Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1908-05-21

taSe inside was the curious distinctive
smell OF a country sitting room. A red
patterned cloth covered the table, and
upon ii stood some flowers stuck down
tightly into Il gilt china vase. n tiy-resi
Of colorcd paper hung from the ceiling,
and there were some Framed chromos ON
the walls. A brilliant stove. pushed back
against one OF the windows. stood on a
salver of embossed tim The room was
frankly hideous, convncingly ho,nelike.
Not until Miss Conyers came TO a pause
inside the doorway could she see The
speaker, an angular, middle-aged woman.
wedged with pillows into big rocking
chair She had her face toward the door.
Her hands. knotted and work hardened.
were clasped with an awkward effect of
| patience upon her lap. In the frequent
wistful turns OF her head upon the chintz
pillow could be read tale of enforced
Ihelplessness. She looked The stranger up
and down with shrewd, eager scrutiny.
You didn't git morn few drops. did
you?" she began at once. Her eyes were
keenly studying the folds OF the dainty
French muslin gown. II watched you go
past the house while ago, an thought
| then. There, it's comm on to rain. AN
she amt got umbrella along. made
sure you'd git a good drenchin' fore you
got back. "
Miss Conyere smiled
II nearly did. i ran for the nearest shell
ter when ! saw it coming. was going
20 ask ii | could wait on your porch tin
the shower was over
II guess Ill see folks standin' on my
| porch while I've got a cheer to offer en-"
| The pain-lined face curved unexpectedly.
I'VE aiut quite destitute here yit! Stayin.
over the village, amt you
AT the hotel With quiet tact Miss
Conyeis had fetched one of the stiff
backed chairs from against the wall and
sat down. I've never been in this part
before It's very pretty.
II knew you were q visitor. I've
watched you goin' by here sometimes.
| You drove by here with gentleman last
| Sunday, in one of Haynes buggies
aouse. through the door there That $
now ! saw you comm today.
/ The screen door framed, in fact. a com
plete little vista of the street outside
From her chair this middle aged prisone,
Gould watch day by day a detailed portion
Of the world beyond her doorstep
II take real pleasure noticin' people
4 amt always been as helpless as this--only
since last March, My daughter. Ida, she
,ome back then. She'd bin away from
i nome goin three years First thin;
She said was: Now. as soon as the wealth
AZ gifts settled I'm soin to move you in
10 the front room so 5 you can bit of
averythin. goes ON An here she fixes
mo Wy, every afternoon.
Miss ConNer's eyes rested on the shre,yd
patient face The slight, happy change OF
voice, AN unconscious difference of int!ec.
lion, had not escaped her
You mus. have been glad to get youl
laughter back. she said.
Il guess was, She came right ava,
As soon as she heard Jest left everythin
an come. She's an artist. what they call
don't mean paintin" Miss Comynr.
nodded. She acts. Shes Travelled prett,
we'll all over the country, actin. Mayb,
youv e seen her sometime wouldn't q
bit wonder
Perhaps ! have What is her Nance"
Ida l6assett. but She took the name o
Conyers. Miss Helen Conyers because sh.
.aid IL was better'n usin Jest her owl
name. up in the city. The papers spok.
awful We'll of her. She cut out most o.
the notices am sent EN- back to me
There's quite big book OF en- I've got.
There was ii genuine interest in the yis
tors face as she said: Indeed. may / 81,
them? You say she plays under the nam,
oil iiclen GonNers?
"ConNers yes. Thets the book owe
There, on the stand in the corner You'll
hey To cNc,ise me. cant move around
blu: maybe you wouldn't mind gittin' it FIJI
me? On the bottom shelf. You'd be inter
estcd to see IT..
II certainly shouid.'
Miss Conyers moved wonderngly to tn
little vanished stand while the woman
quick glance directed her almost inpa
tiently She found the book, "A cheal
scrap album bound in red, and brought i
back.
The thin fingers closed on ii eagerly
Watching she could see how the com
mon place face lit up
Maybe you've seen herr"
. "NoI don't remember; 1 may have"
81 guess you'd remember eff you eve
had There-it begins right there. The
was the first she ever sent. l pasted en-
all in, jest as they came
They bent over the book together tn
gray, faded head and the dark one u1lde
the fashionable summer hat. The eide
woman watched the young one closely, al
, most Jealously, as she slowly read dow
, the first page of her own press notices.
Don't you call that grand? An She
only %. Tibet was wrote about her tn
very arst winter she was away"