The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1910-10-27

ing Of "batty," but she did recognize
genuine regret in his tone, and faint
interest stirred her like a breeze from
her not distant youth. She glanced
down at the card he had given her
and read the name thereon.
Perhaps you would like to look at
some Of my furniture, Mr.. Laking,
but it Is not for SALE" she said, blush1ng.
Indeed I would" he cried heartily.
"The next thing to seeing the circus is
looking over the fence, you know"
Althea didn't know, for she had
never been to a circus performance,
but she held the door wide open, and
John Laking entered, not knowing
that his coming broke the outer film
Of reserve which had infolded the
sweet woman for many years
The man turned and looked wonder
ingly at the mirror lined walls. When
he saw the multiplied reflections OF
his own form beside that Of his host
ess he smiled with perfect understand
ing of their purpose.
ut doesn't seem quite so lonely, you
know" Althea found herself explain
ing, with slight nod toward the
thronging reflections.
Then followed several delightful
hours, during which Mr.. Laking purred
over Hepplewhite and Sheraton and
pure colonial h1ghboys and cowboys,
sofas, four posters, mirrors, pewter and,
lastly, a goodly hoard of china. He
withdrew his gaze reluctantly from a
precious bit Of copper luster to find
Althea lowering near with a tray
containing bottle and glass and plate
Of fruit cake.
"You must feel the need of refresh
ment," she said t1midly.
He smiled gratefully and thanked
her, hiding his surprise at the label
on the bottle. He poured a glass for
her and filed his own, and then, stand
ing in the dining room with the mirror
lined drawing room stretching beyond
with its throng Of women and gray
clothed men gathered as If waiting
for his action, he lifted his glass and
bowed toward Miss Althea.
ITO all of u.s." he said with grave
courtesy, and as Miss Althea drank
the toast there came into her breast
strange little thrill-a quiyering ex-
pectancy that she had not known in
years.
When John Laking had gone, leav-
ing her quite alone, Althea sank into
one OF the great blue brocaded chairs
in the drawing room and thought over
the events Of the morning. Hours
passed as she sat and dreamed until
the frightening shadows warned her
that she had not lunched nor had she
prepared to dine.
Vexed at this departure from her
usual routine Of decorum, Althea shook
or the glamour Of the unusual day
much as she might have discarded a
gay opera cloak that chance had flung
about her workaday shoulders and
prepared her evening meal.
From that day Althea's life under
went a change. Things happened with
astonishing frequency, and it was sur
prising how quickly Althea Wayne
day following John LaHng's visit he
sent Althea huge box of candy.
gay, foolish box tied up with pale blue
ribbons and filed to the brim with
delicious CONNECTIONS such as she had
never seen. Another day there came
fowers-an the blossoms that she low
ed, and yet she had never told him of
her favor1tes. Then there was q book
on old furniture that he brought him
self, and another one on old china, and
they spent hours reading them and
tracing the genealogy Of Althea's treas
ures.
Once there came a brilliant motor
car, painting breathlessly at the gate
till Althea yentured forth for her first
ride in its luxurious depths. The rec
tor and his wife went along, too, and
they rode down to Squaw Point, where
Laking's beautiful colonial house front
ed the sea. Into this bachelor abode
Althea went with delightful sense Of
expectancy. 1t was all like the owner
clean cut and polished and comfort
able and homelike and appealing.
Back in the Wayne house Althea
felt the desolateness Of her former life
and turned the old place inside out to
obtain new effects. She found herself
puzzling over the inuicacies OF mod
ern fashions, and she marveled at the
growing beauty and elegance Of the
creatures that filed her rooms. They
were no longer pale and Hfeless au-
donations. They bloomed as Althea
did, as the roses. did. in the sun Of
awakening love.
At last Laking wrote his first love
letter to Althea, telling her that he
could not live without her and that he
would come to her that night for his
answer.
In the soft light Of the candles she
stood alone. Her color Was blue, and
the pale folds Of her gown swept to
the rich Turkey carpet She was all
alone at last.
LaHng paused In the doorway and
looked at the bare walls where the