Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-09-30
By Ruth Pine Furniss

l was just a tiny bit foolish. :" But
the next instant here head went back re-
beliously. mo, I wasn't eitherl l was
right. 1t would have been idiotic, simply
idiotic."
A hungry mosquito dipped into her
hot cheek. Her retaliation brought more
pain than the sting. "Oh, lear >"
she thought dismally. II wish / were
home. But my poor feet. -"
Her gaze went back to the house. A
long, cool room And q b~ush-dotted
lawn stretching up toward it-a velvet
lawn, restful for tired toes, harmless to
virgin slippers.
Resolutely she turned away her head,
But in spite of resolution her mind in
sisted on occupying itself with that IL
brary. Kline of like her fathers, Tommy
had said, only ten times more so. A
vision of the library at home foated be-
fore her-a comfortable, u-npretentious
old room, where she and Tommy had
spent many pleasant hours; q fascinating
place, with row after row Of books-good
substantial sets of good substantial
reading, books that were meant to be
read, and showed that they had been.
Libraries had always charmed both her
and Tommy. The first luxury they had
promised themselves. when Tommy's
practice should warrant a luxury fwhenl
ali, when {? was a set Of Shake
t6of - NIoN0%A
All at once she found herself off the
wall, hurrying over the smooth lawn,
fitting from the protection of one bush
to another. A delicious thrill of guilt
and anticipation pervaded her. 1t
shouldn't be hard to find the library
windows. Shed Just peek In, Just soothe
her ruffled feelings with a glimpse of
coveted treasure. n then run right back
to her wall again. No one would ever be
the wiser, least of all Tommy. And
besides, mosquitoes didn't bite so hard
If n kept moving.
The first windo she reached gave into
the library, but 1t was a type of window
which had not entered into her calcula-
lions. 1t was French; and behind a long,
doorlike screen it stood partly open, its
sill, not six inches above the ground.
At first she did Just peek" But the
room was almost IN darkness. She could
see little, save that 1T was book-lined,
and that 1t was unoccupied, and hat q
low, shaded lamp burned on a table in
the center of the room. and that, under
the lamp, was a picture frame. 1t
was a large frame, OF some shining metal
By straining her eyes she was able tc
make out that 1t contained a photograph
Of two women or two girls no
O woman and a girl. Was it Mrs. Brew
What in the world did they look like
Were they prettyP 1t would be-fun-
to-see-
She took off her slippers, laid them or
the grass, n stepped over the threshold
Yes, it was, 1t must be, Mrs. Brewster
A stunning m In a lovely evening
gown, but heavensl how formal sht
looked. how upright and u%nbending. Ane
the girl beside her-pretty, but stiff ant
straight. Cold as ice, both Of them
Nell made q face and shifted slightly
4, Then. frightened at the small noise, sh'
stood motionless. listening. /.
= Not a sound. The door into tn
hall was open. The Brewsters. she de
cided, must be upstairs with Tommy. a
house, washing dishes perhaps.
Gaining confidence, she dared to loo'
tmore carefully about the room.
Tommy had not elserestimated it; /
was an enchanting spot. An entire win
OF the house must have been given owe
to 1t, for there were windows on thre
sides, each window half hidden by cur
tains that hung to the floor, each cur
tain swathed in a summer dress OF flow
cred chintz. A thick summer rug O
woven rushes partly covered the hard
wood floor; a huge divan faced a fire
place; a carved desk stood in a nearb,
shadowy corner. And between the win
dows were the books, shelf upon shell
upon shelf of them. Nell drew in he
breath. Oh, to have some day a roo
like this.
Well, at least she had seen 1t, anyway
How m~addening. though. not to be abb
to talk 1T over with Tommy. But II hi
ever knew, after the way she had carried
on about correct behavior and liftinf
levelsl . . No; she could never mention
1t to him. Shed just have to go on out
right now. and never breathe a word.
CHANGING ono more at the photograph
she wrinkled her nose at 1t and wa,
turning away, when she caught sight OF
yet another book, lying close by her or
a corner of the table, alone. a squarist
volume fatty thin. Something about Its
worn, ancient cover interested her.