The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-02-29
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Double House
(Oo1yrishk lsll, b. Associased Literary Press
By Virginia Blair

(OoSgrisht lsll. By Associased Literary Prsss.>
Mrs. Brinkley came over with .
hatch Of bread for Stephen Strong.
Il should think you'd get married.
she said, daringly.
Stephen smiled at her. "How many
times have you said that to me, Mrs.
Brinkley?"
II shall say it until you give me
IN answer"
3 :, "All that is over for me-" bitterly.
Mrs. Brinkley turned and faced
him. you've never forgotten Mary
DEAN"
Nobody had spoken to Stephen Of
Mary Dean since, ten years ago, she
had Tilted him.
His head went up, but he smiled
sadly, as Mrs. Brinkley laid her
wrinkled hand over his big brown
one. Il want to see you happy" she
said softly.
"Oh, I am happy, and I'm getting
to be very good housekeeper."
He carried the situation of 80
lightly that she had nothing else to
say, but when she reached the door
she turned and asked sharply, IF
Mary should come back, what then!"
Stephen stared at her. He had
never ) thought of that. He had
planned his future with reference
only to his bachelor needs.
"a - $h@ In
Brinkley. and when he came back the
loneliness of his big double house
struck him with a chill. Stephens
mother had been with him until her
death, and she and her son had lived
10 the newer part. The older wing,
furnished quantity in the style Of
early Victorian days, was open only
once a year when Mrs. Brinkley
supervised the cleaning and airing.
It was Mrs. Brinkley's neighborli-
ness which had made it possible for
Stephen to live alone. He loved her
not only for herself, but because she
had always been friend of Mary
Dean.
Yet she had never dared speak to
him as she had spoken today. He
went about his tasks furiously, try
ing to put out Of his head the thought
of his humiliation and consequent SUI
fering
Outside, it was a night of wind
and of storm. Within, fire burned
on the hearth, and a cat purred in
the warmth and glow. Stephen made
q cup of coffee for himself and gave
the cat some meat and a dish Of milk.
In younger manhood Stephen had not
cared for cats, but now there was
of comfort in the presence
of this gentle, white creature.
L He sat long over the fire that night
The door was shut be-
tween his portion of the house and
the empty rooms. Suddenly he sat
up startled. 1t seemed to him that
somewhere, family, he heard the
rustic of woman's dress.
He rubbed his hands across his
eyes. He must have fallen asleep.
md the swish Of the rain on the win
dows had caused the illusion.
He rose, lighted a lamp and went
to bed. He left the cat on a cushion
on the hearth. He thought he heard
the click of latch. 1T is the wind"
he said to himself, and fell asleep.
In the morning when he went
down the cat was still on the cushion
on the hearth rug, but there was
else on the rug-a little
fine square of white linen.
Stephen picked up the handker-
chief and stared at it; then he looked
at the cat. If only she could speak
what would she tell?
It was while he was still standing
there that Mrs. Brinkley came run
ming over. Were you in the other
part of your house last night?" she
demanded breathlessly
"No." 1nstinctively Stephen hid
the little handkerchief in his big
hands.
There was a faint Pickering
light" Mrs. Brinkley said, Tin one Of
the upper rooms"
you must have been dreaming"
II couldn't have BEEN" Mrs. Brink
ley insisted, for l called Mr.. Brinkley
up to look at it."
Dear Mrs. Brinkley," Stephen
asked. "who would come into that
unheated place on such a night?"
WELL" Mrs. Brinkley said, de-
cidedly, IF believed in ghost Il
should say that it was ghost, and,
anyhow, it gave me an awful fright"
Stephen switched her from the sub
ject by inquiring tactfully about a
certain chocolate cake which she had
promised to bake for him, and pres
emily she flew homeward to beat up
and bake.
When she had gone Stephen stood
still in the middle of the floor.
We've got to look into this. pussy
cat" he said. to the little cat
( He went to a drawer and took out
q big key and inserted it softly in
the lock of the dividing door. A
blast of chill. damp air struck him.
He shivered and went on. It was a
ghostly place, with the gray winter