The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-09-23

And then because, turning at a corner,
she saw a light at that untoward hou
in a side window Of a house and recog-
nized window and house.
The Lothrop house. The library win
dow. No other houses stood near. That
part Of town had large yards. Except as
one turned hat corner from the paved
country road, the light was invisible. She
wondered why anybody was up so late.
Then, in a flash, it came to her. Lee
Lothrop might have come homel
Diane stopped and stared, fascinated
at the light. A syringa bush was by the
window IND marred the full view. Often
she had waited under that bush while
racquet or doughnutS. Leel She remem-
bered him as Of old-his straw hat, gay
eyes, n way Of whirling her in a dance.
She and Lee had always been the life Of
any party, she remembered.
She tried not to remember him at the
last meetiHg-on Main street, at noon
hour; the little, drawn, twisted smile on
his face; %onlookers gaping because they
had heard all about the mess.
She had never seen him after that
noon. He had left on the westbound
night train. No one had known he was
going so No one had said good-by.
Overwhelmingly now it came to Diane
that she wanted to look to see if Lee had
come back. Gay, shrieking Leel Nc one
had ever taken what his place might
have been in her life-jester and COM
panion and young sweetheart. If Lee had
been in that balky car tonight-well, she
would have waited willingly enough until
dawn or afterwardl
She knew the way to the window, skirt
ing the old brick house. Involuntary
her feet turned, stepped carefully across
the wide, crunchy yard. Plague on the
snow Like a frayed ribbon the sidewalk
Rugged the old house. She stood on tip
toe in her galoshes, for the syringa bush
had grown high since last she had known
it and somewhat obscured the whole
lower sash. She looked hungrily, antici.
patorily. Lee might be married and have
three or four children. But she lohgec
to see his face again. She pressed he
face close to the window.
And then she shrank in her galoshes
in her coat. Lee wasn't there. He hadn'
/ come back home. And the reason tina
/ the light burned at that unusual hour IL
r that old methodical house was becaus,
: old Jesse had been reading beside h il
l green-shaded library lamp and had eithe
fallen from his chair or been struck dow
by some one hours before, and now la,
5 on the floor with blood pouring, ant
partly coagulated, from his old pale, sou
forehead.
A A marauder. Or he had had a stroke
E And Mrs. Hanfky was gone, as sometime
she did, to visit her daughter in tn
8 country. Hardly an assailant. Diane
{ mind was swift and correct. He had hi
e the edge Of the old hardwood table a
he fell.
DANES mind worked ahead even c
itself. Consciously, even before she WI
a explaining the scene, she began to shive,
n Her silly curiosity! It had trapped he
d Now-now, what was she to dol? HurT
q away from the window, get home, get i
bed, and forget? Oh, trapped Misel
n ably she began to squirm where sh
stood. What to dos
Oh, she disliked that Did man. An
n did she owe him even common decenC
=" Of conduct? He a marked her lif
p That was it-Some one had written
book about the color of life. Diane res
books. That was what old Jesse's unrI
. hitting hate had done to her-taken tt
II pretty color from her daysl Besides-sI
~ had been to blame because Lee new
had sent her a line, a word, even for o.
h times sake! A long time, long, she hs
expected a letter from Lee.
What to do, though? Her feet, d
q parting, Jagged. Let him lie. perhaI
Dr. dead? She shivered. It was-hardly hi
man. She muttered to herself, But
I hadn't peeped and seen him, I woult
MT have known"
d She turned from the window and d
her hand over her eyes to shut away Il
as sight OF him on the floor. She went wi
SLu4C1yB AuTTyluB steps along the SID
walk, toward lawn and street. If she b
!" never looked, why, she would not ha
or known. Therefore h was not Obliged
Besides, what excuse could I give +
looking in the Window" Under the mig
oe air, packed with it's hardening snow, b
er face took On red. Wouldn't every o
'lX in town CAB? Wouldn't they talk, laue
re stare? I won't do It'll I won't give the
the mouthfull" She reiterated her res
luton to herself. She stepped more cal
us fully. Her crunchy feet were so loud.
But it was hardly likely than any o
wv. had seen her. hat part Of town, 7
oW closely built up, was miles deep in po
midnight sleep. No would see hel
nor that belated light in the LothI
Lor house.
ST. No n would wonder at that light,
come to learn why it burned. And
: 1 might die before morning, if he were I
dead already. Diane shivered. Still, s
,eo was not to blame. But she reflected IL
If Saranaton were a large city she col
w step into some drug store n telephC
es' in anonymity for succor to old Jesse. T
not in Saranaton-Wtth Anna Veskins
on ways a bit peevish when she was aroui
50 from her couch by an early morn
- summons from her switchboard.
Diane began to run down Second a
IL nue.. Her mind was running, too,
something in a circle, a merry-go-rou
mt What to do? Go home? Sleep well? ]
feel guilty, h~eathenish?
And ever If a girl might count on
can DR.. Tacey's understanding and shield
I'm there was Mrs. Tacey, who talked ov
- much, in season and out, on small to
gAA