Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-06-24

I'VE never use this room," young
Dallas said ct 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. It went by the name OF
the Tower Room from its situation, and
was isolated from the rest of the house
by q little spiral staircase.
1T was my mothers favOrite room, +"
Dallas said, dropping his voice, "and
when she died my father shut 1t up,
and would have nothing in 1t dis
turbed. 1t must have been q charming
little room when 1t was IN use. You
see 1t has a magnificent view. My
mother was a good artist, and she used
to paint up here"
Carmichael shiYered a little, though
1t was a warm summers day.
1T feels and looks like a grave" he
said. IL don't know anything more pa
thetic than room like this, filed with
mementoeS of the dead. 1t brings the
thing home to one far more than any
tomb IN a churchyard. II it 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
a book open on the chair!"
Eyes, 1t Is dreadfully sad and depres-
sing. 1 very seldom come here; my
father never does. 1 thought l had
better tell you about it, now you are
looking round, as 1t Is a forbidden
topic downstairs. We never refer to
this room or to my mother in any way.
Ny father seems to feel his loss as
much now as he did twenty years ago"
You hardly remember your mother,
l SUPPOSED"
Every little. l was too young at the
time. But l seem to know her well, 1
have thought OF her and pictured her
lonely child, and l used to lie In the
hall and look at her portrait by the
hour together. There is sketch of
her here, but 1 do not like that as
we'll"
Carmichael stepped softly inside the
room-it felt like entering church
and locked at the drawing that hung on
the wall 1t was a half-finished por-
trait OF woman Of about twenty-eight,
dainty, fragile, suggesting the grace
and brilliance OF a butterfly, but the
eyes were a little hard, the mouth petu-
liant. Carmichael was reminded of a
spoilt child who has tired OF It's toys.
How did she die?" he asked gently.
Death seemed such an homogeneous
thing for that brilliant creature She
was palpitating with life from head to
foot. She was looking out for fresh
worlds to conquer.
I'm a railway accident. The first I'm
timation my father had that anything
was wrong was q telegram saying that
she was among the dead. You can
Imagine what n terrible shock it was.
lie has never got over it. l don't won
der 1t made him what he is-stern and
hard and unapproachable. He shut
himself up with his trouble. and would
have neither sympathy nor consola-
tiol''
Carmichael had not seen his friends
father before, and he looked at him
wi,h Interest when they met at dinner.
lie saw a 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 it. The eyes were almost I'M
naturally bright and searching. The
whole face. stern and hard though IL
was. looked young because OF the life
sSud restlessncss In 1t. There was none