The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-11-17

tOOfhleSS made step or JWC
towards them, when, with another
peal of horrid mirth, they fed.
could not follow. / was transfixed
to the spot. One mystery, however
was solved. These poor, toothles'
idiots were inmates of the house
and, until this moment, unknown tC
mo. l sat down for awhile, to re.
fleet how l could break to that poor
mother my knowledge of the secret
she had so striven to guard from me
how to tell her that l had seen hel
poor, benighted offspring, whom
knew, now, were the caGse of her re.
serve and sadness. l thought of my
own darlings, so precious to me, III
glowing health and unusually devel-
Oped intellect, and I felt that III graf
itude to God and in humanity to g
suffering sister, must in the fullncss
of my own treasures, deal gently
with this poor bankrupt in all that
makes a mothers hope and happiness
The return ofthe children put an
end to my reverie, for my mind had
wandered from my first feeling
which was anger, to the wretehed
woman who was doomed to witness
every day and hour, the humiliating
spectacle, a slight glimpse of which
had inspired me with so much hOr-
ror. The more l thought of it, the
more I shrank from the task l had
undertaken. I thought, tomorrow
will do; | shall then be more com
posed. 1t was a relief to hear the
young voices of the children as they
approached the house. They did nOt
return from their walk as cheerful
as was their custom. They had evi.
IDENTIFY been talking the matter of the
morning over among themselves, for
as soon as their hats were thrown off,
Julia, the eldest of my girls, took q
chair by my side, and, after looking
up gravely at me for a moment, said
"Mamma, think we have found
out who it is that laughed so strange
ly, though she never did it before.
"She! Who?" l exclaimed, my
mind instantly reverting to the
daughter of the house.
Why, we all think it must be the
old lady our Nell calls grandma.
"Old lady! What old lady
There is no lady in this house older
than Mrs. Marston.
cob! yes there is ! replied my lit
tie informant; "There is an old lady
and she is very old. Nell, tell mamma
about grandma, and you call her."
"Why cannot you tell me as well
as Nellie ?" Iinterrogated.
" Because no one has seen her but
Come, then, lady-bird, - said I
forcing laugh, and drawing my lit,
tie sight-seer to my knee; "come
and tell me all about it"
The child did not appear at all
frightened, evidently supposing
" grandma to be a mortal member
of the family.
" Well, mamma. she began, y
never saw her but three times, and il
was at night. I don't know how
she come into the room, but she did
come in, and looked on the floor fol
something.
"Does she look like Mrs. Mars.
ton ?" l inquired.
"Oh, mol She is little, and Mrs
MarstOn Is big.
"Well, go on, " said 1 +; describe
her to me-tell me how she is dressed.
81 can't tell exactly, for the night
taper does not give much light; buI
she had on queer hood, and she
walked this way" and the gipsy
threw her skirt over her head, anC
with tottering steps, and bent back
hobbled around the room with al
the gravity and in1irmity of a wo
man of ninety, which elected a pea
of laughter from the other girls, il
which 1 Joined, though much agains
my will.
Why do you keep your hand
stretched out in that way?" l asked
SIS thatth way grandma held hers p
"That's the way she held the can
dlestick, mamma.
"Oh! Then she had candle
stick?"
To be sure she had; and she wai
looking for something on the floor
1 drew the candlestick, continued
my little masquerader, for it wa
of such strange shape-not a bi
like those we use.
"Indeedi" said ], beginning tC
feel very much as if / were in {
dream. l should like to see tht
drawing" Straightway it was pro
duced; and sure enough, there wa
the antique candlestick of a century
back. s. Stay here, darlings, little
while, l said, rising hastily; g
will soon be back )" and, impelleC
by feeling of mingled curiosity ant
annoyance, went in search of Mrs
Marston.
She was not in any of the rooms
usually occupied by her. l called
but received no answer. On went
until l reached the wing of the build
ing hitherto unfrequented by me
AS l approached l heard voices, evi
IDENTIFY raised in argument or anger
The Scotchwoman's tones were loud
est, and distinctly heard her say
81 do all I can, but I Gamma watcl
them any more. On this entered
The two women were alone. Mrs
MarstOn started on seeing me, and
turned so white 1 thought she. would
have fallen.
Has anything happened, mad
am ?"-she faltered-"t that yoU
have"
She stopped. l was in no MOOD
to pause until she had recovered her
self.
Yes, Mrs. Marston, something
has happened-much has happened
since l was unfortunate enough Il
enter this house. God forgive you
madam, for the deception you havt
practiced upon mel Your cOnduC
is inexplicable, and your manner
motives, and surroundings are mys
/ terry. If you had told me you haC
other inmates in your house, 1 wOulC
have been prepared for circumstan
css which have shocked me beyonC
/ expression. Had you no though
! for me, your humanity should hav
! prompted some consideration TO
my children, who, had they possess
ed the slightest tinge of superstition
might have been terrified into a stat
Of"
/ did not utter the word, the moth
I er anticiDated it. Her pVps diIated