The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-07-14

| thrown careleSsIy Dack, reVealcu nople
form. She motioned me to seat beside
| her.
"Your medicine has cured me-" she
said, slightly smiling. 81 must compli-
ment you as skillful for one SO young"
"The case was not severe one" |
remarked, with little difidence. "Yet
l fear, madam you would have had fe-
yer to-day, if you had not taken a pre-
yentive." ...->
~ feel sure that should,"' she replied.
nd what like in you is, that you did
not, MS some of your profession do, help
on my fever for the sake Of moro fees.
You might easily have done it. Why
didn't you?"
"Miss Ross!" | exclaimed with flush
Of indignation, "you have strange
opinion of physicians
81 have seen more of the world than
you," was her quiet answer. But do
not be angry. feel under deep obliga-
tons to YOU" a.a
1 rose to go, hut she detained me.
" Sit awhile with me this evening"" she
said. ".You have been to tea, have you
not?" :.
"Yes," l replied, can hour ago But
why -"
was on the point of asking why |
had never seen her at the table, but re-
membered the shortness Of nay acquaint-
ance, and checked myself. She, how
ever, understood my hesitation.
"You were going to ask why do not
go to the table and mingle with the fam
ily," she said. 81 am out of the world.
I mingle neither in its hustle nor pleasure
nor in any Of its customs. They have
no charm for me and have had none for
many years. No one knows me, and I
wish to make no friends. You can afford
to be sociable with ME for an hour, for l
shall not trouble you again"
I asked no more questions, for / per-
ceived she had told me all she would of
herself; but I obeyed her wish and was
social with her, [ examined her books,
of which she had many. They Indicated
highly cultivated taste. Most Of them
were in German, lew in Latin, few
old English and Spanish authors Clan
cling over the pages, observed the mi
tials E. H. written on the blank leaves of
several volumes. A suspicion flashed
across my mind that Ross was an assu-
med name, and her manner of reserve
and mystery tended to deepen it. l re-
solved to remember these initials; at somo
future time they might throw some light
on her history. L longed, but dared no.
question her Of the past.
From her books [ turned to her pic
lures; but no sooner had l observed them
than my eye was struck by a large paint
ing, in a richly gilt frame, which hung
in one corner of the room, and which was
covered by a large curtain of black silk.
She saw my glance of surprise and Gu
riosity.
"You would like to see that portrait !"
she said. az think | can promise you
that if you live longer than l do, you can
see it."
l spent more than an hour with her,
and then babe her good evening, with
feeling of relief. 1t was like going out
of a haunted chamber. As | left the
room, she slipped gold piece into my
hand for my fee, aud again thanked me
for my services.
1 lived in that house year longer, but
1 did not see her face again. She never
came to the table or the parlor where the
other boa,ders assembled. She never
left her room in the daytime. Some
times, when returning from a night case,
in the dim gray of the morning, iecog
nized her tall form, in its dark garments,
going across the fields for morning
walk; but her face was always turned
from me; and every Sabbath evening,
thickly yelled, she attended the evening
service. a
At the end of the year I married my
beloved Alice, the daughter of our cler-
gyman. On my wedding eve, as / was
leaving my boarding house for the last
time, flor I had prospered so that / had
bought neat cottage and furnished it in
readiness for my bride, Miss Ross met
me upon the stairs. She took my han
with quick grasp, and put into it pearl
bracelet.
"Give this to your BRIDE" she said,
hurriedly; "but mind, it is a gift from
vou. and not from me-remember! p
And before I could collect myself for a
reply, she had disappeared in her cham
Der.
could scarcely proceed, 50 agitated
was by this singular occurrence. What