The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-09-23

room; and, secondly. she went delIo-
erateIy to q closet. and bringing forth
a bottle labeled Sherry and two
1 glasses. set them on the table, filled
the glasses. and, motioning for her
! companion 10 do the same, she quietly
emptied one of them. This was an
extraordinary rejection for Miss Tiggs,
1 and only INDUCED in on momentous
locations, as the recipient of the hos
pitality knew, though only by hearsay.
! This disposed of, she settled herself
| in a large easy chair, and motioned
her CT de-vant nephew to a seat at her
feet; then, without further prelimina-
ries, she opened on the trembling girl.
Robert" says Miss Tiggs, i have
much to say to you, and / feel that l
must say it tonight before I sleep"
''Robertpn says Katie to herself.
"Then she has not detected me"
For, resumed Miss Tiggs, there
no knowing what a night or day may
bring forth"
Katie thought so too.
While You were away from me,
Robert, I did not feel the Importance
| of this as / do now, but seeing you
| has brought il all TO my mind, and l
feel that you must and ought to know
| It.
Katie did not feel so sureo Of that,
bat was afraid to dissent, 3saD
Il AN going now to tell you some
part Of my past lifes but while / want
this known to yourself, SO that Ia case
of my death you will know how to act,
while / am living you must keep it
always q secret locked in your breast"
On dearl what was Katie Dillon to
do noW2 Here was some fearful rev
citation coming that she did not want,
aud which she was to be sworn to keep.
There was no help for it; hear it she
must. Miss Tiggs went on.
Robert, the world, even to my rela-
tives. has always considered me un-
married. This is not true. / have
been married, and You are my child.
Oh herrorsl for Katie Dillon to sit
there and listen to such confession,
which she knew was not intended for
her ears She buried her face in her
oands. while Miss Tiggs bnrstinto
sucessioH of sobs.
My poor boy, don't wonder you
hide your face for shame Of your moth
er. And yetit is all true. At an age
when / should have been thinking of
anything else-for / had reached
thirty ive-I loved your father and
married him. He was my English
teacher, and for fear of the worlds
opinion, l kept the marriage secret.
How Katie did squirm on the little
stool at the good lady's feet, and how
guilty she felt in listening TO all this
But she could not speak, for her tongue
Glove to the roof of her mouth.
Three months after we were mar
ried, my poor Robert. your father left
me for few weeks to 60 home and
close his old parents eyes, and / never
saw him again. The vessel in which
he sailed was never heard of"
Katie sobbed aloud, and buried her.
face Ia Miss Tiggs lap, half In shame
at her deceit and half in sympathy,
for she dearly loved her adopted
mother, and felt her sorroWs were
her own. ~
Shortly after that You were born,
and from that time have always pas
sed you off as my nephew, though l.
knew il was wrong; yet now that 10
has gone SO long, it must 60 on until
my death" @
rOh, oh, OIL Miss Leonora y sob
bed Katie, jumping. 10 her feet. Il
am such a wicked girl to be sitting
here listening TO all this. but / didn't
know what was coming till IL was all
said-I declare / didn't! Oh, indeed,
I m not as wicked as 4 look. j hope
you'll forgive me. Oh dear oh dear !"
Miss TIpgs didn'tscream. She just
got up as quietly as though she were
going to her breakfast, tursed up the
gas TO its full hight, opened bureau
drawer, put on a pair of Hpectacles
and surveyed the trembling and cry
ing Katie from head to foot and hav-
ing finished the inspection. only ejacu-
lated, Well. wellp and sat down.
Now it was Katie's turn to talk,
and talk she did. The whole story
ran glibly off her tongue. Her great
love for Walter; her despair &C not
being able to see him; the plot to
reach that end, even for few hours,
Drawing punishment and peril; her
sorrow at being made the recipient OF
Miss Tiggs' secret, when she thought
her disguise had been discovered and
a reproof about to be administered
/ all this came in a storm of words.
mixed up with sobs aud tears; aud
yet Miss Tiggs only sat and said. Well
/ we'll II until il was all over, and then
she rose up and taking the poor girl
/ Ia her arms. kissed her and said; II
forgive you, Katie; don't belive you
intended wrong"
"Oh, indeed | did nOtlp Katie
y sobbed.
And now" said Miss Tiegs. "as
you have my secret l suppose l must
make bargain with you to keep it.
/ What shall the bargain be 2n
LET me see Walter sometimes,
she answered. smiling through her
tears and throwing her arms about the
little lady's neck.
That you shall, and more too For
if you love each other as-much as you
seem to, and il is not, as / first took II
to be, child's play, God forbid that
should be the one to separate you
You are both young to marry yet. but
1 if In another year your minds have
not changed, we will see what can be
done."
And Miss Tiggs was as good as hen
word, and always did declare, when
the real cousin Bob came home, thai
he wasn't half as good looking as che
represcnter. AS to Miss Tiggs secret
a secret il always remained until she
saw ct to make it known herself
(which she did when she retired from
business q few years after. 1oo
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