Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-18
QWomfn' s Corner

tom to make the rounds of the house
and look to the fastenlngs of every door
and window before he goes to his room.
1t is the only touch of fussiness in his
character, and one can hardly dub it
even that. His experience in South
America and elsewhere as a secret agent
of his countrys diplomatic service have
made him watchfu, suspicious, cautious
where d person used to ordinary pur-
suits would be careless.
As l listened to his footsteps receding
toward the rear of the house there
flashed into my mind a thought which
for a moment made me grip tightly the
balustrade of the stairs. Was it my
fancy or was he being more thorough
tonight than usual? His progress was
certainly slower. Was perhaps the i'm.
age of Grace Draper obsessing his
mind as it had mine?
"WiII You Help"
l pulled myself together with little
contemptuous shake. If | didn't put a
bride rein upon my imagination, | told
myself grmly, / should be seeing Grace
Draper's evil beauty in every shadowy
room or on every crowded street. |
hastened to throw open my own room
door and turn on the lights. Their
brightness and the illumination of my
familiar furniture helped me to throw
off the thought of the girl whom | so
dreaded, and to make my simple prep
arations for my fathers visit
/ hung my hat and coat in the closet
cleared my reading table of books and
magazines, and drew two easy chairs
before it. / had just thrown open the
lid of the big keepsake trunk" which
had been my mothers and which Mother
Graham had futilely coveted to hold
linens and blankets for our southern
trip, when my fathers low knock sound
ed on the door. | rose and admitted
him, silently, knowing that if / had
called permission to him to enter,
Mother Graham would have heard and
investigated, despite her oft reiterated
declaration that she never heard any
thing after she once went to sleep.
His gaze went at once to the open
trunk. | heard him catch his breath
sharply, and he went toward it almost
with the look of sleep walker upon
his face. and stood looking down into
it's depths. | followed him across the
room and put my hand upon his arm.
A Tense Moment.
"Will you help me with these things
father, DEAR" / asked, indicating nu
merous tied packages of my own be-
longings which filled the top of the big
receptacle. l felt that it would be bet
ter for him to occupy his hands than
to stand thus gazing down as If the
thing below him were an open grave.
"Of course, child" he answered, COM
ing back to himself with an evident
start. And for the next few minutes
We worked hurriedly but methodicaly,
transferring the bundles that filled the
top of the big trunk to a temporary
resting place upon the bed.
When the last layer had been re-
moved | plucked from its place a big
sheet of brown wrapping paper which
had separated my own things from the
little old haircloth trunk of my mother,
which l always kept for safety in the
bottom of the bigger one. and which
she had packed for me with her me-
mentoes in the days Of her last ILL
ness.
As | did so | shot a furtivc, fright
ened look at my father, for | knew that
he must have many memories of this
ancient box, little bigger than a suit
case of today, which my mother priced
so highly. and in which she always kept
her most precious things
For one tense moment he stood silent.
Then with a quick movement he stopped,
snatched the little trunk up in his arms
as if it had been a living thing, and
turned away from me toward the table
But / had caught a glimpse of his
face. 1t was that of one who sees a
vision.
Next: "What Happened When the
Little Trunk Was Opened