Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-04-21
CHAPTER ~.
WHICH MAY BE PASSED OVER
LIGHTLY

When / came pack to some clearer
sensing OF things, / found myself abed
in a room which was strange and yet
strangely familiar. Barring a great
oaken clothes press in one corner, a
raree show of curious china on the
shelves where the books should have
been, and the face OF an armored sol
der staring down at me from its frame
owe the chimneypiece, where l should
nave looked to see my mothers por-
trait. the room was a counterpart of my
old bedchamber at Appleby Hundred.
There was even a faint odor of lavender
In the bed linen; and the sense of smell,
which hath eve a better memory than
any other, carried me swiftly back TO
my boyhood, and to the remembrance
that my mother had always kept a
spray or w of that sweet herb in her
linen closet.
Al the bedside there was ella w-footed
table. which also had the look OF an old
friend; and on ii a dainty porringer,
filled with cuttings of fragrant sweet
briar. This was some womanly con-
ceit, 1 said to myself; and then /
laughed, though the laugh set q pair
OF VOLTS jaws at work on my shoulder.
For you must know that I had lived the
fniI- half es : y. sS pa span or
three-score and ten years, and more,
and what womanly softness had fallen
to my lot had been we'll got n paid
for.
I closed my eyes the better 10 remem-
Der what had befaIlen. and when /
opened them again was fain to wonder
if the moment OF back-reaching stood
not for some longer time. In the deep
bay of the window was a great chair
OF Indian wickerwork. and / could
have sworn ii had but now been
empty. Yet when / looked again a
woman Sat In Ii.
Now OF a truth j had seen this wom-
| ans face but twice and once IL wore a
smile of teasing mockery and once was
full OF terror; but l thought I should
live long and suffer much before the
winsome challenging beauty OF 1t would
let me be as 1 had been before / had
looked upon II.
She knew not that I was awake and
| shaking the thirst OF my eyes upon the
sweetness OF her. and so l saw her then
as few ever saw her, l think. with the
womanly barriers OF defense all down,
lis a hard test. and one that makes a
blank OF many a face beautiful enough
In action: but though this lady's face
was 20 the full as changeful as any
April sky, Ii was never less than tri-
umphantly beautiful.
1 had said her eyes were blue. but
nov they were deep wells rejecting the
soft gray of he clouded sky beyond the
window panes. I had made sure that
her lips lent themselves most readily to
knocking smiles cornful of any wit less
t~rcnchant than her own; but now these
hooking lips We're p~ensive, and with
the rounded cheek and chin gave her
the look OF q sweet child wanting to be
kissed. 4 had sale her hair was bright
ia the sunlight. and so. indeed. il was:
but lacking the sun IL still held the dull
luster of FURNISHED copper in its masses
and her simple, care-free dressing al
it al 4 time when les grandes DANES
were frizzing and powdering and add
Ing art TO art TO mar the woman's
lcrown OF alofy, sesc ne. yet more the
look Of a child.
Lastly. I had called her small. and
certainly her figure was girIish beside
those grepadicr DANES Of Maria
Theresa's court TO whom my old neld.
marshal had once presented me. But
when h rose and went to stand In IN
window~bay I marked this: that not
any DUCHESS or m~afgravine Of them al
had = more queeniy bearing. or. With