The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-06-11

we never use this ROOM, young
Dallas said. at has been kept shut up
ever since / can remember-for twenty
years, at least"
Why" Carmichael asked, looking
about him with interest
1t was a round room, furnished in
the fashion of years ago; but every
thing was falling to pieces from decay
and neglect. 1t went by the name Of
the Tower Room from its situation, and
was isolated from the resi- Of the house
by little spiral staircase.
ut was my mothers favorite ROOM"
Dallas said, dropping his voice, land
when she died my father shut it up,
and would have nothing in 1t dis
turbed. 1t must have been a charming
little room when 1t was In use. You
zee 1t has a magnificent view. My
mother was good artist, and she used
to paint up here"
Carmichael shivered little, though
1t was warm summers day.
1T feels and looks like a grave" he
said. Il don't know anything more pa
thetic than a room like this, filed with
mementoes Of the dead. 1t brings the
thing home to one far more than any
tomb In a churchyard. If ii were not
for the dust and decay, one might
imagine that your mother had just gone
out and was coming back. Look, there
Is some paint still On that palette and
q book open on the chair,"
"Yes, it is dreadfully sad and depres-
sing. l very seldom come here; my
father never does. l thought l had
better tell you about 1t, now you are
looking round, as it is a forbidden
topic downstairs. We never refer TO
this room or to my mother In any way
My father seems to feel his loss as
much now as he did twenty years ago."
"You hardly remember your mother,
I supposeT
Very little. / was too young at the
time. But / seem to know her weN, /
have thought Of her and pictured her
TO myself so often. I was rather
lonely child, and l used TO lie in the
hall and look at her portrait by the
hour together. There is a sketch of
her here, but do not like that as
we'll"
Carmichael stepped softly inside the
room-it felt like entering a church
and looked at the drawing that hung on
the wall. 1t was a half-fnished DOR
trait of woman Of about twenty EIGHT,
dainty, fragile, suggesting the grace
and brilliance Of butterfly, but the
eyes were little hard, the mouth petu-
liant. Carmichael was reminded of a
spoit child who has tired Of Its toys.
How did she dep he asked gently.
Death seemed such an incongruous
thing for that brilliant creature. She
was palpitating with life from head to
foot She was looking out for fresh
worlds to conquer.
"In railway accident The first in
timation my father had that anything
was wrong was a. telegram saying that
she was among the dead. You can
imagine what a terrible shock it was.
He has never got over it. / don't won
der it made him what he is-stern and
hard and unapproachable He shut
himself up with his trouble. and would
have neither sympathy nor consola-
tioa.''
Carmichael had not seen his friends
father before, and he looked at him
with interest when they met at dinner
He saw fine, upright old man, with
snOw-white hair; but the face belied
the bleached locks, 1t was so alive and
alert. There was scarcely anything of
age in 1t. The eyes were almost I'M
naturally bright and searching. The
whole face, stern and hard though 1t
was, looked young because of the life
and restlessness' ii. There was none
of the repose that generally comes
with years.
Mr.. Dallas did not talk more than
courtesy demanded, but what he said
was worth listening TO. II he did not
go much into the world, he kept him
self familiar with its doings by the aid
of books. Carmichael was keenly in
terested in him from the first 1t is
not often, in these half-hearted DAYS.
that a man sorrows for twenty years
he looked about sixty now. That would
make him forty when he lost his wife.
She had been a good deal younger than
he was then. One thing Carmichael
noticed-Mr. Dallas did not like the
dark. As soon as the room began TO
get little shadowy, he had the lamps
lit and the curtains drawn. Carmi-
chael did not often make an impulsive
remark, but he made one then. 1t was
In answer to something Godfrey Ixlllas
said about it being a pity to shut Them
selves up so soon.
you are fond of the night | used
TO be-" he said; "but one wants to be
very young to stop with it long. Now
adays'-with a laugh-'it depresses
me little. 1t seems to be always ask
ing questions to which l have no salts
factory, answers, SO 1 think 1t wiser to