know
nothing about her. still | feel as much
sntcrcstea In her rs though she were my
child; she Is so innocent, and knows
90 little about the world. that it's quite
necessary that she should have some one
90 look after her. Now. you are the
first visitor that she has ever had. and
she has lived with me these two years.
But. when she came home last night she
told me that she had met an old ac-
qunintsnce who was coming TO see her:
chat he had come 10 the city In search of
employment, and had no friends nor ac-
quaintnnccs, and was so d~readfully mis-
cradle that II made her quite unhappy
60 see him. At first. | set my face
against Il. but she soon conxed me over.
and I compromised the matter by saying
that you should come this once, but that
n l did not approve OF you. II was 60 be
che FIRST and the last visit. But I must
say you seem n very nice, quiet. modest
sort OF young gentleman. Aud what kind
OF employment might you be scekingY'
told her l had been usher nj n school.
but that at present | was doing copying.
! did not say OF what Lind. The old
lady remarked that nm ushers was n
very gentccl sort Of employment. Alto
gethcr she seemed very well satisfied
with me.
In the evening Mrs. Wilson BROUGHT
her sewing up into the parlor. and pro-
posed that | should read tn them. And
so the evening glided ON. oh. so rapidly.
until | could no longer see in the dark
ening twilight. and then we IN sat near
thc window: Mrs. Wilson chatting. | and
Clara silent. She gazing into the street.
with that absent look 30 common 20 her;
I watching every motion OF her face. ms
IL grew more aud more indis,inct Ia the
deepening shadows. Lights were brought.
and then we went down 10 supper. and
then IL was time 10 so.
you will come aud see me again,
won't your she said. as FhC save me heE
hand az the gate.
l wanted no pressing, and arranged
that / would come again on Monday. She
wished me good night, and went In aud
closed the door, and the day was cnde,
--the day whose blissfui memories will
never fade from my heart.
That day was the precursor OF many
like ones. until. ia n short time, | could
perceive that sic looked forward 10 my
coming with expectancy. rnd that my
presence Ind become a ihiu- almost nee.
essary 20 her. She looked f0r me "a hand
her the painting Iuaicrials, 10 grind the
colors. 10 select her sAea,s of Vaol. IA
sit at her feet and read 10 her same
pheasant hook; while. between tic lights,