The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-11-04


the highest strain. and broke ,down
under this last touch; that was all.
Il knew something was going to
happen" she said. 81 felt it in the
air; but l never thought it was com
ing upon them"
1T must be his mother" 1 said,
though l did not think Sc. Hush,
Lottie don't brighten her, poor
child"
Lottie was used to restraining her
self. and the tears relieved her. She
dried her eyes, and gave me q nervous
hug as she loosed her arm from my
waist.
II cannot stand this any longer"
she said; /" L must 60 and dance, or
something. 1 know there is trou.
bic coming, and if / sit quiet. i
you will help them if you can" she
cried in my a Alasl What could L
do?
By the time she left me the broth
ers had disappeared; and after an
hours waiting, as nothing seemed to
come of it, and as the heat Increased,
noon had gone off the house, but
sui S1OuC NuAtO anu l0i VI TIC
lawn, like a great sheet of silvery
BLACKLIST shadow. My mind had gone
away from that temporary Interrupt
ton. / was not thinking about the
Greshams at all, when all ut once /
heard a rustic under the window.
When | looked down two figures we're
standing there in the shadOw. l
thought at first they were robbers,
perhaps murderers waiting to Waylay
some one. All my self command
could not restrain a faint exclama-
ton. There seemed n little struggle
going on between the two. You
don't know her." said tho one; why
should you trust her?" She is safer
than the servants" said the other,
and she is fond of poor Ada" If
my senses had not been quickened by
excitement and alarm / should never
have heard what they said. Then
something white was held up to me
in a hand that trembled.
Give it to Ada" said HarryG fresh
ham, in a quick, b~reathless, impera-
tive voice.
/ took the bit of paper and clutch
ed it In my hand, not knowing what L
did, and then stood stupi6ed, and
saw them glide down in the dark
shadow of the house toward the river. |
Where were they going2 What had
happened? This could be no sudden
summons to q mothers death bed
They vent cautiously In the darkness, 1
the two brothers, keeping among the
trees; leaning out of the window as
far as | could, / saw Gerald's slighter
figure and poor Harry's portIy one,
emerge into the moonlight close to
the river, just upon the public road. |
Then l felt ONE one pull nae on the
other side. 1t was Lottie, who had /
come back, excited, to ask If / had
found out anything.
Il thought you were going to
stretch out of the window altogether"
she said, with. a halt suspicious
glance; and i held my bit of paper
light, with my fan, in the other hand.
~ was looking at the moon" l
said. 1T is a lovely night. / am
sorry it has gone off the house. And |
then the rooms are not so hot inside"
Il should like to walk on the
terrace" said Lottie, but my cava-
lier has left me. | was engaged to
him for this dance, and he has never
come to claim it. Where has he
gomez"
Il suppose he must have left the
said. stsGA -H
u suppose it is their mother who
is Ill perhaps they have slipped out
quietly, not to disturb the guests. IF
that is the case, you should 20 and
stand by Mrs. Gresham, Lottie. She |
will want your help"
But they never would be so un-
kind as to steal away like this, and
leave everything 80 AdaP' cried Lot
tie. "Neyerl Harry Gresham would
not do it for twenty mothers. As for
Gerald, | dare say any excuse"
And here she stopped short, poor
girl. with an air of evaporation, and
ready to cry again.
Meyer mind,"I said " 20 to Mrs.
Gresham. Don't say anything Lottie, |
but stand by her. She may want il,
for anything we know"
As you stood by u.s." said Lottie,
affectiOnately; and then she added
with assign aud q faint little smile,
" but it never could be SO bad as that
with them"
| did not make her reply. 1 was
faint and giddy with fear and excite
ment; and just then, of course, Ad-
miral Fortis's brother, a hazy old
gentleman who was there on a visit,
and hdoered for hours together, whom
ever he could get a listener. hobbled
up to me. He had got me into a corr
ner. as it were, and built entrench-
ments round me before l knew it;
and then he began his longest story
of how his brother had been appoint
ed to the Bellerophon," and how it
was hislinterest that did it.