Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-08-24

porch where she sat, with a huge hand
bell on her knee, waiting for her
boarders to come home for supper.
There was a shade of embarrass-
nent OF his handsome face.
Mrs. lawson" said Sinclair, with
visible effort, Il came by to see If yol
would AXE Katharine and myself to
board"
"In the name of the blessed lamb"
calculated Mrs. Lawson, staring at
him wei the gate pickets, whatever
has happened? What do you want to
go anywhere and board for? Amt the
Catalpas-"
1T Is a wrench to me to cave the
old place. Sinclair interrupted, land
my father will be very lonely now that
my mother is dead. But Katharine
has set her heart on it, and If you will
take us"
81 haven't a sign of a room left,
Alick," Mrs. Lawson broke in. except
the room on the roof" she added
obviously.
well, what is the matter with the
room on the roof" demanded Sinclair,
whimsically.
He threw back his head as he spoke,
and screwed his eyes up at the box
like structure planted on the roof of
the low cottage.
Nothing" returned Mrs. Lawson,
hastily, nothing at all, except that it
is so small. Besides, the stair is like
a ladder. Katharine would never"
"All right; I'll take it at your own
price, Mrs. Lawson"
She was very beautiful, the golden
haired girl whom Alick Sinclair had
brought, a bride, to his fathers house
less than two years before. The mys-
FERROUS malady which developed short
ly after her marriage, and which con-
tinued to battle her physician, had
robbed her cheeks of their color and
bloom. But it added an indescribable
charm to her delicate face and fragile
figure. An unearthly expression
dawned into her large blue eyes-a
president gaze, as If her vision, like
her sense of hearing, had become abb
normally acute. Something almost
akin to awe filled those around this
exquisite young creature at sight of
her strange and inexplicable suffer
ings. She had, apparently, no bodily
ailment. But the slightest irregular
sound thrilled her with alarm;
her a~ttenuated frame shook with con-
vulsions at any unexpected appear
ance; she paled at a Whit of unaccus-
toned perfume. She ate but little,
and seemed to have lost the faculty of
sleep. Latterly, a morbid distaste for
h old Sinclair homestead had pos
sessed her. She breathed with diff
Guilty within its lofty walls; she was
oppressed by the atmosphere of its
shadowy garden.
The same night saw them installed
in Mrs. Lawson's room on the roof.
The room was small. A four-posted
mahogany bedstead, with balduchin
and side steps, occupied at least one
quarter of the floor space.
Sinclair, seated on the side of the
bed, smiled as. he compared this
cramped rookery with his wife's ample
dressing-room at the Catalpas. But
he felt an unwonted lightness of spir-
1t. He could see the reflection Of
Katharine's face In the mirror oppo
site. She stood with her back to him
brushing out her long hair. There
was a loo of content on her white
brow; he even fancied a touch of color
In her lips; her golden hair seemed tc
have regained somewhat of its los
luster.
"She was right" he thought; 9TH
change has already helped her."
He watched with delight the rhyth
mic motion of her slender arms
Meanwhile he chatted gayly of hi
boyhood days, and the recollection.
aroused by Mrs. Lawson's motherl,
gossip. Katharine listened, turnin,
from time to time with a nod or
smile.
He stopped abruptly. staring con
fusedly into space. He passed L.
hand across his forehead and eontin
tered mechanically. WAS there-h
!, was asking himself-was there some
l thing moving between KathA4ne an
! himself? Something faint and shad
owy?-cloudlfke? misty? Yes! Nc
He shut his eyelids tightly and opene
, them again. Yes! He could see
!, plainly now, the gray-clad figure of
woman with head dropped to he
: breast and arms hanging at her sid,
> my God!" he groaned. inward,
"now Katharine will turn around
She will see it! The shock will XII
: her! She will die! She will dro
d dead before my eyes!"
, "Katharine!' the words burst inyo,
= UNFAIRLY from his lips. He sprang fol
ward with outstretched arms.
did you speak, Alick?" asked h!
wife, looking ove her shoulder.
"Yes-no-that is, -" he stan
: mered. a cold sweat beading his for,
I head.
Q The visitor had resumed her ghostl
4 walk.
. Dear Alick," said Katharine, c;
ressinPlv L know Won must ho tire