The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-05-30

ly she is slipping out of our excursions.
"For the present." she says; ':just fol
the present, I am better st home."-
Now we are back again, Sylvia and
in our own little sitting-room--a cheer.
ful little place, whence one can look
down Oh the white houses of the clean,
narrow street, see the outgoers and 10.
comers to the hotel, and catch bright
glimpses Of the mountains.
The door opens and Lenore enters,
and at tho same moment Sylvia passes
out. "1s she gone ?" says Leuore, ad
vauciog toward me; "realy gone, do
you think? I do not know Why ask
have nothing particular to ssy."-
Her face is disturbed, and her eyes
wander uneasily round. "I-I-I
have been eaDesdroppinQ," she says,
beginning to laugh. "What do you
think Of that? And they say listeners
never hear any good OF themselves.
That. however, is not case 10 point,
for I beard nothing about myself, OF
course-nothing."
"EaVesdropping!" 1 repeat, surpris.
ed. "That is not very like you. What
do you mean? What are you talking
about 2"
II was passing by the Soropes' door
just now" che says, with sort Of hur-
~ and agitation in her manner-s'it was
ajar, I wish people would keep their
doors shut" with tone Of irritability)
they were talking; the man
the busband-you know what sweet,
low voice he has-was saying, in tone
as loud as all the bulls you ever heard
believing: 'She is not long tor this
world Whom do you think they
were talking about?"
my dear child," l say impatiently,
"what extraordinary things excite your
curiosity! Am I a diviner of dark
sayings? Probably some friend of
their own that We never heard Of"
"Aud then the woman said, Hush,
hush =" pursues she, with her eyes
still watching my face. "Why did they
say Hush p ifit were some friend of
theirs; why should they mind being
overheard ? They were saying no ill OF
her,"
"pshaw " say I, pettishly chow do
/ know ?"
"He said she, certaiol5-not he,"
she continues, as if unable to leave the
subject. "Mtt long for Mis soora p
(uttering the words very slowly.)-
"Poor soul, whoever she is, I am sorry
for her, are not yvu, Jemima
eyes, yes, Of course-vsry sorry,''
1 answer indistiuctly, turning to the
window.
"And yet 1t is absurd to be sorry for
a person one has never seen-nevor
heard offs not it?" persists Lenore,
again breaking out into a lsugt -
"oerhaps We are throwing away our
compassion-perhsps it was a dog or a
cat-who knows ?"
"Very likely, very likely"
"But why did they say Hush p"
she says broodiug over the word, and
addressing the question rather to her.
self than to me.
l do not answer.
"Jemima," she says, following me to
the window, "look round-I hate no,
being listened to when I am talking
| am going to make you laugh-you
often laugh at my ideas; we'll, they are
sufficiently ridiculous now and then
do You know l took it into my bead
one is so egotistlcal-that perhaps they
we're talking of-of-me ~ ..
I lean my head out Of the window
and try to persuade myself that my
voice, as I say "Nounsense," sounds
laziIy Indifferent.
"You are not laughing" she cries, ii
a tone Of alarm. II thought 20,
would have laughed. Why do not 20,
laugh? Is it possible that you SCI
nothing ridiculous 10 it-that you
think it-it-is-true?" ?"
II think nothing Of the kind" an
swer, irrltably ; "do not be so absurd,
fanciful."
''If they did mean me-" she says
with the same restless, strained laugh
"they are alone in their opinion, ar
they not ?-quite alone. 1t does m
no harm, and it amusss them, 1 sur
pose-ha, ha"
"What disease do they mean to xii
me by, wonder ?" the says, after
pause, spent By her in rapidly travers
ing aud retraversirg the little room
"Consumption, of course" (shuddering
|. "Tbey should have seen 20,
last WINTER" she resumes, by-aud.by
standing beside me, and uneasily tryioI
to lee my face, "when you had that at
tack of influenza. How you oughed
Verse, far worse than l do, and you
bead ached torturingly-mine seldom
aches-and you were so weak 20,
could scarcely lift finger, and yet
was only Influenza"
"Only influenza" I echo, mechani
cally ''infuenza is nothing"