The Lamar register., 1912-01-03
His
Double mouse
By Virginia Blair
,,opyrisht, ISL. ny Associated Ltsray Press.

sre ri n npiy
Stcl'hen smi'sd al her How man,
III $50 on sid that to me Mrs
Brinl lew"
81 shall say it until you give me
an answtr"
AN that in 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
mad 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 a very good tousekeeper
te carried the situation OF so
lightly thai she had nothing else 10
say but when she reached the door
she turned and asked sharply. "lf
Mary should come back. what them
stephen stared at her He had
never thought of that He had
planned his future with reference
pniy 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 a chill Stephens
mpther had been with him until her
death. and she and her son had lived
III 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
u was Mrs Brinkley's neighborli
ness which had made 1t possible for
Stephen to live alone He loved her
not only for herself. but because she
had always been 4 friend Of Mary
Dean.
Yet she had never dared speak 70
him - she had spoken today. He
vent about his tasks furiously. try
ing to put out u his head the thought
OF his humiliation and consequent suf-
ferins
Outside. It was q night OF wind
and Of Etorm. Within. . IRE burned
on the hearth. and q cat purred 10
the warmth and glow. Stephen made
cup VI tohSL III A@hlAoIh a1S Se'R
the cat some meat and q dish Of milk
In younge, 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 IRE that night
dreaming. The door was shut b.
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 q woman's dress.
He rubbed bis hands across his
eyes He must have fallen asleep
dows had caused the illusion
He rose. lighted q lamp and went
to bed He len the cat on a cushion
~ the hearth. He though, he heard
the click Of Q latch 1T il the wind !"
he said to himself. and fell asleep
In the morning when he went
down the cat was still on the cushion
or the hearth rug. but there was
something else on the rug little
fine square Of White linen
Stephen picked up the haudker.
chief and stared 1t It: then he looked
at the cat n only she could speak
what would she tsllf
II was while ~ was still standing
there that Mrs. Brinkley came run
ming over "wsrs you In the other
pat OF your house last night" she
demanded breathlsssly
No Instinoedvely Stephen hid
the little handkerchief In his big
hands
There was Q faint nickering
light" Mrs Brinkley said in one Of
the upper rooms"
You must have been dreaming
Il couldn't have been" Mrs Brink
ley insisted. for called Mr. Brinkley
up to look At u
Dear Mrs. Brinkley." Stephen
asked. who woald come into that
nheated place o. such a nigbt7"
Well" Mrs. Brinkley said. de-
cidedly. IF believed In ghost Z
should say that II was a ghost. and
-ryi ow. 1t gave ne an awful fright 9"
Stephen switched her from the sub
'.ci by inquirins tactfully about a
-arrain chocolate cake which she had
'romised to bake for him. and pres.
entity she few homeward to beat up
md bake.
When she had gone Stephen stood
still in the middle Of the floor