Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-11-04

An overwhelming desperation made her
spring suddenly to her feet. She paced
the foor once or twice--then stopnin1 he
fore the mirror. She wandered if she were
morbid. Her face was round. and fresh.
and fair. She was not i'll. How conid
she be morbid How heavy her ewes werei
how sun the red of her cheek. She
clenched her hand and struck the bureap
smartly. She hurt herself--the pain ir.
ritsted her-but her face did no, move one
Jot from it's apathy. Her deafness eoaded
her into sudden, feverish heat. She
walked swiftly across the room once or
twice-then, pausing by the bed, threw
herself down, and with face buried in the
pillows, prayed God to let her cry as she
bad cried in the days of her childhood
Prayed mntely and wildly for power to
weep loud and long. But the blessings of
a healthy flow of tears was denied her.
She could only writhe in an awful agony,
the cause of which she knew not-tbe
greatness OF which che could not tell.
When Esther returned from breakfasts.
the next morning. she found bunch of
the lily of-the valley in the little Parian
marble vase upon the mantle shelf. What
scent the tiny. wayen thing had What
rich white In the woods at home they
had grown with butter cups, rank with
growing in the warm shade, and lobelia,
blue and bunchy-it had always disap-
pointed her after she gathered it. She
touched the leaves. How well she remem-
Dered their color, and form, and veiny
texture! Moment after moment psssed
aud etlll she stood looking at them. Flow
ers tiassom just the same why isn't all
OF
thought.
As for who brought the flowers. she
didn't care jot. She wandered once.
She could not teil-it wasn't worth while
to think of it again.
At last she turned her back on the flow.
ers, and taking her portfolio, sat down on
low seat by the window. She took out
some foolscap, cut it with her paper kuife
INTO twenty sheets, dipped her pen in the
ink-stand on the window.seat, and fell to
writing. She wrote rapidly for six hours.
She stopped at last. and, leaning back,
took long breath. She could feel every
pulse In her body beating separately. Her
cheeks burned with slow fire that ran
through her veins in her sluggish. thick,
feVered blood. She rose to her feet. She
was sick and dizzy. She staggered to the
bed and laid down.
One weeks broad earned said she.
She lay there half an hour, and then the
| dinnerbeil rang Rising slowly, she bath
ed her face, brushed her hair, pinned one
OF the waxen lilies. of-the-valley Oh her
breast, and went down stuirs. Faith Raw
sat next to her at table,
! i sent you up some flowers this morn
ing she whispered. They were so fresh
and sweet thought perhaps you would
| like them
Faith was very pretty. She had sweet,
rosy face with lovely blue eyes, and firm,
| little, scarlet mouth. She looked straight
into E,ther's eyes as she spoke, her bril-
liant, young face framed in glussy braids
ofhght brown hair. Esther was fairly
stal tied by her prettiness.
| Did you send them ? she said.
Yes. DID you like themT
Very much. / thank you.'
Faith went on talking intimately. She
talked well. too. Esther was interested.
! DO you lie abed, mornings? Faith ask
ed, following Esther into the hall when the
meal was through.
Esther astonished herself by laughing.
Faith had quick, piquant way of speak
ing that amused her.
| No
Well, wouldn't you like to walk in the
morning before breakfast! 90 off every
morning. l would like to have you &C.
should like to- said Esther More
III Knock at your door at half past five,
! Ten. We don't breakfast till seven. We
shall f:..'e time ID get nice and wet in the
long grass. presume you'll get cold if
you're not used to it,
i don't mind
Faith laughed, and nodded, and fitted
into the parior. Esther went slowly up
stairs, enjoying her happiness. She wish
ed a dozen times through the long, quiet,
intolerable afternoon that it was morn
Jog.
The giIls went to the woods for flow
ers, and did get wet in the long grass
Esther's feet and skirts were in such con.
dirion that she was red with healthy
shame as she walked back through the vii
lage. But Faith, roster, prettier, more
bright and piquant than ever, avowed that
people might look at her as much az they
chose. And if their curiosity was strong
enough to induce them to ask how she
came so dreadfully bedragglsd, she would
do her best to satisfy them on that point.
1t was impossible to associate with such
bright happy, sensible little body as
Faith Ray, and not catch the contagion OF
her manner. Her atmosphere was so full
Of fresh, hopeful life one would be warm
ed into cheerfulness in spite of himself
At first Faith euliveDed Esther only by
the hour. but as the girls became better
, acquainted, change was worked in the
latter. The transient glow of heart which
only served to torture her at first, making
the contrast of her dark hours still greater
, became more lasting. She felt as if she
! were galvanIzed; as if she had come to life
after she had been dead. 1t surprised heI
more than she could say to find herself
laughing, and even talking animatedly.-
: She pitied Faith when she betrayed hel
{ ideas of life-thOught her foolish and in
experienced, aud wished with all hel
e heart that she was just as Ignorant and un
wise since being so was the only chance o.
' happiness. Ste thought Faiths trust and
= hopefulness was only because she did moi
T know life and her future as it must be. Ir
/ this she believed herself far Faiths eldel
: -otherwise with the exception of Esther
5 talent for authorship, their tastes kept then
: in common.
, They were sitting together in Esther
, room one mellow October afternoon, wher
: Faith said:
r Esther, wish you'd let me see some o
your writings
3 i will.' said Esther. I've an old scrap
, book somewhere. I'll hunt it up for yor
some day
: why not to day7 We are both dom,
! nothing
! Esther went to one o. her trunks, anc
after considerable rummaging brought on
the book. Faith thanked her delightedly
} and fell to reading. Esther swayed bach
and forth in the great chair by the window
She was not thinking. and she bad Ions
given up dreaming. She was in listles,
apathy. Suddenly Faith looked up.
Esther, what do you make such gloomy
pictures for 2"
Are they gloOmy?"
"Terriblyp