Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-09-07
New Series---Vol. XVIII. No. As.

ACSS
Miss Franklin she said, in mincing,
affected tones of an exquisite, it would be
lrrepressble pleasure to hear the music of
that long silent voice
'lt would be great pity to deprive you
OF it then,' she answered, in her natural
voice, 'and myself, also,' she added; and
| going to the piano, she opened it and play
ed few pieces with exquisite taste and
skill, and then she sung song after song,
IN sweet clear, cultivated voice She
chose at first brilliant and triumphant, then
the sad and plaintive succeeded There
were tears IN her eyes when she rose
But to-day moods were capricious
Mrs. Franklin, who is playing on the
planoE she ask ed, in an excellent imita-
tion of Mr.. Dayton's voice
1t is only |, sir, busting the keys
They need busting SO often she replied,
IN Mrs. Ranklin's mature tones; and she
| busted them vigorously with her pocket
handkerchief
'Ah me ? she said Now, what other
foolish thing shall do to prove myself
that | am cot an elderly housekeeper, but
J""iS SiA4 "hoJ Wy NHiut Vi HeF age
should be gay, by right OF birth, wealthy
and OF consideration visited and visiting,
as Mr. Dayton's lady.love visits and is VS..
tied. He is noble, and good and hand
some,' she said with sigh She will be
/. happy. How gracefully she danced here,
at the party, the other evening, when the
old housekeeper was permitted to look on
Shp lnOlyS pOcH npI bIo n
ton danced with her three times. wond.
er if | have forgotten how to dance and
humming an air, she foated gracefully
about the room.
She stopped breathless, her cheeks bril-
liant from the exercise, her splendid hair
disarranged
1 believe | feel like stiff old Mrs Frank
lin, with whom dancing doesn't agree
'One more song by that heavenly voice,
Miss franklin, aud | shall 90 away dream
ing | have heard the angels sing in the
ludicrously affected voice she had before
initiated
'Ah ! she laughed, yet half sadly, 'the
compliments poor old housekeeper Frank
lin receives | hope won't spoil her, and
turn her silly old head
She sat own again at the piano, and
sang Home, Sweet Home; then played
one Of Beethoven's grandest, most solemn
pieces.
She rose; closed the piano.
The carnival is ended, Kate Franklin
disappears from The scene, and Madame
Franklin enters
Neither Mr.. Dayton nor the servants
would have suspected from the placid,
digniied department of the housekeeper
when they returned at evening, of what
strange freaks she had been guilty.
The housekeeper, as usual, when Mr..
Dayton was alone, sat at the table. 1t had
commenced to rain violently, and the
weather had grown suddenly cold
Mr.. Dayton, as he had done occasionally,
invited her to the library, where was
cheerful fire i'll the CRATE. He read the let
ters aud papers which he had brought with
him from town, while she knitted
An hour or more passed in silence; in
deed, the housekeeper seldom spoke, ex-
cept when asked question. At length
Mr.. Dayton looked up at her, and said,
abruptly:
yours must be lonely life, Madam.
If it is not painful subject, may | ask
how long since you lost your husband?'
Two hands suspended their employment,
two eyes looked up at him with an alarmed
expression. In his serious, sympathetic
countenance, there was nothing to frighten
or embarrass, but the red grew deeper in
the brown cheek.
1t is painful subject she said, at last,
faIteringly. If you will please excuse
me-
pray pardon me, Madam It was farth-
est FROM my wish or thought to give you
pain,' he returned, with grave courtesy.
His manner after this was even kinder than
before. 1t became his custom to invite her
to sit with him every evening,
She commenced to decline; but as he
invariably insisted upon reason, it was
not always easy to find one. If she gave
household cares, he called one of the SER
wants to attend to it. Once, she frankly
told him it was not agreeable, but she
never did't a second time for, fot week,
he had wrapped himself in impenetrabe
reserve, looking cold and gloomy, never
speaking, except from necessary civility.
At last, the poor housekeeper could
bear it no longer. After tea, without an
invitation, which had not been extended
since that night, she took her knitting, and
went into the parlor. The first approach
to smile she had seen on his face for ma
ny days frightened it then, but he did not
say great deal
After this, it became the regular Gus
tom. There could be no danger to him
in the gray hair, the seemingly aged face
and figure before him; bat was there none
to her, evening after evening, sitting op-