Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-01-28


10 YOU"
ABE keeps a jealous watch upon
me-" she said without looking up.
"Abe? Abe be hanged!
"And then," she added, her head
sinking a little lower, 81 would not
wish to obtrude myself when all your
mind must be occupied with-with the
girl you said you loved"
"What?" he asked, puzzled. "Oh, you
refer to the stately Georgiana| He
laughed. "Georgiana also be-blessed,
I should say. tell you. Eunice, the
one and only thing | have desired
since last talked with you has been
to 60 on with that talk"
"Let us go on with it now" she said.
deep contcntment radiating from her
at his words.
"All right" He relaxed and leaned
back more comfortably In his own
chair. resting his forehead on his fin.
gers and looking as complacently sat
lsfed as she did.
"But first" she said timidly, II
would ask promise Of you"
"Yes. Eunice."
"Wil you not betray to Mr.. or Mrs.
Morningstar that you saw me here|
"Why don't you wish them to
know" he asked, feeling his compla-
cency disturbed by her apparent cow
ardice.
"They would be very angry"
"Why need you care for that?'
"But they would stop my coming In
the future have kept them from
knowing these many years"
"These many years? You have been
| in the habit of coming to this room:"
every night for many years"
"Ahaw he exclaimed. "Then you are
the ghost! The pickering light seen
at the windows by passersby Is your
candlew
"Yes."
"What did you come for?"
"To read"
He sat upright in his chair. "For
many years you have been reading the
books in this room"
"Yes."
He stared at her for an instant
spellbound with astonishment. Then
he sank back in his chair. fitting to.
gether the tips of his fingers a habit
of his when trying to think things out.
81 see," lie said slowly. II see."
He asked her a question abruptly.
"Why would The Morningstars stop 1t
II they knew
"They would think 1t made me less
strong to work for DEMONSTRATING up at
night. You will not tell them?' she
repeated anxiously.
"Of course shall not tell-that goes
without saying, child. But" he asked
curiously, "were you never afraid to
come here-knowing the place was
haunted?"
81 had great fear. But my longing to
read the books was even greater"
"Your refusal to tell me the other
evening how You came by the few
books you had read-yOu were afraid
/ might betray you!'
always the great dread has been
upon me Of having this only pleasant
thing in my life taken away from me.
| II has made me cautious. But would
trust YOU now," shs said with re-
strained eagerness, with any secret
had-I would trust you toto the ut
termost"
THANK you, Eunicc." he answered
graveiy. an odd feeling Of pleasure
stirring in his heart
He drew himself up ana leaned to.
ward the bookcase. examining In the
light of his new knowledge their titles.
$50 then 1t has been your secret read.
ing that has made of you such an
anomaly I'm the midst Of these Morning.
stars. Living among them. but never
of them. your real life has been spent
I'm the world of fiction and history and
poetry. Yes" he nodded. 81 begin to
see daylight now"
AS psychologist he felt an almost
exciting interest IN her as case to be
studied, with her peculiar mental
equipment of really extensive knowl-
edge of literature, combined with an
absolute ignorance of actual life, and
the affcctional and emotional side OF
her nature left utterly dormant.
"Will you tell me-" she timidly urged,
whether you have been told the story
of this room? / know there Is story
connected with 1t, but 1t has always
been kept from me-"
Although Kinross held 1t to be an
old fogy notion that n girl should be
guarded from all knowledge OF evil.
yet he had an instructive aversion to
pouring into the ears Of this childlike
maiden the story Of the crime which
Mrs. Morningstar had related to him.
fro BE CONTINUED