Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1872-10-26

| Wnelmeu MIN WIN HdTu, DltteF WOViS
and then, when he was gone, wept her
self asleep over his "ingratitude," as she
called it.
When at last he was really married
her anger knew 10 bounds, and hit
first visit to her after that event endeG
as we have seen.
The days passed slowly after John
with his bright face and ringing voice
was banished, and Miss Barbara, hall
regretting her harshness, was often
tempted to send for him again but hel
ob5tinacy or pride" as she called it,
preserved her, and so she ffetted and
worried until Jane was almost driven
distracted by irritability and unreason
abeness. She was so cross, so hard to
suit, and so lawfully savage" as John
would have said, that Jane became at
last worn out, and one day, when her
duties had been more than usually
hard. she surprised her mistress by
packing up her movable property and
| departing from the house. Then Miss
| Barbara was wretched. For three days
she sat in solitary state, aud then, send
ing for her lawyer, directed him to in
sert an advertisement in the leading
papers to the effect that she wanted d
young, neat and lady-like person for q
companion
No more old women for me-" she
said savagely, in response for the law
yers 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 sent
him away, and waited.
Two days afterward the lawyer re-
turned, accompanied by tall, slender
young woman, who had come to see if
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 Barbaras
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 you p
"Not quite Nineteen was the shy
answer.
And Miss Barbara looked at her in
surprise. d" Not quite nineteen" and
yet so quiet and digniied and womanly.
1t was almost incredible. Miss Barbara
looked at her again, and with a new APP
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 smoothly and plainly
the brown hair was fastened back, how
neat and trim was the dark dress, how
snowy were the cuffs and the narrow
collar, and her heart was filled with
wonder. A gill in the nineteenth CEN
tury without lutfle, puff, a crimp,
an overskirt, sash, or a suspicion of
papier about her! Truly, wonders
would never cease; and as she gazed ON
this rara avis, her heart was filled with
pity for poor John, who had thrown
himself away.
"Shes just the wife for him." she
thought, "if he had only waited little,
he would have liked her, l am sure"
And then she dismissed the thought
with sigh, and turned to Alice for
consolation.
As the days went by, Miss Barbara's
heart began to yearn for her nephew.
She loved Alice dearly, but even she
did not take the place of the absent
one. His handsome face haunted her
day and night, and often as she heard
IL sudden noise in the hall. or at the
door, she would look up eagerly, half
expecting to see him as she used to do.
~ am getting DID," she said to herself.
"Perhaps was little hard with him
my boy-I'll ask Alice"
And so one nj ght she called Alice to
her, and as she sat at her feet in the fire.
light, as John had done so often, she
tod her all about it, and how she longed
to see him again.
81 am getting old, Alice" she said.
81 may die soon and 1 want to see my
boy. Perhaps | was wrong about his
them just once, Alice
ana Alice answered. Seully butU per-
haps it would be better for them all to
do so; but she avoided her kind friends
eyes, and there was scarlet flush on
her face that was unusual.
The next dar, Alice, under Miss Bar
bara's directions, wrote little note to
John Barton.
"Tell him to come soon," said she !;
and as Alice wrote this, Miss Barbara
sat and thought intently for a time, her
face resting on her hands, "Tell him."
she said again, "tell him he may bring
his wife if he likes can at least see
her to please him." And so the note
was written and the messenger dis
patched.
After this decisive step was taken.
| Miss Barbara was in tiutter of nervous
ness all the time. She donned her
richest dress, her most costly cap, and
then sat expectant, until she heard
Johns step on the stair, and John him
sell came in as of old. of course, there
was few minutes during which they
both talked at once, and then, when the
first excitement was over, Miss Barbara
suddenly grew grave.
Where's your wife?n she said in her
old grim way, and Ohm rose and rang
the bell.
"She's down stairs. told her to stay
until sent for her." And then, as the
servant made his appearance, Show
my wife up"
Mi Barbara waited ouietlv.