The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1908-02-13

trust you now" she said with re-
strained eagerness, with any secret
had-I would trust you toto tie ut
termostr'
THANK You, Eunice," he answered
gravely. On 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 it has been your secret read
Ing that has made Of you such an
anomaly in the midst of these Morning
ttars. Living among them. but never
IF them, your real life has been spent
b the world of fiction and history AMI
poetry. Yes" he nodded. 81 begin to
see daylight now"
AS a psychologist he felt an almost
exciting interest in her as case to be
studied, wiz her peculiar mental
equipment 0: :, really extensive knowl-
edge of lite:.,'.,-.'.'. combined with an
absolute IGN. of actual life, and
the an'cct::o.:: y c...otional side OF
her natt:.a lc:t ;..,>:,r dormant.
"Wili yoI t., NC" she timidly urged.
"whc-her .! have been told the stoT.'
Of this room? I know there is a story
connected with it, but it has always
been kept from me-"
Although Einr0ss held it to be an
old fogy notion that girl should be
guarded from ali knowledge of evil.
yet he had an instructive aversion 70
pouring into the ears Of this childlke
maiden the story Of the crime which
Mrs. Morningstar had related to him.
On second thoughts, however, why
should he hesitate when she had
nerves steady enough to meet a ghost
and will so firm that in all these
years she had kept the secret of her
| surreptitious reading, unconsciously
| educating herself thereby possibly far
beyond what many a girl gained from
q systematic schooling? Surely the girl
had trace" hack of her, with her cour-
age to face ghost. her love Of books
SO strong as to overcome obstacles that
would have daunted any ordinary
character and her native refinement Of
thought and instinct which he felt in
her presence so keenly.
But he bethought him of another
reason why he did not wish to repeat
TO her at once Mrs. Morningstar's tale.
There was the paper he had thrust in
to his pocket at the sound of her step
| In the hall bearing that confession"
Until he had read that he would rath-
| er tell her nothing
evil you wait" he begged her, "and
let me think it over first before l tell
added as he saw her look Of disap-
pointment, that l hold your welfare
sacred and that in asking you to wait
do what seems to me to be for your
good"
He was surprised at the glow which
irradiated her countcnance at his
words. She was so unused to being
considered, he reflected. that mere
tone Of kindness called forth all the
latent brightness of her soul. Little
did he dream how his words sang in
her ears, 81 hold your welfare sacred"
and that the music of the spheres
could not have seemed to her more
since that night on the terrace her
I heart had been heavy with the knowl-
edge that he loved Georgiana.
81 will wait" she said, an unwon*ed
thrill in her voice that held him with
Its spell. until you are ready to tel,
me-"
A disturbing possibility had suddenly
occurred to him. Surely If that con
fession' amounted to anything Eunice
would herself have found it out He
had supposed that he had come upon
discovery, and he felt pang Of dis
appointment as he realized the prob
ability of his having been mistaken.
"Those books on the top shelf, those
Balzacs," he suddenly said, "they were
the only books l found dusty. All, Of
course" he added, you don't read
French; that's it!'
Then perhaps, after all, she had
never seen this paper in his breast
pocket-eXtra ordinary, indeed, if dur
Ing all these years the secret of her
history should have thus been within
her reach and yet escaped her. A de-
sire came to him to take it out and
read it with her, but he thought better
Of it,
"You know nothing really of your
self-your name, your origin, your life
before you were left here with the
Morningstars:'
A pensive droop to her lips as she
shook her head was her answer. After
a moment she looked up at him, her
eyes almost solemn as she spoke.
"You say it is for my good that you
withhold for the time what you know
of this ROOM 1t is, then. as have often
suspected, bound up in some way with
my life?"
He hesitated an instant. "Let US not
speak of it just yet, Eunice."
"Very WE'LL" she acquiesced gently.
II have so often wished" she added,
that, if inanimate things can really
take on impressions from the lives Of
the people that use them and after
ward give out those impressions, this
place would speak to me of its his
toryv'
1t was not to be wondered at that
her ideas were thus fantastic, he
thought. The effect of her desultory
reading upon one who lived life as
{co1o fo1 from, ho x,orld nc n y,rn,o ond