Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-09-05

find herself mistaken. While she
was ready to deal with .sinship him.
self, she had not counted on finding
herself face to face with the women
of his family. But no! she was not
mistaken 1t was the door. The
card on vt bore the name 'Winship !"
She was half inclined to turn away,
when high-pitched quavering voice
arrested her, attention.
i Thank you, Marah, dear. That's
very nice-very comforting"
The enunciation had that slow, en-
!phatic distinctness which belongs to
aged persons Of strong will. Paula
was about to ring, when the voice be,
gan reciting in loud, clear, tremb-
ling monotone:
Lead, kindly Light, amid the enci'.
cling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;
4 The night is dark and l am far from
4 home
Lead Thou me on.
, Keep Thou my feet; l do not ask to
The distant scene; one step enough
for me-"
i Zone step enough for me-one step
enough for me-" the voice repeate !,
softly, like an echo, and Paula sum
moned up force to ring.
\ There was second or two of bust
ling movement within, and then the
door was opened.
For brief instant Paula hesitated,
in surprise She had expected ser
want Of some sort, and held her card
halfdrawn from her card-case, in her
hand Before her she saw little,
gray-haired lady, with swapping black
eyes and face that might have be-
tokened any of the complex shades
from cynical kindness to testing
severity. Everything about her was
austerely simple, from the parting of
her gray lair to the falling of her
black gown, covered up just now, with
a huge white apron like pinafore.
Paula had minute of feeling herself
very tall and very much overdressed.
SIS Mr.. Winship at home she
managed to ask at last.
"If you'll be good enough to come
in, I'll see"
The voice was hard, the utterance
crisp, and the smile that accompanies
the words had the bright flash of win
ter sunlight.
} Marah Winship led the way in, with
: a quick, awkward motion that be-
spoke nature too busy to think OF
, grace Paula followed and after a
step or two stood still, with another
slight shock of surprise.
1t was not like going into any house
she had ever visited. There was nc
hallway or anteroom or vestibule. On
crossing the threshold she passed at
once into the full domestic life Of tbs
family. She had entered an immense
harnlike apartment. which was ev'
IDENTIFY studio and living-room in one
The floor was bare, except for few
of the commoner sorts of Orienta
rugs. The walls were hung with II
ordinary dark-red stuff which formed
background for the unframed
sketches-portraits landscapes ant
architectural drawings-pinned VI
" here and there against it. At the ia
: end of the room there was an ease
. on which the work was covered VI
l with a loosely thrown cloth. couple
of lay-tigures stood in grotesque attl
tudes in corner, while near then
, was an open grand piano of old-fash
toned make. 1t was only vagnel,
: that Paula took these details in, TO
. after the first glance her eyes were
: drawn to tall figure seated quit
near her, in high, thronelike chair.
5 Paula knew at once that this wal
: the woman who had done battle will
/ her father, until he had been oblige!
= 'to club her down." The immediate
9 impression was that of a person sit
;. ting very still and erect, her fee
i planted firmly on a red cushion, an
( large volume-evidently Bible
in raised letters, open on her knees
4 Over the while hair a lace scarf Q
3 beautiful design. came to a point o.
n the forehead and fell in lappets +
r. the shoulders. The severity of tn
d black gown was relieved by fichu Q
e soft white stuff, fastened on tb
It breast with a large oldfashione
# brooch set with emeralds. Clearly
e. the face had been handsome one.
II and even haunty; but now all tina
y had been passionate or self-willed j
d it was subdued by time and sorrow il
" to sweetness. There was no colo
D. there at all-only the waxlike tran:
n parency of the aged. AS Paula ente
L. ed, the sightless eyes were raised t.
r. wards her, as If with one more u.s.
g. less, piteous attempts to pierce tn
h darkness
e Marah Winship had allowed Paul
a to stand still a moment and gaze.
was one of her rare bits of pleasure
p that instant when stranger behei
'e her mother for the first time and b
e. trayed his astonished admiration.
e was the old maids only coquetry;
A. was all that remained of the vivacit
~ and pride that had been hers in tn
N days before the family disaster
5 When ruin overlook them, she gay
Is up once and forever all impossib
re hopes for herself She had not bee
Sc without a young woman's love
n happy trifes; nor without pleasa1
re vague anticipation of home, wit
re children of her own; nor without tt
10 half-shy, halfrapturous thought thu
ol If a certain one of the young me-
- with whom she danced during the wi
ter season in Boston ever asked he
e it would not be in vain. But whe
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