Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-12-06
Portent of the Shadow.
ev e. MEse.r IN NEW YORK WORLD.

her salt cellars doomed dark as she
s1retciled her neck eagerly n laid an
entreating arm on our guests knee.
The only thing that l ever knew OF
Was-waS hearsay," she said slowly.
at least at the beginning"
knew she would tell her story. and
1 knew she had never before told IT,,
n l knew she was only telling IL now
because she was proud and this seemed
the only way to pay for the fire and
the cocoa and the aying Of that thin
arm u her neck.
Don't tell it," I said suddenly. II
know you'd rather not"
II dare say it would bore you.'' she
said meekly; and the Youngest of us,
who. after all, did not understand
everything, glared resentfully at me.
We should just love it," she said.
do tell US. Never min II 1. isn't a
real proper fixed up story. I'm certain
anything you think ghostly would be
quite too beautifully horrid for any
thing"
Miss Fastwick finished her cocoa and
reached up to set the cup on the man
tlepiece.
1T can't do any HARM" she said. half
10 herself. they don't believe in ghosts,
and 1t wasn't exactly a ghost. either
And they're all over 20-they.re not
babies" There was q breathing time
OF hush and expectancy. The fire.
cracked n the gas suddenly Jared
higher because the billiard lights had
been put out. We heard the steps and
voices of the men going along the cor
| ridors,
1T Is really hardly worth telling"
Miss Eastwick said. doubtfully. shad-
Ing her faded face from the fire with
her thin hand.
dol"
Well she said. go years ago-and
more than that had two friends. and
i ioved them more than ANYTHING in
inc world. And they married each 9TH
err"
She paused. and 1 knew Just in what
way she had loved each Of them. The
Youngest of us said. How awfully nice
for you. Do go on."
She patted the youngest's shoulder.
n / was glad that 1 had understood
what the youngest of all hadn't. She
| went on.
well, after they were married T
didn't see much of them for a wear or
two. mt then he wrote and asked me
10 come and stay. because his wife was
III. and ] should cheer her up. and
cheer him up as well. for 1t was a
growing gloomy, too"
knew as She spoke that she had
every line of that letter by heart.
We'll. 1 went. The address was in
Lee. near London, as in those DAYS
there were streets n streets of new
via houses growing up round old
brick mansions standing in their own
grounds. with red walls round. YOU
know, and a sort of flavor of coachine
days and post chaises and B%lackheath
highwaymen about them. He had said
n house was gloomy. and 1t was
called The Frs and / IMAGINED INV
cab going through a dark, Winding
shrubbery and drawing up In front Of
one OF those sedate old square houses.
Instead, we drove up in front of n large
smart villa, with iron ratings. CAV. en-
caustic tiles leading from the iron gate |
for shrubbery only a few stunted cy-
presses and abucas in the tiny front
garden. But inside 1t was all warm and
welcoming. He met ne at the door,"
She was gazing into the fire, and /
kneW she nad forgotten us. But the
II was to us she was telling her story. +
met me at the door," she said
again, and thanked me for coming /
and asked me to forgive the past !
What past" said that high priestess
Oh me inapropos,. the youngest of all.
hadn't invited me before, or some
thing" said Miss Eastwick worriediy.
But its a very dull story, I ind, after
all. and
do go on" I said. Then I kicked
the youngest OF us and got up to re-
arrange Miss Eastwick's shaw. and
said In blatant dumb show. over the /
shawled shoulders:
Shut up. you little idiot"
After another silence the housekeep-
er's new voice went on:
They were very glad to see me and /
l was very glad to be there. You eirls
now have such troops Of friends. hut /
these two were all I had-all I had ever
had. Mabel wasn't exactly III. only
weak n exc1table. I thought he
seemed more i'll than she did. She went
TO bed early, and before she went she
asked me to keep him company through
nus last pipe. 90 we went into the dim
q room ana sat In the two armchairs
on each side Of the fireplace. they
were covered with green leather, I re-
memDer There were bronse groups Of
horses q q black marble clock on the
mantlepiece-aM wedding presents. He
poured u some whisky for himseif.
but he hardly touched Il. He 81
looking Into the hre. AZ last I said: /
.. v Wna ns wrons7 Mabel looks ~ well
He said, Yes, but I don't know from
one day 70 another that she won't be-
GIN to notice something wrong. Thet's
why I wanted you 60 come. You were
always - sensible and strong minded.
and tke Q little bud or
Il said. sYes, OF course ana waited
Tor him TO 60 ON. I thought he musf
OK n debt or In trouble o. some tort.
90 ! Just waited. Presently he said:
Margaret, this u Avery peculiar
nonse'-he alweys called me Harearet;
I told him ! thought tke house vas
very pretty and fresh ana homelike-
only Q little too new-but that mutt
would mend with time. He said: