Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-05-19
CHAPTER II.-lContinued. J

and he went up stairs. returning pres
emily, carrying a small basket filled
with keys.
These are yours, my daughter" he
said. and waved his hand with a little
touch Of manner.
"Oh. so many!" She poured the keys
upon the table There were half a
hundred of them, Of many kinds and
sizes: and they were all tagged with
little bits Of ivory, on which their sew
eraI uses were written clearly in ink.
Your mother was very methodical-
very painsta king"
He shook his head and turned to the
fire, as though to hide anw shor Of
feeling.
Zelda was turning the keys over in
her hand and she did not look at him.
a mist had come into her eyes She
remembered the dark woman who had
been so gentle and patient with her
childhood They used to walk togeth-
er in the old pasture; and they carried
their books to a seat that had been
built under a great beech where her
mother read the quaint tales and old
ballads that were her delight These
We're the only happy memories she
had kept Of her mother-the times un-
was not associated.
''Tr.s sure it's your time to go to bed,
father You mustn't let me break IN
on your ways" Zelda walked over to
him and put her hands on his Shout
ders L want to be very good to you,
father; and l know We'll live here very
happily. You won't mind me much
when you get used to mel"
She touched his forehead with her
lips.
Thank you, thank you"-and there
was a helpless note in his voice.
She turned away from him quickly,
restored the keys to the basket and
ran with it to her room.
The next morning she was down to
his o'clock breakfast in the cold, for
bidding dining room. She was very
gay and made him talk a great deal to
her He had been up for an hour nj
work in the barn, where he cared for
his own horse. He carried the morn
ing newspaper to the table, as he had
done for years.
This will never do, father! You
must talk to me and help me to learn
the American breakfast habit I'll be
lonesome if you read at the table,
His thoughts seemed far away; he
had long been out Of practice in the
amenities and graces, and the morning
had brought him once more face 10
face with this change in his life The
place across the table had been empty
for so many years that he resented the
appearance there of this slender dark
gfr!, pouring his coffee with an ease
t.at puzzled and even touched him.
There had been another girl like her,
in the long ago, and this was her
child The resemblance between moth
er and daughter was so marked that
ne grew. uneasy as he pondered it; he
made a pretense of holding up his
newspaper to shut out the girl, and
when he dropped it Zelda was waiting
for him. her elbows on the table, her
hands clasped under her chin.
"Oh. pardon mel" he exclaimed, ris-
ing hastily
AS she helped him into his overcoat
her hand touched a hammer he car
ried in his pocket with a miscellaneous
assortment of nails. for use in repair
ing the small properties he owned in
many parts of town, and she drew the
implement forth and inspected it at
arms length.
why, father! What on earth is
this?"
The nails jingled, and she made q
dive into the pocket and drew forth a
handful.
why. you've forgotten to empty
your pockets! You mustn't go about
with this hardware in your clothes"
He reached for the things, little
shamefacedly.
You don't understand. 1 need them
to make trihing repairs, you know"
che r>s,f he n in ha -
intp his pockets, still laughing at him.
II must go about with you. l can
carry the hammer Maybe you will let
me drive a nail once in a while, if l
am good"
He drew out a faded silk handker-
chief and began twisting it about his
throat. but Zelda took it from him and
adjusted it carefully under his coat
collar; and she brushed his old brown
derby hat with whisk broom that
lay on the hall table.
re suffered her minstTations with
his patient smile, into which he tried
10 throw something of a look of pride;
and when she had set the hat square
II on his head, she drew back and re-
garded him critically and then kissed
him on the cheek
Now be sure to come home tC
luncheon always. You didn't come
Yesterday and it was lonely l must
get Polly to show me the way to th5
grocery. l don't intend to let her bt
the boss. I'm sure she's been abusing
YOU an these years.
"Oh. in time YOU will come to it
Polly will do very WELL and yol
ougstn't to be bothered with sucI
things. II usually buy the grocerie.
myself One of my tenants is a gro
Ger aud-and-he does a little bettel
for me-"
ron. to lie sure. You must do it ii
your own way, father" There was
note of disappointment in her voice
and he would have liked to concedt
something to her, but he did not know
how.
She roamed idly about the house
going finally to the kitchen. where tn,
colored woman told her that order,
for the remaining meals of the da,
had been given by her father. Poll,
viewed Zelda with admiration, but sh,
did not ask advice, and Zenda contiu.
ued her wapderings going finally Il
the attic with the key basket
The place was pitch dark when sh,
threw open the door. and as there wa.
no way of lighting it, she went dowr
and brought several old candlesticgu
from the parlor. The attic was a grea
low room extending over the who'll
Of the house. 1t was upholstered. Box
IS and barrels abounded. Bunches o
herbs long dried and garden tool
huns here and there; in a corner a
old saddle was suspended by one stir
rup Pieces of furniture covered wit
cloths were distributed under tn
caves, their draperies heavy with dus
and the light of the candles save ther
a spectral appearance.
There were several trunks of he
mothers clothing and Zelda peered in
TO these bravely. Her mother had ar
ranged them thus shortly before he
death The girl was touched by thei
nice order: they We're folded man