The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1912-05-03
His
Double House
BY Yirainia Blair
(oopyrisht, lsil, y Associaied Litoraly Press

batch of bread for Stephen Strong.
Il should think you'd get married
she said, daringly
Stephen smiled at her How man!
times have YOU said that to me, Mrs
Brinkley2"
q shall say it until you give ms
an answer.
IAN that is over for me-" bitterly
Mrs. Brinkley turned and face
him. You've never forgotten Mary
Dean2"
Nobody had spoken to Stephen o.
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. 81 want to see you happy" she
said softly
"oh, l am happy. and I'm getting
TO be very good housekeeper."
He carried the situation OFF so
lightly that she had nothing else TO
say, but when she reached the door
she turned and asked sharply, III
Mary should come back, what them"
Stephen stared at her. He had
never thought of that He had
planned his future with reference
only to his bachelor needs.
He walked to the gate with Mrs.
Brinkley. and when he came back the
loneliness OF his big double house
struck him with chill Stephens
mother had been with him until her
death, and she and her son had lived
iu the newer part, The older wing,
furnished quantity in the style Of
early Victorian days. was open only
once year when Mrs Brinkley
supervised the cleaning and airing
1t was Mrs. Brlnkley's neighborii-
ness which had made II 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 suf-
ferinS
Outside, it was night of wind
and of storm Within, fire burned
on the hearth. and cat purred in
the warmth and glow Stephen made
a cup of coffee for himself and gave
the cat some meat and dish OF milk
In younger manhood Stephen had not
cared foi cats. but now there was
something of comfort in the presence
of this gentle, white creature.
He sat long over the fire that night
dreaming. The door was shut be
tween his portion of the house and
the empty rooms Suddenly he sat
up startled It seemed TO him that
somewhere. family, he heard the
rustic OF womans dress.
He rubbed his hands across his
eyes. He must have fallen asleep,
and 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 a 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
something 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. Ii only she could speak
what would she tell?
1t 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" Instinctively Stephen hid
the little handkerchief in his big
hands
There was a faint Pickering
light" Mrs. Brinkley said. Sin one of
the upper rooms"
"You must have been dreaming"
a couldn't have been" Mrs. Brink
ley insisted, ''for called Mr. Brink!cy
up 10 look at IT,"
Dear Mrs, Brinkley," Stephen
asked. who would come into that
unheated place on such a night?"
We'll" Mrs. Brinkley said, de-
cidedly. eff / believed in ghost Il
should say that 1t was ghost, and
anyhow, it gave me an awful fright"
Stephen switched her from the sub
feet 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 drawer and took out
big key and inserted It softly in
the lock OF the dividing door. A
blast of chin, damp air struck him
He shivered and went on 1t was
ghostly place. with the gray winter
light sitting through closed blinds
In the parlor there was no sign of
any living presence. so Stephen as
cended the carpeted stairway and
came TO the landing without having
made sound And It was there he
stopped, listening. Somewhere on
that upper floor someone was cough.
ing, He made his way to the end
roou Az he annroached tho onen