The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-13
THE Argosy.l
BEHIND A SOFA.
fcOEcLUDED I

Of any one unless lt was Emlly. !
would have cut my right hand of al
any time to serve Louise, but she new
er asked me to serve her.
One day I heard her say TO Emily
81 Fou must see him when he comes
this afternoon. l cannot. And .
make him understand that / never
could have written those dreadful let
tiers, and tell him that ] cannot see
him till he has faith in me again. Ii
would break my heart to see dlstFust
IN his eyes. o Emilyp And my bon
ME Louise bowed her head and Wept'
1t cut me TO the heart, and was SO
HELPLESS to aid heri For the hrst time
in my life I regretted my peculiar ph3f-
sfn0lte. for other brothers were ex-
peeted to defend their sisters, and did
It. but what could I, a poor dwarf do
to hold athletic, handsome Phillip
Rayburn? I felt very ignomlnlous,
and crept away TO my corner and my
,-bIoroform behind the sofa for con-
ISOLATION. and there fell asleep in my
aToke sudddenly at last, hearing
voices. I am always on the alert, and
never startled into making noise, so
[ Law perfectly still SD quiet to hear
what was going on. Emily Grey vas
talking to Phillip Rayburn IN her
characteristic, low. sweet voice, and L
could imagine Just how ner lovely
pale face looked with its great, blue
ewes. and her yellow curis Heating
over her shoulders.
e" 1t puzzles me so, she said hesl-
tatinRly; cannot bear to beileV
that Louise wrote them and yet
what eau believe, Dir. RaybuTnI "
do not say you are sure of her guilt
+" Miss Grey" said Phillip, sternly'
8 vonr affection must not mislead you.
The letters were sent from this mouse,
and the writing is undeniably that OF
T,ouise. She Is afraid 10 meet the
one she has 60 deceived and Injured.
Do not let your kind heart excuse ner
too far. Miss Grey
Emily's voice ITembled rs she repiI-
ed 80 Mr.. Rayburn,I cannot bear
i'll To deceive y0u-y0u who are 30
true and nobel She could not, in
deed, she could not!'
Phillip spoke in softer tones" lou
pity me, Emily2 The world is not
all false, then
A moment silence ensUcd. u, III J.
could only have peeped out at them
unseen, for / certainly believe that
Emily bent her graceful head over
Phillips hand and wept upon il. j
was fierce with Indignation, but per-
fectly collected. Perhaps the dwarf
could help his darling, after all
Presently Phillip rose to go.
Il suppose, then, we shall not see
Won any more?" murmuTed Emily,
plainti7ely. How / hated that false,
piaintive murmuri
'sHsrdly again, " he said, gloomily
And yet Emily, l shall not wish to
lose your friendship. In ten days l
will call and inquire for you, and give
into your hands the letters which l
have received from Louise. and you
can return them to her
Then he went. As the street door
closed after him, Emily threw herself
down upon the sofa, and with her face
n the pillows, muttered very low, L
lows him, and I shall win him now.
And vet. end yet, his heart will never
~ really mine. o cruel fate Why
was Louiss ever born 10 spoil the
only love / care for9'
And she writhed upon the sofa IN
her malice, till she seemed 70 me like
some creature of olden time possess
ed bv demon within, which raved
and tore. l lay hidden away ID my
corner, thinking deeply, with vol
ume pressed to my cheek.
What was Emily plotting against
nv sister? / began to believe her cap
able Ofan Borgia scheme and resolv-
ed to gpy upon her uDremittiBgiy, and
foil her where / could How low !
breatbed, lest she, so near me, should
catch a sound. Twilight shadows
crept into the room at length, and in
them she hoated away, and l pres
emily emerged from my lurking place.
How I wished / were an invisible
RnOme to chase her, and haunt her,
and ind out all her dark deeds! But
I had to content myself with smear
ing phosphorus all over my face, and
meeting her with a horrible grin IN
the Enlightened upper hall when she
came out at the ringing of the tea bell.
1t did my very heart good to see the
white terror Ia her face as she crouch
ed hack Ia a corner 20 ecape me. l
had appointed myself a Nemesis to
puuish her, but she did not know that.
had noticed that when Emily
went out alons to walk without ram
lag her destination, she was always
absent three 0f' four hours. And the
next day bringing an occasion of this
kind. az soon as she was safely down
the steps 1 went straight to her room
and looked all aboEt it. The white
bed, dainty and pure, the dropping
curtains, the flowers, the books, were
all correct and maidenly enough, but
I was a detective for the noRce, and
passed them carelessly BY. a small
desk table fastened my attention; [
attempted to lift the lid, but in vain;
II was locked. Still. the key, with
blue rlS bon attached, rested in the
kev-hole. aad ] tried to turn it TO
unlock the desk, but it would not
moVe-the wards did not fit. The
kew evidently was not put there 10
help prying fingers. The next thing
10 do was to ind the right key, and to
that end 1 glanced curiously about.
The recent reading of some of Edgar
Poe's strange analytical stories sharp
ened nv perceptions 10 painful keen
ness. i threw myself down on Emily's
easy chair, aud leaned my head back
in position I had often seen her
adopt. Then I parroEed my eyes
and compressed my lips as she did
when thoughtful, thinking that So.
perhaps. my mind might momentarily
take the tprn Of hers, and give me
some insight into tho mode of con
eealment Sic woald be likely 10 pfac-
tice. With my bead thus thrown
back. my ewes naturally fell upon the
cornfee above the long lace window
curtains, and I distinctly saw, half
hid BY projecting gilded grape-leaf,
a bit Of blue ribbon. Still keeping
my features after Emily's fashion,
the thought suggested itself to