Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-06-04

had vanished utterly
She read the newspaper article
aloud and her mother listened with an
expression that puzzled her. When
she finished, both were silent for
moment, then she asked, You must
have known his father, dearest; didn't
you?"
Yes" said Mrs. cambridge after
pause. "I-knew his father"
Shirley said no more, and facing
each other in the candIe-glow, across
the spotless damask, they talked, as
+, with common consent, of other things.
She thought she had never seen her
mother more brilliant. An odd excite
| ment was flooding her cheek with red
| and she chatted and laughed as she
had not done for years.
But after dinner the gaiety and eff
fervescence faded quickly and Mrs.
cambridge went early to her room
She mounted the stair with her arm
thrown about Shirley's plant waist.
At her door she kissed her, looking at
her with strange smile. How Gu
rious, she said, as if to herself. that
it should have happened today!"
The reading-lamp had been lighted
on her table. She drew a slim gold
chain from the bosom Of her dress
and held to the light little locket-
brooch it carried. It was of black en-
amel, with a tiny laurel-wreath of
pearls on one side encircling a single
diamond. The other side was of crys-
tai and covered a baby's russet-col-
ored curl. In her fingers it opened
and disclosed a miniature at which
she looked closely for a moment
Her eyes turned restlessly about the
room. 1t had been hers as a girl, for
| Rosewood had been the old Garland
homestead. 1t seemed now all at once
to be full Of calling memories of her
youth.
How strange that it should have
| been today" 1t had been on Shirley's
lips to question, but the door had
| closed, and she went slowly down
stairs. She sat a while thinking, but
at length grew restless and began to
walk to and fro across the floor, her
| hands clasped behind her head so that
| the cool air filed her flowing sleeves.
IN the hall she could hear the leisure
| ly kOn-kon-kon-kon Of the tall clock.
! The evening outside was exquisitely
| still and the metallic monotone was
/ threaded with the airy fiddle-fiddle of
crickets in the grass and punctuated
with the rain-glad cloap Of a frog.
Shirley stepped lightly down to the
wet grass. Looking back, she could
see her mothers lighted blind. All
around the ground was spIotched with
rose-petals, looking in the squares of
light like bloody rain. She skinned
! the lawn and ran a little way down
the lane. A shutting sound presently
fell on her ear.
rs that you, Unc' Jefferson?" she
called softly.
"Yas'm!" The footsteps came near
err Els me, Miss Shirley" He tit
tered noiselessly, and she could see
his bent form vibrating in the gloom.
"Yo' reck'n All done fergit?"
No, indeed. I knew you wouldn't
do that. How is he?"
He right much bettah," he replied
in the same guarded tone. "Doctah
he say he be all right in er few days.
on'y he gotter ID up err while Dat
was er ugly nip he got f'om dat 'spis-
able reptyle."
DO you think there can be any
others about the grounds?"
Nom. Dey mostly keeps ter de
mash-Ian' en- cn'y runs whah de IN
dah-bresh ez thick. ! gwineter fix dat
ter-morrow. Mars Valiant he tell me
ter grub ct all out en- make er bon
fab ob it."
That's right, Unc' Jefferson. Good
night, and thank you for coming"
She started back to the house, when
his voice stopped her.
Mis- Shirley. yo' don keer eff de
ole man geddahs two er three oh dem
roses? Seems lax young, mars
moughty fon' OBJ dem. He got one in
er glass but cts mos daid now"
Wait a minute" she said, and dis
appeared in the darkness, returning
quickly with a handful which she put
in his grasp.
"Therei" she whispered, and slipped
back through the perfumed dark.
An hour later she stood in the
coy stiffness of her bedroom
She threw off her gown, slipped into
a soft loose robe of maize-colored silk
and stood before the small glass. She
pulled out the amber pins and drew
her wonderful hair on either side OF
her face, looking out at her reflection
like mermaid from between the rip
ping waves of a moon-golden sea
At last she turned, and seating her
self at the desk. took from it diary
She scanned the pages at random, hel
eyes catching lines here and there
"A good rIn today. Betty and Judge
Chalmers and the Pendleton boys. Ny
fourth brush this season" A frowT
drew itself across her brows, and she
turned the page One of the hound:
: broke his leg, and | gave him Il
, Hickey" Chilly Lusk t
dinner today. after swimming the Lor
: ing Rapid"
She bit her lip, turned abruptly tt
, the new page and took up her pen
This morning q twelve-mile run tt
; Damory Court" she wrote "Thi:
afternoon went for cape jessamines.
There she paused. The happening!
and sensations of that day would no
: be recorded. They were unwritable.