Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-09-16
ByNOOnGn

| I succeeded in gaining admittance to
the charmed inner Sanctum OF Miss
HasweIs room, by following Willie, the
houSematd, on some pretenSe or other
when she unlocked it with her pass
key for the purpose OF bedmaking and
cleaning.
There were water colors and sepia
print of the coliseum at Rome on her
walls. A bow of narcisSus growing out
of bed Of small colored pebbles stood
on the window sill, which overlooked
Mrs. Lelands back yard, and a pair
Of framed pictures of her parents with
the name Of an Effingham photog-
rapher on the rim, stood equidistant
on the mantel
Her dresser, bare of toilet incidentals,
contained books, all of which I later
borrowed from the public library The
Golden BOugh." A beautifully bound
copy of "ThanatopSiS." Taines history
Of England in three volumes. Oxford
Book of English verse. Life of Leonar-
do de Vinci," Stones Of Venice" Bar
bizon Mornings"
The tea set, which stood on the table
beside the gas ring which was at
tached by a green tubing to the chan
delier, although it meant nothing to
me at the time, was of lovely blue and
white Lowestoff, the canister Il had
never seen one before), of finely
wrought silver, the pair Of candlesticks,
silver
To me it was story book of a room,
the most exciting room had ever been
in, an adventure into rarified zone.
Something that escaped mammals
notice, with regard to Miss HaSWell,
was my growing habit of timing my
departure for school with hers. Study
ing her routine, learned just about
IN, ~rrffI,
at the top of the stairs so that, as
she opened the door of her room, there
stood, ready also to descend. Not that
1t ever accomplished what I was after,
which was the walk to school beside
Miss HaSwen. Invariably, in her deep,
rather amused voice, she gave me to
understand, as she fell into her long
easy stride, that she preferred to walk
alone.
Lovely morning, isn't itP You'll for
give me If l hurry along. I can do
some brisk thinking when I walk
briskly."
1t was invariably like that. Civil
enough, but decisive 1 could have
cried, seeing her stride off like that
remote, invariably kind in her amused
subtle way. In that manner, without
ever offending, she succeeded in hold
ing the boarding house on the out
NA>~A ~ Va tAAO RA4feANJ HA1C AASAAeAAC4 AOA
herself.
A small clap of thunder resounded
over the life of this relentless observer
of the life and habits of Miss HaSwell,
which, while it softened the blow to
my ego that had been dealt by Miss
HaSwell's obvious desire TO walk alone,
simultaneously set raging fires of jeal-
ousy and unease.
Incredible as it may seem, Miss Has
well from her remote and star -strewn
plane, was evidently resorting to |
methods that correspondent to my
own.
The first time the incident of Miss |
Haswel happening to pass the house
on Pine street at the corner of Van
doventer avenue, where Mr.. Pickens,
the assistant principal of General high !
boarded, at precisely the moment he |
happened to be coming down its front |
steps, awoke nothing In me except a /
sort Of jealous pang as I saw him
raise his hat and swing alongside her |
IN the direction of Grand avenue.
The second morning, again without |
aroIESing my slightest suspicion, the |
same thing occurred. After the third J