Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-03-15

"ie ueihon. J determined to ret sometime
out Of that tree.
Just ne had admitted the tree TO nv con
h"ehce' the doorbell rang. Loud, importu
"ate 10 oe let IN. the ringer spakc through the
quvcring wire. and was convinced il was :
newcomer No one who had been uuenchcf
IN the atmosphere Of that house could ring
IN that way. Presently heard trunks
oronGllt IN, then strange voices then goinn
mp stairs. looked ont at the tree. lie
waved Cannt finger at me- as much as TO saw
60 down, and fad out.'
Charming felt curiositv-alwavs a sign
Oh Vitality. | encouraged it by waiting.
encouraged 1t by waiting. ! said to myself
! we VIII iind out Tomorrow. my good fellow.
keep quiet"-all the while slylv meaning ia
ask Susan. the chlmhermaid. whom | heard
with no fairy footballs. ascending and descend.
| ing the stairs.
Suadn had great contempt for mc.-
W Nhethcr several years Of residence in
\ PoardIng-house had given Susan disrust
! Tor her species, or whether she was actually
msanthrope or whether. again l. of thr
whole human race had failed 10 imnrcss the
NINA OF Susnn with my superior claims to
respect, certain II was that Susan had not
that cmrnlty of manner or activity OF service
where J was concerned. which would have
my pitchers were ever full &C water. myboots
ever at the door WHOM they should have been.
! nave only TO say it was Che execution. and
not the rniH. Susaus manner. too Of answer
ing question was abrupt, aud not uarticu
iarIy respectful So | was not surprised. on
opening my door and addressing q tin,i,l infer.
rogat"ry to Su?an, 90 the effect that should
Ike 10 know VINO had arrived. that she should
answer somewhat in this wise.
-" away Mr.. Sidney don't hc a-hoth
"'in me, who Is tired and distracted TO death
now
However. Susan was woman. and could
not resist the pleasure Of telling piece of
news
There is a gentleman, and lady. and
sick one, and lots Of trunks: and the s;,,,
one las tainted away. and they is a-bringn'
her tor
| shut my door and looked out at the tree.
lie nodded ana winked his one eve IL, me. and
tossed his branches in wild delight. We un-
dersiooa each other perfectly.
PHlEenla had arrived saw il at n glance.
ms iuntinE person was evidently sick
el'', who had been brought to this house hv
h"r IarentS. She would recover slowly.
Wouin i"Srihate her, break her heart. and. If
she did not then die. would Kill her! Yes.
~ '"G dead hour Of might | would ascend to
me third floor front wake her from her child. ,
Ike sleep. and then calmly. coollv. like Mr.
4 orFeSt on the stage. would plunge my
knife into her pure bosom. and wall, AWAY
" wrapping my mantle round me-" and keen
my dreadful secret to cat out NV heart"
MADE my preparations with fendsh cool |
ness ! looked long and steadily in he depths
oi the iooking-gIass, making my countenancr
rs interesting as the case would permit.
pulled ont o. drawer a blue cravat. which in .
= moment OF previous despair had rejected .
nut which became me much. | spput nm
Eoar or so over my hair, and curlcd my lin un- /
III IT was quite lame. These prcrnrations
over had nothing before mo but che mum. /
cane necessity OF going TO bed. As common /
me- wl'h IT'S perpetual grind or buttons. and
nJotS. and shaving, came back to me, | re-
i'pscd again into apathy. aud began to tire
even OF the idea Of killing the girl. The tree
kept me mp. however, and tapped. and nod.
deo' and winGed in . most uncommon man.
urr
She va7 not at breakfast. no, nor at dinner.
| heard too, to my disgust, that she was mar. /
rIcd-a Mrs. Brown! How the tree gbhcreG .
and point'd its skinny fingers at me. Eve (
nIhg came and alone in my room tried not /
10 So" the tree but let me lool; where / .
would go hrmIy was i dagucrrcotyped on my .
mind that could hut see il. and ever and .
anon came tie tap-tap. Us if TO remind me | /
was not alone.
Mrs Brown was travelling with her nurse
and physician. Who or where was Mr..
brown u "Id not appear. One day ! stopped
the nurse in the hail ana inquired for her
mistress She told me she was better. ana
would come dowE in day or two. As for
the physician, he was a very silent. disngrcca-
bic fellow, with gray hair and Young face.
contradictory sort of.cXprss.o on, and pair
U! eyes which never met Yours.
As proof that | got better Of nv apa-
ny about this time. will mention that, in
passing through the halls, | heard the nurse
ASK susan VINO that young man was WHO
spoke to her Susan replied:
" On a miserable kind of a dyspepsia ful!cr
he don't know anything"
AS psychological fact. and proof Tat | had I
come TO have some gtcljng. / was very clad
10 observe that this remark aroused in me a
degree of wrath
That evening saw Mrs Brown! ASH.
zane home at twilight went M to my room,
pat before entering it ! sprang back as if
rom an electric shock; for coming out of il
Was womau-thc StrAngeSt woman! \
small, pale, gaunt woman, with black ewes
a." 6'VNt HoilO"S EOdnu them, dressed in
black, with n white halo round her throat she
seemed all black aud whte-a stormy sky
with moon shining in it.
Excuse me, Sir, | have mistaken YOUR
ioor for mine said u voice which fruze the
narrow Of my bones.
low, dreadful voice, MS if coming from
ombs. | scarcely remember what followed.
knew she fascinated me- knew | loved
ler She was like the tree; | could not es.
APE her She had but to ask me a question.
MI turned TO listen TO her She held me
pell-bound How strange, how wonderlu!
ler talk She spoke Of Dreams. Of omens. i
II that wonderful power OF the lndan Jug.
er who could compel dreams. She believed 4
n frances Common life did not appear to
ouch her. Some sirOcco seemed TO have ,
down over her, and wthered all blooms. So
triknsiy did she make this impression on {
ne, that once inyoluntarly asked her,
Were you ever struck by lightning"
She did not show any surprise at the ques- /
ION, but immediately answered. 4
Hes, aud completely scathed'
She was dreadfully i'll. Sometimes she
vas brought down and put in a carriage by {
Ter nurse, almost like a child, Sometimes i
noans OF agony reached me from her room.
)nce l aecidently touched her hand-it
'urned me. Yet now and then she talked {
With almost superhuman energy. graphing
With great social problems, aud thinking and |
\