To be sure , there was one room that was always locked against her , the west gable , looking out on the garden and the hill of pines beyond . But Mrs. Griggs knew that in the lifetime of Jasper Dale 's mother it had been unfurnished . She supposed it still remained so , and felt no especial curiosity concerning it , though she always tried the door . Jasper Dale had a good farm , well cultivated ; he had a large garden where he worked most of his spare time in summer ; it was supposed that he read a great deal , since the postmistress declared that he was always getting books and magazines by mail . He seemed well contented with his existence and people let him alone , since that was the greatest kindness they could do him . It was unsupposable that he would ever marry ; nobody ever had supposed it . `` Jasper Dale never so much as THOUGHT about a woman , '' Carlisle oracles declared . Oracles , however , are not always to be trusted . One day Mrs. Griggs went away from the Dale place with a very curious story , which she diligently spread far and wide . It made a good deal of talk , but people , although they listened eagerly , and wondered and questioned , were rather incredulous about it . They thought Mrs. Griggs must be drawing considerably upon her imagination ; there were not lacking those who declared that she had invented the whole account , since her reputation for strict veracity was not wholly unquestioned . Mrs. Griggs 's story was as follows : -- One day she found the door of the west gable unlocked . She went in , expecting to see bare walls and a collection of odds and ends . Instead she found herself in a finely furnished room . Delicate lace curtains hung before the small , square , broad-silled windows . The walls were adorned with pictures in much finer taste than Mrs. Griggs could appreciate . There was a bookcase between the windows filled with choicely bound books . Beside it stood a little table with a very dainty work-basket on it . By the basket Mrs. Griggs saw a pair of tiny scissors and a silver thimble . A wicker rocker , comfortable with silk cushions , was near it .
Above the bookcase a woman 's picture hung -- a water-colour , if Mrs. Griggs had but known it -- representing a pale , very sweet face , with large , dark eyes and a wistful expression under loose masses XXXXX black , lustrous hair .
Beside from near of on since that to upon with