Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-03-03
CHAPTER XIII.

first time in my life, took pains with
my toilet. I carefully brushed my hair
In different ways, trying which was the
more becoming. But with all my pains,
cut but very sorry figure.
Dear me, how spruce you look this
morning" said Martha, as l came down
to breakfast. 'And quite elated, too!
Before 10 o'clock 1 was in the neigh
borhood Of her house. 1t was too early
to go there yet; so 1 fingered about for
a time. How very awkward it was that
had no knowledge of her name! l had
quite forgotten to ask it. As the time
drew near 1 began to feel nervous. A
knocked at the door. I was answered by
a stout, good tempered looking old lady.
You have young lady staying here"
l began, in hesitating tone.
"Oh, you are the young man that Miss
Clara expects, suppose" Saying which,
the old lady deliberately drew a pair
Of spectacles out Of her pocket, and ad-
5usting them, carefully scrutinized me.
My appearance seemed to satisfy her, for
she said, i'll more friendly tone, "Walk
in, young man; Miss Clara will be with
you directly"
She showed me into neat little par
lor. Upon the table were several water
colored drawings, some finished, some I'M
finished; also some Berlin wool work.
Bouquets Of flowers were everywhere;
upon the table amidst the work, upon the
mantelpiece in two vases, upon a little
stand facing the window, and upon the
cottage piano that stood in a corner. The
air was loaded with their perfume. In
few moments the door opened and
Clara came into the room.
You have come, then" she said, with
her sweet, melancholy smile.
AS if aught but death or Imprisonment
could have kept me away!
She painted water-color pictures, and
did Berlin wool work for the shops, she
told me. She sat down at once and be-
gan her work, and I waited upon her,
washed her brushes, ground her colors,
adjusted the blind, and between these
little Offices 1 watched her busy fingers;
but oftener my eyes were upon her face,
craving its every lineament upon my
memory. Never have looked upon an
other face so Spiritually beautiful. It
was one Of those heads that the old Ital-
ian painters loved to give to their An
so utterly free from human passions.
The fair wavy hair, untrammeled by
art; the oval face, neither full, nor thin,
but perfectly smooth; the low forehead;
the blue eyes; the straight Grecian nose;
the small mouth; the swelling, gracefully
arched neck; the skin SO delicately white,
tinted upon the cheeks with the faintest
carnation. Her figure was of about the
middle height, exquisitely graceful, yet
painfully fragile. She wore a black
dress, made high to the neck, with a
small, plain white collar.
We talked very little; she was too busy
with her work, and silence was more
congenial with our mood.
At o'clock Mrs. Wilson called us to
dinner, which we took in breakfast
parlor below. The old lady was very
chatty and very curious, and asked me
a great number Of indirect questions
those I did not care to answer I con.
trived pretty skillfully to evade.
"You must excuse my questions, sir, y
she said; 'but although Miss Clara is
no relation of mine, and, indeed, know
nothing about her, still I feel as much
interested in her as though she were my
own child; she is so innocent, and knows
so little about the world, that it's quite
necessary that she should have some one
to look after her. Now, you are the
first visitor that she has ever had, anG
she has lived with me these two years
But, when she came home last night she
told me that she had met an old &C
quaintance who was coming to see her
that he had come to the city in search OF
employment, and had no friends nor &C
quaintances, and was SO dreadfully mis-
cradle that it made her quite unhappy
to see him. At first, l set my face
against it, but she soon coaxed me over
and compromised the matter by saying
that you should come this once, but thai
if did not approve Of you, it was to bt
the first and the last visit. But I mus
say you seem a very nice, quiet, nodes
sort of young gentleman. And what kline
Of employment might you be seeking?"
1 told her 1 had been usher at a school
but that at present I was doing copying
I did not say of what kind. The ole
lady remarked that an usher's was
very genteel sort of employment. Alto
gether she seemed very well satisfied
with me.
In the evening Mrs. Wilson brough
her sewing up into the parlor, and pro
posed that should read to them. Ant
so the evening glided on, oh, so rapidly
until could no longer see in the dark
ening twilight, and then we all sat nea
the window; Mrs. Wilson chatting, 1 ant
Clara silent. She gazing into the street
with that absent look SO common to her
watching every motion Of her face, a
it grew more and more indistinct in tn
deepening shadows. Lights were brought
and then we went down to supper, an,
then it was time to go.
"You will come and see me again
won't you" she said, as she gave me he
hand at the gate.
l wanted no pressing, and arrange
that 1 would come again on Monday. Sh
wished me good night, and went in an
closed the door, and the day was ende
the day whose blissful memories wi
never fade from my heart.
That day was the precursor Of man
like ones, until, in a short time, coul
perceive that she looked forward to m
coming with expectancy, and that m