Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-07-04
Evening Story
THE SILVER LAMP.
Nv Alice Ormond

(SOpyItSul, ISlS, Ny IuC <ASoOSAoISu
Literary Press.)
Lethridge stepped into the hallway
of the deserted house. Linen shroud-
ed the upholstery, dust lay velyety in
the corners. There was faint odor
of mildew The house had been closed
since his grandmother death, almost
nine years ago. When last he quilted
the place. thought Lethridge. he was a
boy of twenty-five, smooth-cheeked,
bright-eyed. sureharged with enthu-
siasm Now, after his nine busy, sue
cessful years in the Orient, the famil-
lar surroundings brought poignantly
to mind the change in himself a
change made up largely of the relin-
gushing. one by one, of his boyish
dreams. How the old house brought
them back! These faded walls had
seen the destruction Of the bravest
dream of them ALL Here it had met
it's death. and since then. absurdly SEN
timental as 1t may seem, nothing had
quite filled the gap it left, nothing
had made him forget It. s-, ,ge~
How the memory of Polly Hayden
stayed with him, and yet he had not
seen her again since the farewell re-
ception given him here by his grand
mother on the even Of his departure.
He had been almost confident, then,
that she cared for him, although there
was his old elassmate, Wade Barrow,
who was regarded by onlookers as
having an equal chance with himself,
On learning OF the sudden luck
which was to send him on his APP
pointment to Japan, Lethridge had
gone ITO Polly and asked her to marry
him. If she would consent his plan
was to return for her in year, She
had hesitated at first-it was such an
important decision, she insisted, and
she wanted to be quite sure-but she
promised to give him his answer the
evening of the reception. He had
gone away happy, full of hope. And
then came the bitter disappointment.
Polly had come to the feception-how
lovely she looked, he recalled!-but
very early she had gone away with
Wade Barrow without word OF explana-
ton, leaving no message. He had
been hurt, piqued, and had sailed next
day with a miserable load on his
heart.
Three months later a letter from
,
marriage-to Barrow. Lethridge sent
her very beautiful print for we'd
ding present, received cordial note
in thanks, and that was all. Nothing
remained of the friendship except a
haunting memory OF the girl.
Slowly he wandered through the
desolate rooms, reviving old, and some
times painful, recollections At last
he drifted into little study at the
back of the house and down In worn
leather armchair before library
table Over the center Of the table
was swung Greek lamp of dull silver.
Lethridge looked up at it with pleased
recognition. It was a graceful thing.
He had always admired it when he
was boy. Perhaps he would take it
back with him.
He started into a listening atti-
tnde. A step sounded in the hall.
Who could it be? There was not
even q caretaker in the house. A
shadow fell across the doorway.
Lethridge rose with an astonished ex-
clamation as a slender, black-gowned
woman appeared in the doorway and
stopped still with a frightened express
sion in her purplish gray eyes.
Mrs. Barrow said Lethridge in
amazement. ,s;s i
Frank" There was no hesitation
in her use of his first name. I'll
had no idea you were in America.
When did you reach homer"
yesterday. | came straight over
to look at the old place. You know
| it has been shut up since my grand
mother died, which was just after
went away But you-? | didn't
dream of seeing an old friend here
Mrs. Barrows looked a little en-