The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-11-06
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.


tells.
"My aunt used always to lock the
door.
Il never understood why.
"And she never told me.
But every night after she had clos
ed the house, shut the shutters, pulled
down the blinds and filled the stove,
she'd go and shut and lock that door.
at was curious thing, too
at was a door that connected the
living and dining rooms
There were no passages, no en-
frances, nothing but just an ordinary
opening in the wall between the two
rooms and an ordinary door with an
ordinary lock and swinging on ordi-
nary hinges.
"In the summer time you ask"
"Well in the summertime she'd do
the same thing, She would go regular
ly from her seat on the front porch at
eight o'clock and lock that door. And
if she wanted to get to the kitchens
and pantries or the garden in the rear
she would go round the house.
Never through.
Yes, she'd 90 into the dining-room
from the rear.
But she wouldn't use that door. At
night of course you understand. In the
day time she made no difference be-
tween that and the other doors.
81 tried to find out the reason.
"She wouldn't tell.
| "Said she hadn't any. That it was
| just a habit. That her mother had al
ways done the same thing and, when
the latter became disabled and confin-
ed above stairs, demanded that she
keep it up.
"And she always had.
"While my aunt was the frankest of
women l felt that she was evasive
Her usually clear glance wavered just
the least microscopic bit. And when
showed disposition to pin her down
she displayed irritation.
Usually she was placid with a mad
dening placidity.
although never as much so after
dark.
| And on a certain night each month
I noticed she changed her usual place
at the right side of the table and far
| thest away from the door to the left
side and near the latter.
"And although she pretended to be
knitting | knew she was listening.
1--WE sat and watched her over the
| top of my hook a half hour at a time
while she sat, every nerve stretched
| taut, intent, strained, oblivious of my
presence.
"This was, of course, while was a
| boy.
ooh, yes, and after, too for that mat
| ter.
Il noticed it particularly after
went to high school.
| Before that I wasn't bothering
much about anything but having
good time.
"And I had never been away from
j home.
$50 far as I knew my aunt was my
only relative.
my parents had died before l was
big enough to know them and if we
had other kinsfolk my aunt never men
toned them.
Eve stood we'll in the town where
lived.
"My aunt was regarded as a repre-
sentative of one of the old families
who, while not occupying a conspicu-
GUS social position, was still looked up
on as solid and exemplyfying all the
civic and religious virtues.
| Il used to look at her and wonder
"She must have been beautiful when
she was young
''Her skin was delicately grained as
silk, her nose as straight as a dye,
her hair fine-spun, her hands and feet
small, her eyelids dropping and heav-
lily dashed.
Il could imagine that pale skin all
radiant with color, the dropping lids
flashing up brilliant Chancellor her
eyes, deepset, had been one of her
chiefest charms-her gray hair black
as the night she seemed to so detest-
ah. my aunt was beautiful long ago.
But if she ever gave a regretful
backward glance she made no outward
sign.
And never but once did she deign
to hint, never so remotely to the eyrie
quality of the house.
she didn't even then admit that I
would or could or had noticed anything
different or curious or out of the ordi-
nary.
But once when I happened to be
going out to a dance she stopped me-