The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1922-01-13
Poor Butterfly
Indeed
By ROSE MEREDITH

"This," said Miss Hesketh frigidly
sis the best room in the house. YOl
will find it warm In winter, cool Ii
summer and always quiet. The view i
pleasant, too"
Marshall agreed that the view O.
tangled old garden that crept towards
the woods would be ideal. He heard
his prospective landlady add that the
other rooms overlooked kitchen gar
dens, the untrimmed trees of the spa
cious lawns, and the village beyond
The bridge. He turned to Miss Hes
keith.
Il shall need quiet place, simple
well-cooked meals served In my room
and that Is about all" his plain face
broke into q pleasant smile. Il am
writing a play" he added, land may
sit up very late at night. OF course
you may charge for the extra oil
may burn"
my father used to sit up at all
hours. He was a great student-yOu
shall have his favorite lamp, if you
wish" Miss Hesketh almost smiled
as she made this concession to the
paying guest" she had dreaded to
take into her old house with its fad
ed grandeur and Its many evidences
Of better days. But failing fortunes
had driven her to this extremity-nO
one wanted to buy the place and she
had resolved that her knowledge of
good cooking combined with the
natural resources of the place should
exc out living for herself and Archi-
bald's child
Archibald's child, a lovely, dark
eyed girl Of twenty, was the subdued
companion Of the stern, elderly aunt,
Archibald Hesketh had secretly mar
ried beautiful dancer who had given
up her own life for wee little Amabel
Archibald brought the baby home to
his Mortified elder sister and later had
been lost at sea. SO Lydia Hesketh,
who never wanted a husband or q
baby In all Of her narrow life, found
herself in middle age with a child to
bring up to womanhood. Is 1t any
wonder that Amabel was strangely
quiet and restrained? She had few
girlish companions and her education
had been undertaken by Miss Hesketh
but then there was the brown old IL
brary, dim In summer, cozy In win
ter with log fires and hundreds of
hooks, and occasionally old friends
dropping in for tea, or there would
be bazaar at the church. No won
her the girls lark gray eyes were
luiet pools rejecting only the flame
Of sunrises and sunsets.
my little niece will wait upon you. !
She Is not talkative child and am |
sure she will not annoy you" con-
,luded Miss Hesketh after the pc
'uniary matters had been arranged.
She had found Marshall most lib
raj as to terms, and when he moved
lis traps into the south room on the
econd floor she went downstairs in
he kitchen, humming q weird little
une In minor key. Things looked
cry bright. indeed, for the old house
mabel was In the kitchen hullng
She looked up and
miled as Miss Hesketh entered and
hen Amabel smiled all the gravity
anished there was mlrth in eyes that
anced, lips that curved deliciously,
implies In the creamy cheeks.
At sight of this loneliness Lydia Hes
eth was panic-stricken. Whenever
ne was frightened or disconnected
lie Immediately became very iras-
BILE. you must not smile like that
Mr.. Marshall, child-you are so
lusual looking he might think you
ere trying to flirt with him. be
we should wait upon him myself
Amabel's face sobered For the first
me she realized that she had an OBJ
ctionable, unruly face; she had al
avs thought most approvingly of her
Election in the dim old mirrors, for
e was her own playmate for many ,
ars. why couldn't | wear one of
! Hepsy's frilled caps, Aunt Lydia?
ley are not frivolous. Hepsy left
me OF them when she went away !,
d they are clean and starched. III :,
2 linen press" She ran and fetched :
e and slipped ii over her dark hair. ;,
one would have suspected that the
LEI face under the quaint starched
eeping cap WAS that of girl in her
ms. With her small stature and
v form Amabel looked like child
wing at grandmother" y,
Excellent" pronounced Miss Hes !,
h. Now. there is no reason why -
should not carry his meals up- III
RS while | attend to the other 81,
'k. Ruf Marshall elected TO eat 81
ne IN lie gloomy dining room. and m
hafei! glanced NJ the funny little
n chat waited upon him every day. 80
netliheS he read while he ate. witch SCI
a bad habit hut Amahel and her CO
! 'ilnte approved. 50. money came us