The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-03-02

II hear my baby crying" she sud
len , exclaimed, toward the close Of
neal at which she had scarcely eaten
10y thing. "Mamms, will you excuse
ne? I will not be gone minute p
Il hear nothing Of it, my dear p re-
Piled the old lady, rather testify. "Be-
sides, why not let the servant inquire
tor you? do not like to see you q7it
The diuner.table."
"One moment, manual would
rather ask myself" and, nervous and
trembling, Eugenla had left the room
before second answer could be given
her.
'fAn exemplary mother!" observed
Mrs. Lennox, with a sneer.
"You are perfectly right, Antoinet
!e," retorted Mrs. Elliot, quickly.
"Well, my dears! for my part, I
think she makes too much fass about
them," said Mrs. Beale; ''and I do like
to have my dinner quietly-You can
bring up the pudding, Mary Aun."
Meanwhile, Eugeu,a had flown to the
library, and seized the newspapers
which lay upon the table: The Illus
trated-Punch-TAe Indian E1a.
What if this last should contain the
whole story Of their disgrace and shame
She did not stay to consider that, if it
did, it would 60 forth to all the world,
and reach in time Fairmead. She only
felt that it might be there, and that
her mother and sisters did not know Of
it, and must not know of it, while pre-
vention was within her reach. Without
q thought Of what might accrue to her
observation-disclosures conjecture Of the
labyrinth in which the actioa might in
volve ber-she seized the folded paper,
and thrust it between the bars Of the
CRATE. There was glowing fire at the
time, and the leaves of the Indian
Nail curled, scorched, and blazed be-
meath its inAuence-6nally dropping, a
blackened mass among the cinders uu-
derneath. She hardly waited until it
was consumed,i in her great fear lest
somebody should see her there; but
ran up to the nursery, where all was
safe enough, and back again to the d.
ming room, with burning face, and
awkward apology for her desertion -
an apology which Mrs. Beale was hard
ly in the mood to receive graciously.
"Now for the papers," exclaimed
Mrs. Lennox, as, the formal dessert
concluded, the mother aud daughters
found their way back to the library.
She swept them off the table as she
spoke, and carried them to the vicinity
of the fire; but, as sfc examined them,
she looked up again. "Where is the
Indian Mail? Have I dropped Z"
II don't see it anywhere" replied
Marion, searching the carpet with her
eyes.
"Ob, it must be somewhere it was
on the table with the Others"
"It is certainly not there now" said
Mrs. Beale.
"How very tiresome! The servants
must have taken it."
"Hardly probable, my dear, but We
can ring the bell and ask. Are you
sure it came Z"
"Qulte sure I had it in my hand
Eugenia, did you take the Indian
MaH?"
There was a pause; Mrs: Archer
did not seem to have heard the ques-
tion.
"Have you touched the Indian Mail,
Eugenia ?"
She could not escape second time ;
with desperate effort she forced her
tongue to speak, and give the answer
"No."
The servants were summoned and in.
terrogated but Eugenia heard neither
their CALCULATIONS Of surprise, DOT ss-
surances Of Ignorance but sat in one
corner bewildered at what she had her.
self said and done, and deaf to every
sound, but that cf her conscience, re-
peating her first falsehood-"No."
"But what is all this burnt paper, in
the CRATE, mamma ?" exclaimed Marion,
o. she stirred the fire. "Surely this
must be the missing newspaper-there
is such quantity Of it. Do you think
Tiny can have been down here during
dinner, Eugenia, and burnt it for fun p
"Perhaps so-oh, very iikely-sho is
mischievous," SAID the mother, feeling
doubly guilty for laying the blame OF
her child, aud looking very culprit Al
she spoke.
"You are pale, dear Eugeuia! 70.
have headache-had you not better
go to bed?" said Marion, later in th'
evening; and her sister was only toe
thankful to accept the invitation, ant
crept away to her own room.
"Oh what have I come to 2" she
moaned, as she threw herself acros:
the bed. "What would he think Q
me what shall I do next? If N,
life is to be one of shifting deceit, it
worth nothing to me; ], who pridet
myself ;in the idea that no Temptation
could make me compromise my love o