Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-11-19

upon IL, glanclnS Win 4 JlInlu hall ue-
tiance at the stranger as she did So
Nicholas drew the engraving towards
him; it was "Satan playing with Man
for his Soul"
"Well what does it mean? asked the
old man, much puzzled.
do yon not perceive your daughters
drift, Master Drew 2" said Royston quiz
ely, SO quietly that Adie knew that SEN
timent was being strongly held in check.
"She has a quick eve for resemblance
she liLens me in her mind to that I'M
happy man"
''Ah, | see it now" responded Mich
olas, in musing tone. "What express
ion in the face. He is meditating how
he shall outwit his adversary and win
the game, though it is going hard
against him. Satan exults already he
hno,es the stake, once risked, is his"
They all three examined the picture
for several minutes in silence. Its ef-
feet on each was different Nicholas
eyed it with critical appreciation of the
genius which had infused such depth
and mingling of expressions into the ar
lists work Royston gazed at it with a
look, first of cynical Indifference, then of
gravity, then of melancholy earnest
ness.
at is lost soul from the first move"
said he, III a tone that caused Adie to
lift her eyes from the picture to him
Eyes, little girl, lost soul from the first
move," he repeated more gently
"there is no redeeming angel at the
mans elbow !; only two tiends grinning
their triumph in their masters success
| don't see how the adversary is to be
foiled do your
The girl pondered few seconds, and
then made answer, with certain re-
gretful strain in her voice.
mo; good thoughts are all gone out
of his mind. Fear and subtlety alone
possess him; and the fear is greatest"
"Then you think good thoughts My
have once lived in him p asked Roys
ton gravely;
tan himself was pure spirit once he
may have his lingering regrets-who
knows"
'IIe fell through ambition and pride,
which are princely sins. What is this
mans temptation p pointing 20 the fig
ure in the picture.
"The q iced of gain, the meanest and
basest of all, answered Adie, resting
her finger on the piles of coin represen-
ted as heaped up before Satan.
Laurence Royston drew deepbreath
- II Il,
ture up, and pushed it from him.
''Take it away, Adie; take it away;
We have had enough of IT," said he. at
is an uncomfortable picture. What in
duced you to bringit ont? There, car
ry it off, and put it carlnlly into the To-
Ito again"
The young girl obeyed, and when she
returned to The room ileyston was gone.
There was at this time living with
Nicholas Drew and Adie a middle-aged
woman who acted as a servant. She
was called Martha, and was Of a decent
appearance, but moody countenance.-
Mrs. Parkes hel,. her in especial dista-
fay or, ayerring that Nicholas had pick
ed her up III the streets she was indeed
the person he had met and relieved in
the Barbican on the very night thai
Adie was taken into his house. 1t IL
needless to enter into her antecedentS,
to condemn her or to exculpate. Moth
ing other history was known except to
her master, and could only be guessed
by her scrupulOus avoidance Of the pure
young girl with home she -hared the
charitable shelter Of Nicholas Drew's
roof. IfpoSsible, she would not meet
her; ann if compelled to speak, what
she had to say was coughed in the few
est words. The engraver acquiesced in
this res rye; his flower must not be sui
lied by one evil thought. Martha from
her kitchen window had seen Laurence
Royston come and 90. She had a sim
gular habit of watching furtively, and
garnering things up III her min; tor
what purpose it would be hard to say,
as she never spoke of them afterwards
perhaps it was to-mark their issues,
and to feed her morbid craving for ex-
citcment by deducing remote POSSIBLE
ties from small beginnings. The first
time she went into the room where her
master and Adie were after RoySton
was gone, she examined the girls face
narrowly, and traced there 4 certain anZ-
iety which was strange to its expression;
what did it portend? While Martha
was there, she began TO sing again bro
ken snatches of her merry song, and
throwing off her troubled thought, hat
ever it might be, resumed her natural
easy gaiety, Martha thought she had
caught the first slight thread of the web,
and went away to brood upon it and
wind laboriously through its mcShes at
her after-leiSure. She could not see vet
whether it would be smooth or peStered
with knots and tangles, as so many ave.
She liked the girl and wished her well
for her masters sake, otherwise her
saucy gaiety and instructive pride would
have Jared harshly with her unstrung
being.
When Laurence Royston descended
The outside stairway into the court he
dropped the wild rose that be had car
ried i'll his hands upon the second step,
where it lay unnoticed until after noon.
Adj was standing ut the window idle,
v hen she saw il tos minute or so, she
ooked at through dreamy ii<tiess eyes.
then went out and picked it up Mar
tina observed the trivial action, and ad-
ded another loop to the web. The poor
little flower was soiled ana crushed, its
stalk broken, its leaves fallen, its scent
almost gone.
lie threw it away" said Adie to her
self, ''and / think it is no better worth
either" She whirled j; f. om the injow
and let it fall into the court below
Now Grizzie would say that was wan
ton mischief" she went on musingly: