The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-10-18

1
packing up her movable property an
departing from the house. Then Mis-
Barbara was wretched. For three day
she sat in solitary state, aud then, send
ing for her lawyer, directed him to in
tert an advertisement in the leadin
papers to the effect that she wanted
"young, neat and lady-like person for
companion"
No more old women for me-" sh,
said savagely, in response for the law
yer's look Of surprise, "after the be
havior of Jane, who has been with me
for thirty years -. and then authorizing
him TO examine the applicant, she SEM
him away, and waited.
{ Two. days afterwsrd the lawyer re-
Turned, accompanied by a tall, slender
ycunk woman, who had come to see il
she miss Barbara) would engage her.
. MISS Babara's black eyes looked
keenly at her for some time, and after
inquiring sharply into her antecedents,
references and the like, Miss Barbara
Worthington las the lawyer called her),
was duly installed in the Office of "com-
panion," and a most delightful com.
panion she proved to be.
Miss Barbara was at first disposed TO
be bit critical and captious; but the
young girl was so anxious to please, so
sweet-tempered and amiable, so quiet
and self-forgetful, that Miss Barbara's
severity melted away by degrees, and
at last she began to love her attendant
and try in various little ways to make
her cheerful and contented in her new
home.
"Alice," said she one day, as the
young girl sat opposite her before the
fire, /" how old are your
Not quite nineteen" was the shy
answer.
And Miss Barbara looked at her in
Not quite nineteen" and
yet SO quiet and digni6ed and womanly.
1t was almost incredible. Miss Barbara
looked at her again, and with new ap-
probation in her face, she saw how pure
and sweet the fair face looked, with the
sky blue eyes half hidden by the white
lids; she saw how smo~thly and plainly
the brown hair was fastened back, how
neat and trim was the dark dress, how
snowy were the cuff. and the narrow
collar, and her heart was filed with
A giIl in the nineteenth CEN
FURY without rufHe, a puff, crimp,
an overskirt, sash, or a suspicion of a
parier about her! Truly, wonders
would never cease; and as she gazed on
This rora avis, her heart was filled with
pity for poor John, who had thrown
himself away.
"She's just the wife for him." she
thought, "if he had only waited little,
he would have liked her, am sure"
And then she dismissed the thought
with a sigh, and turned 10 Alice Tor
As the days went by, Miss Barbara's
heart began tc yearn for her nephew.
She loved Alice dearly, but even she
lid not take the place of the absent
,ne. His handsome face haunted her
lay and night, and often as she heard
. sudden noise in the hall. or at the
loor, she would look up eagerly, half
to see him as she used to do.
{ am getting DID," she said to herself.
Perhaps | was a little hard with him.
ny boy-I'll ask Alice"
And so one night she called Alice to
Ter, and as she sat at her feet in the fire.
light, AS John had done SO often, she
cd her all about It, and how she longed
o see him again.
81 am getting old, Alice" she said.
{ I may die soon and | want to see my
10Y. Perhaps l was wrong about his
,,,o,,lJ i ,o>
hem just once, Alice"
And Alice answered gently that per-
laps it would be better for them all to
10 so; but she avoided her kind friends
yes, and there was a scarlet flush on
Ter face that was unusual.
The next da~, Alice, under Miss Bar
'ara's directions, wrote little note to
Iohn Barton.
"Tell him to come soen," said she
md as Alice wrote this, Miss Barbara
at and thought inten,ly for time, her
ace resting on her hands, Tell him."
he said again, "tell him he may bring
lis wife if he likes-I can at least see
Ter to please him." And so the note
vas written and the messenger dis
,atched.
After this decisive step was taken,
Miss Barbara WAS in autter of nervous.
less all the time. She donned her
ichest dress, her most costly cap, and
hen sat expectant, until che heard
Tohn's step on the stair, and John him
eli came In as of old. Of course, there
vas few minutes during which they
10Th talked at once, and then, when the
irst excitement was over, Miss Barbara
grew grave.
Where's your wife?" she said in her
I'D grim way, and John rose and rang
he bell.
"Shes down stairs. l told her to ftay
Until l sent for her." And then, as the
ervant made his appearance, "Show
ny wife up"
Mi Barbara waited quietly.
"You will love her little for my
AXE p pleaded John, a. q light foot
tep was heard at the door, and then,
!reatly to Miss Barbara's surprise, Alice
came in.
"My nephew, Mr.. Barton, Miss
Northington," she said, and then, turn.
ng to Alice, " l am engaged now, and
Iou may be excused"
To her surprise, John coolly put his
rms around the waist of his new &C
,uaintance and led her acI oss the room.
Alice Wol thingt6n Barton, Aunt
3arby," he said and then, with the old
nisch .ef in his eyes. Love her little
or my sake, please"
There are children's voices in the
yreat house now, and Jane (who was in
he plot, and is now back in her old
,lace) and Miss Barbara pet them TO
leath, almost, while John, the rogue,
'ften tesses his aunt laughingly, about
he "doll- baby" to whom she considered
lin sacrificed. But if there is any one
,erson whom Miss Barbara loves as
learly as her boy" t is the sweet
acad. gentle girl whom that hov mar