The mountain Democrat., 1864-06-25

too i'll to call before. She hoped they
~OGSi be friends now that they had met
and Mrs. Burlington said she was sure o.
it. When she went away, the minister
went with her, to see her safe home but
| noticed that they walked apart from
each other, and that he did not offer her
his arm
am always doubtful Of people who are
too Fond Of you at first sight friendship
ought to grow by degrees. When | saw
Miss Penelope kissing my mistress, fell
somehow like coming between them.
wish now that had, though, like enough
| should only have lost my place by it,
and done no good.
She came almost every day after that
although she did not often seen the minis
ter. 1t was Mrs. Burlington she talked tc
and walked with. The minister, wher
he did speak to her, had strange, soft
tone in his voice, as though he were talk
ing to q child hom he had hurt.
All this went on for some six months OF
So, and the time came when my mistress
began to make up tiny robes and caps,
and to think Of coming pain and danger
Miss Reede was always with her, and they
called each other Bella and Penelope. Il
my mistress had had a mother OF sister
/ this might not have been so; but another
woman'S presence is a comfort to her,
when woman'> suffering is upon her, and
/ she seemed closer to her every dav, until
at asst we were called up early one morn.
ing to trcmble. and hope, and fear for q
few hours, and then to hear that Mrs. Bur.
hngton was ont nf danger, and that little
girl was sleeping on her bosom. Master
never minded me, nor Dlnah, nor Miss
Penelope. He bent over his pale, young
vile, kissing her tcndcrly, and calling her
by thousand tender names. liked it,
but perhaps Miss Penelope did not, for she
left The room, nnd found her, when
went dawn, cunking something in little
porcelain hncd saucepan before the fire
grucl, or ponada, or something Of the sorl
>lic called it and asked me for >ouIe sugar
! went to get il, aud came back more
duie k!y than she expected, for she started
81 that She dropped little China pot
which she held IN her hand upon the
hc,rjh.
'Wh,t pretty jar, miss I said, as
picked 1t up.
Yc>,' lie answered. ! have had j,
since | was II chill; Keep my tooth pow
der III IL: nhd she thrust it hastily int
hcr l"rcLct. and went W stairs with wiIat
SIC had hecn coo inS.
Mrs. Burlington complained Il good dca
"I pain that day, hut the next she wa
muti IL urr. On the next She WAS wnr>,
again, aud the day after that alartnimSll
~. Miss Penelope never left her, anc
.""k,d all her ioud. aud gave her all hcl
madeleine Over and over again the p""r
pale iadr ttanked her with tears ia hel
brnmn eyes.
She was very weak and feeble, hut a
tie cnd "i Il week all t"ouGht her bet ei
aud one evening She sat up and spoke 81
>Nc,tly at getting well again.
But am 50 th,r,ty now. she said; m,
throat hurI,>. Would It br wrong Tor III,
T. have >o.ur curI> aud whey, Prnrl"pc
| ~s,nuii like them -.
Mis- Reed, went out nf the room direct
y. aud was back IN lille whic with {
glass ui " hat she wanted. The poor lady
drank it prcrniy. and then asked to liz
duMn again. That ,,ight the burning pain
She complained II cane back, and hrinr'
morning she Mas dead. The last thin4
She uid before she laid back III her huS
bnnd'> arns to die, VA, To kiss Miss Pc
H. lope.
10 not think the young lady spoke It
the minister after his wilc'S death, unit
the day after the funeral, when he was lv
ing on the spfa moaning aud weeping ano
She sat near him with the poor little baby
Neither knew | was there, and | hearl
hIm say:
Oh, Penelope. Penelope ! my heart il
broken.' aud she answered in her cold
quirt. >ilvr,y voice
If you have ever broken another heart
MI. Burlington, this may have been sen
as IvtribuIion.' Then, ma'am, though
of what people had SAID, aud that it nigh
bc true.
We'll, ma'am, she came TO that honse tC
, see the ably, aS 1t See,nvd, day after day
day after day, and people said how goof
she was, and how forgiving; but some
1 how the baby pincd away and died, Jus
as its mother me, aud | couldn't hell
thinking that Miss Penelope had brough
curse upon the house.
The night of the funeral she staye'
there, and | never shall forget what saw
that night. went out on the piazza very
laie-toward morning, in fnct-to close
shutter that vas blowing in the wind. ant
there, under great elm, stood Miss Pc
uelope. She had spade in her hand ant
/ had been digging with it, as it seemed
! but when she SaT me, she came toWarC
! me:
! Some careless servant has left this ou
all night, She said, and thought it wa
| very strange that she should think of Suct
IA thing at such a time Oh, dear! | al
! most hate to go ON; it makes me Shudder
| Poor baby was buried next day, ant
the house grew very quiet
Miss Penelope never came there now
| but heard that master went to her hnuA'
often, aud just year and day from hi
| first wile'S death, he came to me and said
Ann, shall be married again to night.
Married! said. 10 whom
80 Miss Penelope Rccdr,' he answered
Somehow, the name gave me- such star
that | tainted.
On that night-the very night of tn
wedding, maam, as true n stand her
- went out On the piazza again, and nII
der the great elm tree | saw woman
standing. Ny blood ian cold when | saw
it was INV dead and gone mistress in he
>hrnnd She looked at me and pointed
tn the earth.
'Drg.' she SAID, dig there and vanish
ei. SEivrrin. with night aS | was,
caught np the spade, the same had >rr'
IN Miss Pcnelolm'S hard>, aud obey ed her
had not dug for more than five minute
before came to small china pot With
closely fitting cover. 1t was Miss Prnel
upc'>. and it Was half lnll with whit