The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1858-06-23

DIN aPIoh Win Ootn D8nds, as II she
was endeavoriug to perform some electri
cal experiment and was gathering the
tuid. Miss Betty stands behind the door
Of the kitchen (which adjoins the dining
room), watching The effect of her cookery
on the guests, and I believe suffering con
siderable agony il the beessteak pudding
or the Irish stew is not entirely apprecia.
ted.
There were but two guests at the Katy
did House last summer. They came late
one night in July, BY the last train from
New York, sad took the best suite Of
rooms in the house. A tall, handsome
lady, and middle aged gentleman. The
| Lady, who seemed about twenty eight,
WAS Of middle height, blonde complex
ioa, and graceful, fexie form. She was
very pale and sad, however, and seemed
bending under the weight Of come secret
sorrow. Her companion was singular
looking creature. He looked more like
the g0arled :runk of some blasted tree
than like human being. His arms we're
long, crooked, and largeijointed, and
vixen he moved them about, they seemed
more as il tossed by the wind than stir
red by any spontaneous motion. lie was
dwarte6 to deformity; ms uunaturallv
long legs, that seemed, in the act of walk.
ing, to intertwine one with the other, re.
sembled the flexible roots on which this
strange, unearthly trunk was supported
Ills head WAS large aud jraped with a
,pretusion Of wild, flaxen hair, that fell
over his bumped shoulders like the gloo.
my white mosses that droop from cypress
s'umps. His eyes were Of a strange, COL
orIe.s character, like IA 'ed opas, vet occa
s'onally an evanescent fire would flash
out, giving them n terrible feroci,y.
The night these travellers arrived at the
kaiydid they committed the crime of iese
nageste against the Mother, by declining Q
to taEe supper At the public table. They
required, The queer, deiormed man said,
all their meals in their private apart
ments.
Never heard Of such thing this child
didn't said the Mother, Indignantly,
when Miss Betty communicated this in
telligence. These city folk are terrible
hard TO please. Now tits child though,
that they would be kind Of sociabl.
when they come, and the young woman
might ha played on the pianny b,,t ei
they're goin' to she: themselves up in
their own rooms, why they amt the sor,
of pussons this child would knet ssoekins
fur. Cock 'em up, indeedl'
Ibe visitors bad not been long inhabi
ting the Katydid before they became
mysteries. Madison was q quiet village,
an industrious village; but even the most
respectable and reserved of hamlets could
not ttand with impuni,y lovely but
melancholy female in company with a
dwarf Of fabulous ugliness taking up their
abode at the principal hotel, and remain.
ing continually in .beir own apartments
ny day and night, and never having as
much as doctor or even clergyman 10
see them. Rumor tapped about the pair
in very short time, and its wings grew
considerable under the judicious treatment
OF the mother. According to that venc
iable authority, sounds Of quarrel were
heard to issue frequently from the apart.
ments occupied by the mysterious pair
and Cleb reported that, on one occasion,
when he had made one Of his noiseless
entrances through some chink or kew.
hole into the parlor. he 5eheld the pale
and beaueiful lady pinning the dwarf to
The floor by the throat, while the latter
was struggling violently, and gurgIing
out the most violent Impressions. The
most extraordinary part Of this scene was
that the dwar-whom one would have
supposed grateful for the Interruption
was as exasperated rs tbelady at the in
reference, and with his opaline eyes glow.
ing at white heat ordered Cleb perenp-
torily out OF the room. This dish Of gos
sip, after being properly served up by the
Mother, served as wonderful appetizer
tothe good people of Madison.
| III.
Again I ask you, what have you done
with him =
Poor thing poor thing = ejscuated the
dwarf, waving his long, bran ch like arms
and casting = strange glance intended tor
commiseration, ut the paleform that stood
before him, with arms folded, and an ex
preston Of the most furious hate burning
in her eyes.
4 say, what have you done with him,
Adam Drake Answer me, you fend (!
She will never recover, l fear,' mur.
INJURED the dwarf, piteously, to himself
Never. She's getting worse every day.
Thc woman ground her teeth, and
stamped upon the floor.
You devil incarnate I she cried, III
tear the secret out Of your black, bitter
heart before have done with YOU 7
Its terrible to behold a noble intellec,
in ruins continued the dwarf, musingly
in the same sad hone, and looking rs il
he were contemplating a Colosseum OF 3
Temple OF Minerva. Hadn't you better
take your soothing draught, Agnes, my
lovef You are getting excited And
as he spoke he rose, and in tender man.
ner approached her holding small bot.
tie that he had drawn from his pocket.
IL you come nearer | will tear your