Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-02-08

The dr3wing-room door was at the dis
tant end OF the hal and nv arrival ha
been 50 very quiet th1t | concei Il IN
/ exnectan- cnte tainers could hardly h
aware Of my Irascncc in the house
/ thought | should q e them a surprise
! The door opened and osed upon me an,
/ eft me in the room. l looked around me
/ mi saw-darkne8s there and nohin.
more
All, yes. bus there was sDme5hing be
sides There was IA blazing fire, whirl
SEN. edIyinc circles OF liLht through th,
. LaIows, an right in the blush Of its rul
dy glow little figure was loungin. u az
easyrhair 4'he little figure WAS !; girl o
apparently about fifteen or sixteen wear,
Of ase, dressed in a short shabby frock
who WAS identity spelling her eyes By
reading in the ire irht She Law with her
head thrown back, Z mass of fair curtin.
hair being thus tossed over The velvel
cushions on which it rested while she he d
her book aloiu to catch the light She
was luxuriatinr in her solitude, and litt e
dreaming Of interruption.
She was 50 absorbed IN her book the
door had opened and closed 50 noi-elesslv
and the room was 50 large that | wa OBJ
ii.ed to make sound To engage her at
rcntion. She started Violently then, and
looked up with nervous learfilness in
her face Sle dropped her book. sat up
right. and pnt out her hand, eagerly grasp
in- thing had not noticed before, and
which leaned against the chair--;t crutch.
She then cot up, leaning on it, AMI stood
before me The poor little thing was lame,
and had two crutches by her
| Introduced myself, and her fear sub
sided somewhat She asked me 10 take a
seat, with prim little assumption Of at
homc~ness, which did not 81. upon her
with ease. She picked up her book, and
laid It upon her lap; she produced net
from the reccSses Of her chair, and with 4
blush @a-hcred up the cur and tucked
G.cm into Its meshcs Then she sat quiet,
hut kept her hand upon her crutches, as
If She WAS ready at n moments notice to
limp away across the Garnet, and leave
me to NV o5vn resources.
Thomson thought there was nobody in
the room she said a> if anxious to ac-
count for her own presence there Il all
ways stay in the nurSury, except some
times when they all 20 out, and get this
room to myself Then like 10 read here
Mr. Rutland Is not at home p ] said
"No They arc all out dining"
Indeed! Your papa perhaps, did not
get my letter p
She bIushcd crimson.
Il am not Il Miss Rutland - she said
MY name is Teecie Ray | am an or
ph.n. My father was a friend of Mr.
Rutland. and he takes care of me for
charity
The last word was pronounced with n
certain controlled quiver Of the lip But
She went on i don't know about the let
Ter. buc heard a gentleman was expected
I Gjl net hiHl, it could be tonight, though,
as they all wen. out.
a reasonable calculation to come to. -
I Thought. and thereupnn began muSin@
on tile ra-rrnesS 0t welcome DISPLAYED Nv
nv alTectionate Cousin George. II were
the gentleman expected. they must have
received nv letter ana in it were fui set
torth the day and hour of my proposed ar
rjyaL "Ahl George, nay dear fellow"
said. YOU are not u whit changed !.
Arriving at this conclusion, raised my
glance. and met, fuI tie ohsarvant gaze
of "a pair of large shrewl gray eyes Nv
4ittlc hostess FIR the time heinr was re
.artliuc me with such a curiously le@ible
aXnreS>ion On her face, that | could not
but rca ami be amused Itsail plainly
ri know more abDutvou thln vou think and
pitv you Iuu come here with exDcc-
IA ions which viii not be fulfilled There
j. much mortiticaJiou in store for vou /
wonder vou came here al 1t were
euce wrl outside these rates | should
never IimD inside them aga.n If knew
road out into the world vou cone from.
wuu set out lrlveiv on my c-utcheS
No not even for the sake Of a sto en- hour