Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-04-01
SELECTED STORY
ELOISE.
BY CAROLINE CONRAD.

BY CAROLINE CONRAD.
"Miss Eloise, please, Madame requests
to see you in her sitting room"
A little girl, with black ringletted hair
clustering about fair open face, rather sad
but sweet in expression, rose at once from
her place in the class, at Madame Renters
boarding school, and followed the servant
from the room.
Madame met her at the door, saying, in
voice of strange compassion:
"My poor darling?'
Eloise's dark eyes flashed panied inquiry
in Madame's solemn face.
"You have news" she cried, in strick-
en- voice, ''you have news of mamma Oh,
Madame, tell me!'
"Poor baby! poor little one how can |
tell thee p Madame murmured.
Don't tell me that!' she cried; "don't
tell me [ shall never see mamma any more
my poor, suffering, abused mamma !"
II wish [ had it not to tell thee" Mad
anne said sadly.
"Is she dead ?" the child asked.
Eyes, dear"
Madame bent presently to look on the lit
tie girls face. -
'Don't child-don't look like that p'
Madame pleaded, shuddering. "Cry Eloise
cry here on my bosom; it will do thee
good"
Eloise lifted her great solemn eyes to
Madame's
"He has done it, know; [ know he
has," she said, in strange, unchildlike tones
"Mamma said I should not be sent away
from her; she would teach me herself. She
said it would kill her to take me from her,
and it has,"
"Hush, dear; you are crazed now with
grief"
Madame, am not. Madame, l will
tell every one T see that it was that bad man
who killed her"
"Child, you must not speak SO. Eloise,
try to bear try to be calmer. He is
here; he has come to take you home with
him"
"He! the man who married my beautiful
mamma only to torture the life out of her
I had rather die than 60 with him.
"Child, he may come in at any moment"
Madame, [ am not child. am only
fourteen, but am old enough to remem-
Der"
"And obey" said a deep voice beside her,
and without looking up, Eloise knew it was
her step father who had stolen noiselessly
into the room, and heard she knew not how
much of her passionate talk.
The child trembled like leaf and shrank
into Mladamc's compassionate arms with a
low cry.
''She has tainted"
Sidney Herbert took her out of Madame S
arms, and laid her upon sofa.
"She will be better soon," he said in a
cold voice; "and pray prepare her at once
for the journey"
Tonight :" Madame asked, aghast.
"She is not fit to travel SO soon
II will attend to that" Mr.. Herbert sale,
in unanswerable tones, and Madame, with a
smothered sigh, returned to her task of re-
storing the child.
Poor Eloise had to be carried out to the
carriage, where she shrank away into one
corner, and pressed her face against. the
lining, for fear of meeting the cold, icy looks
of the man who set opposite and watched
her with merciless eyes.
By the time they reached home she was
in a high fever, and moaning with delirium.
Her step-father carried her into the house
himself, and himself tended her through the
long illness that followed.
When the child grew better he thus ad-
dressed her:
'sYou assured Madame Renter that you
were not d child I expect you therefore to
exercise something of the discretion which
belongs to more years than yours, and to Let
me hear no more such wild talk as that to
which you treated Madame. I desire to be
to you an indulgent guardian but whether
I am so or not, will entirely depend upon
yourself"
Eloise made no reply. She only looked
at him grayely. with pair of dark intent
eyes that her step-father felt vaguely uneasy
under, but made no effort to avoid while he
pressed her to promise to DO as he wished
But Eloisc would promise nothing. lie
might as we'll have talked to the post door
for eliciting any response.
That night Barbara, who had beer
Eloise's nurse in brighter days, crept stealth
ily to the child's bedside.
'You mustn't brave him, little dear, sh'
whispered to the child sit won't do no GOOD
and he'll make you suffer for it. You won
get out Of this room till you promise II yo'
hold on till you're gray" -,
''But I can't promise not to talR apou
her. Somebody must tell me about It,
couldn't keep such promise, II 1 made IT, :;
"I'll tell you, darling, all there is to tell
only you agree to anything he bids you
: It's best; take Nurse Barbys Wofo 10
that" o.,
Eloise rather astonished her step-fatthe
by suddenly asking, when he came pack I
the room.
'May 60 out in the garden tomorrow
Mr.. Herbert, if I will promise wha' 70
wished to-"
EYES,"
"Then, promise"
Mr.. Herbert kept his word Elolse ", ",
permitted to 90 to the garden, but not wiz
= Barbara: and the poor longing chl1d looke
!. in vain for nurse to come ana Keep A'
promise about mamma.
1t was just SO the next day, and the mex
5 and then, at the turning Of a walk, she can