The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1919-11-29

was Imminent 0eesss began to dsvSl-
Up before bis minds eye pictures OF
What he was In for: and they appalled,
him. He decided that such q NE
vcrged upon the sheeriy uhbearahIe.
and that after al there were some
things left that be just couldn't stand.
So he made mp his mind to speak TO
his aunt about Il at ~dinner." and tell
ner that he preferred TO ask Bronson
10 let him put a sofa-bed. trunk and
a folding rubber bathtub behind a
screen In the dark rear room Of the Of
I ace.
But at dinner Fanny was nerv-
ous. and so distressed about the fall
ure OF her efforts with sweetbreads
y and macaroni: and she was so eager.
I In her talk OF how comfortable they
would be "by this time tomorrow
night
After dinner" he went upstairs.
moving his hand slowly along the
smooth walnut railing OF the balus-
trade. Half way to the landing he
stopped, turned. and stood looking
down at the heavy doors masking the
black emptiness that had been the
library. Here he had stood on what
he now knew was the worst day of his
, life here he had stood when his moth
er passed through that doorway. hand
INLAND with her brother. TO learn what
her son had done.
He went on more heavily. more slow
~; and, more heavily and slowly still.
entered Isabel's room and shut the
door. He did not come forth again.
aud babe Fanny goodnight through
the closed door when she stopped out
side IL later.
"rve put all the lights out, George"
she said. "Everything's all right
"very well" he called. "Good night.
Aunt Fanny"
His voice had strangled sound in
spite OF him; but she seemed not TO
notice II, and he heard her go to her
own room and lock herself in with
bolt and key against burglars. She
had said the one thing she should not
have said just then: I'm sure your
mothers watching over you, George"
Sho had meant 10 be kind. but II de-
stroyed his last chance for sleep that
night. He would have slept little II
she had NOT said IL, but since she had
said II he did not sleep at all. For he
knew that IL was true-if IL could be
true-that his mother. II she still lived
in spirit, would be weeping on the
other side OF the wall Of silence. weep
ing and seeking for some gate TO let
her through SO that she could come
and "watch over hiHl.'
lie felt that If there were such gates
they were surely barred they were
like those awful library doors down
stairs, which had shut her in 20 begin
the suffering 20 which he had con-
signed her.
The room was still Isabeps. Moth
ing had been changed: even the pho
tograpbs Of George, Of the Major and
OF brother George" still stood on her
dressing table. and In drawer OF her
desk was an old picture OF Eugene and
Lucy, taken together. which George
Hdu lOuuu DuN Hhu biONty tiOSNu aNus
again from sight, not touching IL. To
morrow everything would be gone
and he had heard there wRs not long
to walt before the house itself would
be demolished. The very space which
tonight was stnl IsaDel's room would
be cut into new shapes by new walls
and floors and ceilings; yet the room
would always live. for IL could not die
ont of Georges memory. II would live
as long az he did. and IL would always
be murmurous with tragic. wistful
whispering.
And II space itself can be haunted,
as memory Is haunted. then some time,
when the space that was Isabel's room
came 20 be made into the small bed
rooms and "kitchenettes" already de-
signed as its destiny, that space might
well be haunted and the new occupants
come 10 feel that some seemingly
causeless depression hung about tia
wrath OF the passion that filed IL
throughout the last night that George
Minafer spent there.
Whatever remnants OF the old high