The Washington times., 1905-08-20
PART II-CHAPTER II

After dinner Mrs. Maxtead rose and
slipped her arm through Annals.
Come upstairs" she said. IT'S only
nine; I like an hour in my own room
before the storm bursts"
They both laughed and moved across
the room, then crossing the hall, slow
1y ascended the stairs
In the bedroom the fire had been re-
plenished; otherwise the room was dark
Anna crossed to the window and drew
the curtains back The sky was clear
and studded with stars; the moon, in
its first quarter, hung above the oppo-
site trees; against the dark roadway the
cab lamps made stream of Citing
lights. She looked in silence for a while:
then quite abruptly she spoke.
Il am breaking my own precepts,
Jeanne"
Mrs. MaXtead was holding a match
to the tall candles on the dressing ia
bic. I'm what?" she asked.
7 wanted TO be shallow tonight. and
MY mind Will be peryerae. and think
Come away from the window. then
The stars are always demoralizing."
Which makes them all the more ire
sistible. What were you going TO say to-
day when 7 stopped you?'
s''Nothing worth remembering" Mrs.
Maxtead studied a candle fame.
All Annals voice dropped It's the
things not worth remembering that come
out and haunt one in the night. Don't
you find f. so?"
MY dear child. so few people see
ghosts since bromides came into
fashion"
Anna laughed little But, Jeanne
how much We change! Once used to be-
lieye in facing things: now. at the first
glimpse of an unpleasantness, I shut nv
eyes and turn my back. Is that very
weak?'
IT'S very foolish, Look an enemy In
the face and he will turn tall"
That sounds so easy and so nice"
She leant her forehead against the glass
and looked up at the sky Enemies go.
but facts stick. I know; have tried
Then you didn't look straight
enough"
There was a pause The figures across
the way giided together, passed and re-
passed; the cab lights danced by; the
leaves or the trees stirred in the faint
wind
Mrs. Maxtead crossed the room and
stood by the girls side. In the glow Of
the candles, one saw the touch Of rrav
in her brown hair. the faint lines about
her eyes and mouth: but in the shadow
OF the window, only her hands, untouch-
cd by time. and her slight alert figure
were apparent to the glance, She stood
rs she might have stood eight years be.
fore; when she spoke. it was in the same
voice. with the same precision. the same
infexibly assured ring
he
see your thoughts. I am looking into
them as if they were a pool of water
whore I could see every shred Of moss
and every tiny stone. This is 4 difficult
moment for you; you must make it a
successful one. Take this ghost Of
yours and KIN it outright; make an end
OF Il. once for all. You have rolled it
into q grave and strewn earth over it.
then you have run away; and all the
time-sleeping and waking resting and
worhng-you have the thought that it's
not dead that at any moment it can
shake off the earth and rise"
Anna put out her hand, stop, Jeanne.
I won't listen: I won't hear
y -
There was a long wait; then she turned
suddenly and caught the others hand
Jeanne. what a fool I am. I'm thirstine
TO hear-thirsting 10 speak-snd you
know I am" She freed her hand again.
and pushed back her hair.
Mrs Maztead was silent.
When YOU took me away. eight years
AGO, I wrote n letter ever dav. to
Johann or 10 my fatber-Ietters pages
long. letters Of explanation. of affection.
Of homesickness. and I stored them
away, promising myself to post them in
five years time. The posting was to be
my first act Of cmancipation-my first
act, / saw myself running through the
streets with the bundle in my hand. I
saw myself as ! heard it drop into the
letterbox. l have cried night after night
Jeanne. at the length of those five de-
| barred years; | have walked morning
after morning. with prayer Of thank