The Mayors Wife | Page 7

only. She takes no interest in
this young man; scarcely noticed him when I introduced him; just
bowed to him over her shoulder; she was fastening on our little one's
cap. Usually she is extremely, courteous to strangers, but she was
abstracted, positively abstracted at that moment. I wondered at it, for he
usually makes a stir wherever he goes. But my wife cares little for
beauty in a man; I doubt if she noticed his looks at all. She did not
catch his name, I remember."
"Pardon me what is that you say?"
"She did not catch his name, for later she asked me what it was."
"Tell me about that, Mr. Packard."
"It is immaterial; but I am ready to answer all your questions. It was
while we were out dining. Chance threw us together, and to fill up the
moment she asked the name of the young man I had brought into the
library that morning. I told her and explained his position and the long
training he had had in local politics. She listened, but not as closely as
she did to the music. Oh, she takes no interest in him. I wish she did;
his stories might amuse her."
I did not pursue the subject. Taking out the letter I had been writing, I
held it out for his inspection, with the remark:
"More copy, please, Mayor Packard."

CHAPTER III
IN THE GABLE WINDOW
A few minutes later I was tripping up-stairs in the wake of a smart
young maid whom Mayor Packard had addressed as Ellen. I liked this
girl at first sight and, as I followed her up first one flight, then another,

to the room which had been chosen for me, the hurried glimpses I had
of her bright and candid face suggested that in this especial member of
the household I might hope to find a friend and helper in case
friendship and help were needed in the blind task to which I stood
committed. But I soon saw cause--or thought I did--to change this
opinion. When she turned on me at the door of my room, a small one at
the extreme end of the third floor, I had an opportunity of meeting her
eyes. The interest in her look was not the simple one to be expected. In
another person in other circumstances I should have characterized her
glance as one of inquiry and wonder. But neither inquiry nor wonder
described the present situation, and I put myself upon my guard.
Seeing me look her way, she flushed, and, throwing wide the door,
remarked in the pleasantest of tones:
"This is your room. Mrs. Packard says that if it is not large enough or
does not seem pleasant to you, she will find you another one
to-morrow."
"It's very pleasant and quite large enough," I confidently replied, after a
hasty look about me. "I could not be more comfortable."
She smiled, a trifle broadly for the occasion, I thought, and patted a
pillow here and twitched a curtain there, as she remarked with a certain
emphasis:
"I'm sure you will be comfortable. There's nobody else on this floor but
Letty and the baby, but you don't look as if you would be easily
frightened." Astonished, not so much by her words as by the furtive
look she gave me, I laughed as I repeated "Frightened? What should
frighten me?"
"Oh, nothing." Her back was to me now, but I felt that I knew her very
look. "Nothing, of course. If you're not timid you won't mind sleeping
so far away from every one. Then, we are always within call. The attic
door is just a few steps off. We'll leave it unlocked and you can come
up if--if you feel like it at any time. We'll understand."

Understand! I eyed her as she again looked my way, with some of her
own curiosity if not wonder.
"Mrs. Packard must have had some very timorous guests," I observed.
"Or, perhaps, you have had experiences here which have tended to
alarm you. The house is so large and imposing for the quarter it is in I
can readily imagine it to attract burglars."
"Burglars! It would be a brave burglar who would try to get in here. I
guess you never heard about this house."
"No," I admitted, unpleasantly divided between a wish to draw her out
and the fear of betraying Mayor Packard's trust in me by showing the
extent of my interest.
"Well, it's only gossip," she laughingly assured me. "You needn't think
of it, Miss. I'm sure you'll be all right. We girls have been, so far, and
Mrs. Packard--"
Here she doubtless heard a voice outside or some summons from below,
for she made a quick start toward