The Prescott daily news., 1907-08-28
A WOMAN'S 1; CURIOSITY; !;
pv coRNELIA REDMOND
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1,UCoOvriSht. by Joseph B. Bowles.)


 mar had been visiting some friends
 .- tbe western part of the state and
 .. m my way to join my mother at
 uttle place on the coast of Maine.
 uv brother Fred was in possession Of
 .h. town house, and thought l would
 s,on there for the purpose of putting .ome necessary repairs on my ward l robe. Fred was very glad to see me, but hsfore had been in his presence half an hour I had noticed that he was strangely preoccupied. and altogether quite unlike his usual laughing self. He tried at first to evade my ques- lions but ended by confessins all. It
 WAS as I had suspected; he was in
 love Of course, the object of his ado
 ration was young, beautiful and clever.
 was obliged to listen patiently to Isnathy eulogy on her perfections be-
 fore I could extract any definite facts
 in regard to her. I finally learned
 that Fred had met her early in the
 summer while on visit to an old
 college chum who had a place some
 where on Long Island. The young
 lady in question was a friend of the chum's wife. and happened to be stay ing with them at the same time. 1 gradually drew from my brother that he had repeated his visit to his
 friends place more than once, and
 that he had since made flying trips to Lake George. where the young lady had gone for the remainder of the summer.
 q wish you could meet her. Alice" he said. enthusiastically; "1 am sure you two would just suit one another. By the way, her brother is boarding next door. Nice fellow. I visit him quite often of an evening in his top story front room. He has pretty pic ture of her on his writing table" and the young man laughed softly to him. self Helen is her name" he added, presently, Helen Preston. I don't think have told you before. Pretty name don't you think so?"
 Of course. l agreed.
 That evening Fred told me that he had an engagement with MT. Preston which he could not very we'll break. and asked me If would mind being left alone for couple of hours. I told him not to think of me for a moment, for with Mary. our old cook in the kitchen. I should have not the slight est fear
 As he left me l watched him from the front window. He sprang lightly up the steps of the next house, from whence l saw him emerge in a few moments accompanied by a man taller than himself. The two started up the brothers tall friend with my eyes un- til he was lost to view in the deepen ing twilight. for like all little women l have always had a fancy for big men.
 Then 1 began to think how I should pass the evening It was too warm to light the gas and settle down to any regular occupation, and it was too early to go to bed. Finally remember ing what I had heard that the people in tenement houses do on warm even lngs, l sought the roof top, where. to my delight, a faint breeze was to be felt.
 l sat down with my back against tall brick chimney and began to count the stars as they appeared one by one. l very soon exhausted this occu- patton, or rather the occupation very soon exhausted me, and then my thoughts drifted back to all that my brother had been telling me about the girl to whom he had lost his heart. UT course he thought her pretty and all that but I wondered whether l should think her so. I wished very much that I could have just one look It her face, and then-oh! wretched moment! my wandering gaze fell upon he open scuttle-way of the next house, and in an instant the words top story front room-pretty picture 'n writing table" flashed through my mind.
 l arose quickly and made my way 'cross the next roof to the opening. | The hall into which looked was dim. y lighted, and I could see that the loor Of the front room was ajar. There vas not sound to be heard, and 1t seemed to me that 1t would be such ln easy matter to run down the steps. rave look at my possible sister-in- aw, and return by the same way with ut any one being the wiser. In an 'ther moment I had started on my wild venture.
 could hear voices from below, as
 slowly descended step by step, but ne upper part of the house was evi- enflX dQaarfad | nanhx,d .,nor, th, l