The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-05-04
Mistellaueuns.
MRS. BADGERY.
DRAWN FROM THE llFG, sY Ao1arLEmAh WITH NJ
sGhsieLiTits.l
BY wILKIE COLLINS.
ere any law in England which will protcc

me frrn Mrs. Badgeryi
AN a bachelor, and Mrs. Badgery Is widow
Don't suppose she wants to marry me! She wants
nothing OF the sort. She has not attempted to
marry me, she would not think OF marrying me-
even II asked her. Understand, II you please,
vt the outset, that my grievance in relation to
this widow lady Is grievance OF an entirely new
kind Let me begin again. am bachelor ot a
certain are. have o large circle Of acquant
auce; but | solemnly declare that the late MIR.
Badcery was never numbered ON the list oi my
friends. never heard Of him In my life; never
knew he had a relic; never set eyes on Mrs
Badcery until one fatal morning when went 10
see il the fixtures were all right in my new house
My new house IL in the suburbs OF London.
looked at Il, liked 1t, took II. Three times Wis
i,cd il before sent my furniture IN. Once with n
friend, once with u surveyor, once Dy myseli, 10
throw sharp eye, as have already intimated,
over the fixtures. The third visit marked the Il,
tai occasion on which | saw Mrs. Badgcry. A
deep interest attaches to this event, and shall 50
Into details in describing II. =,
| rang at the bell Of the garden door, The old
woman appointed to keep the house answered IT,
I directly saw something strange aud confused In
her face and manner. Some men would have pom
dered little and questioned her. am oy nature
impetuous, and rusher ut conclusions. ''Drunk,
said to myself, and walked into the house per-
iectly satisfied.
| looked into the front parlor. Crate oil right,
curtain. pole all right, gas chandelier all right.
looked into the back parl"r, ditto, ditto, ditto
as VIC men of business say. mounted the stars
Blind ON back window righty Yes, blind on
back window right. opened the door of the
front drawing room, and there, sitting in the
middle of the bare floor, was II large woman on a
little camp STOOL She was dressed in the deepest
mourning; her face was hidden by the thickest
Grape veil ever saw; and she was groaning soi'ly
to herself in the desolatc solitude Of my hew un-
furnished house. ,
What did do? Do! bounced back into the
landing rs il | had been shot, uttcring the nation
nj exclamation Of terror and astOnishinent -
"Hullo :" (Aud here | particularly beg, IN pa
renthesis, that the printer will follow my spelling
of the word and not put lli0, or lialoa, Instead
both of which are senseless compromises which
represent no sound that ever yet issued from an
Englishman's lips.) said, "llullo !" and then
turned round 6ercely upon thS old woman who
kent the house, and said ''liull0 y again.
She understood the Irresistible appeal that had
made to her feelings. and curtseyed, anu looked
toward the drawing room, and hulnbly hoped tha'
was not startled or put out. l asked who the
Grape -colored woman on the camp. stool was, and
what she wanted there. Before the old woman
could answer, the soft groaning in the drawing
room had ceased. and a mufiled voice, speaking
from behind the Grape veil, addressed INC re.
proachtully, and said
81 am widow Of the late Mr.. Badgery."
What do you think said In answer! Exactly
the words which, tiatter myself, anyother sensi.
BILE man in my situation would have said. And
what words were they' These two:
"0h, iadeed -
"Mr. Badgery and myself were the last tenants
who inhabited this house." continued the mnf-
fed voice. "Mr. Badgery died here" The voice
ceased, and the soft groans began again. -.
1t was, perhaps, not necessary to answer this
but I did answer it. How' In two words again
"Dhl heI"
"Our house has been long empty" resumed
the voice, choked By sobs. "0ur establishment
has been broken up. Being left in reduced CIR.
cumstanccs, now live In q cottage near; out u
il not home to me. This Is home. However long
live, wherever co, whatever changes may hap
pen to this beloved house, nothing can ever pro
vent me from looking ON It us my home. ! came
moon. All the brief happiness OF my lie was
once contained within these four walls Every
dear remembrance that fondly cherish is shut M
in these sacred rooms >.
Again the voice ceased, and again the sofi
groans echoed round my empty walls, anu opzed
out past me down my uncarpcted staircase
reelected. Mrs Badgery's brief happiness and
dear rcmembranccs were not included in the list
Of fixtures. Why could she not take them away
with hcrl Why should she leave them Uttered
about in the way of my furnitureI ! was just
thinking how | could put this view OF the case
strongly to Mrs. Badgcry, when she suddenly lo''
oil grosning. and addressed me once more
"Whilc this house has been empty, she sai''
q" have been in the habit Of looking IN from ti'n,
Ia time. and renewing my tender associations .,
the place. have lived, rs Il were, IN the sacrcu
memories of Mr.. liadgcry and OF the past, whleh
these dear. these priceless rooms, call up, uisha-
tied and dusty as they are at the present moment
Ii has been my practice to- give remuneration ~
the attendant for any sliGh, trouble that might
OCCASION"
"Only si1pcncc, sir" whispered the old woman
close ut my ear.
"And to ask nothing In return" continued
Mrs. Badgery, "but the permission TO bring my
camp-stoOl with me, and to mediate ON MT. pau
gerry in the empty rooms, with every one ol Wn,s,
some happy thought, or eloquent word or ten
der action OF his. Is 80 sweetly associated came
here On my usual crrand to-day. l am discoNer-
ell, presume, by tho new proprietor OF inc hous'
discovered, am quite ready to admit, as an IN
truder. | am willing to SO, II you wish u, aIe,
hearing my explanation. My heart Is full SIR
am quite inca pablo Of contcndipg with you. lou
would hardly think 1t, but am sitting on the
spot once occupied by our ottoman. l am look;
ing toward the window in which my hower-stanu
once stood. In this very place. Mr. baugsry
first sat down and claspcd mo to his h.art' wneh
We came back from our honeymoon tril. MA
tilda,' he said, your drawng.room has been ex-
pensively papered. carpeted and furnished Tor
month; but il has only been adorned, love, since
you entered it, IL you have no sympathy. SIR
for such remembrances as these; IL you sec moth.
! ing ptiable in my position, taken IN connection
with my presence here; il you cannot enter into
my feelings. and thoroughly understand that this
Is not house, bu. shriue-you have only to say
30, and am quite willing TO CO."
She spoke with the air Of martyr-a martyr
/ Il.l.. L..I ..sNTtA