The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-04-17

=. "Sesrcely what one would uuderstsod
BY the idea of an attached seryant,". l
thought, and then I began to worry
about Bertha's fading out who her pre-.
dseessor was, and calling Bah to bring
mo up some flowers from the garden J
went into the front chamber to bsauti.
fy it little with her fsvorites.
Over the mantel hung an oil portrait
of the pervading woman. She seemed
always waiting to catch your eye, and
then she appeared to smile and take
you captive, 80 that yoa could not
shake off that eager absorbing gaze With
which she held You.
BAb wss scarcely person to appeal
to-; already her odd and ill.timsd
grimaces had made me feel uucomforr.
able, yet felt I must rely on her to
keep the secret of these witbered low.
ars.
"You saw my sister yesterday, Bah;
did you notice that she looked deli.
cate Z" ..1-
Bob summed up her condition in
very few words.
"K,ud of nervous and skeery," she
suggested.
eyes, she is easily alarmed and so I
beg that you will not alIude to the lady
who dad hers, nor mention the shreds
Of funeral flowers that gave this room
such ao earthly SMELL"
GAIL right" she said, II wont men.
ton it, I promise you" She laid such
peculiar emphasis on the personal
pronoun that represented berself, that
asked quiokIy-"M:ss Van Artlaudt
would not be likely to speak of it, would
she p
"Oh, not she, never fear"
"Then I am glad I asked you to be
SILENT" said and the trunks having
arrived, l began unpacklng and ar
ranging my sisters things, while Bah
went downstairs to prepare luncheon
from the stores my brother had already
sent home.
had no sooner opened the wardrobe
door than the piece Of striped linen
attracted my attention again. I pulled
at it once more, aud finding it immov-
able I took out ny scissors and shipped
i. off close to the wood. TIE floor be.
ing freshly swept put the scrap in
my pocket, and hurried through with
the. rest Of the work so successfully
that when Bertha arrived her garments
we're all in place, her trunks in the
large closet, and her bureau drawers
filed with nicely folded linen. Be-.
sides this, had hung up one or two
pretty pietares from home, and dis
posed around her favorite trif g that
knew would please her eyes.
She was perfectly delighted to note
the change, and declared that the house
was quite transformed, that she: could
not understand why it had every struck
her As gloomy or depressing. The ia.
voraele feeling deepeued when We sa,
down to our first meal, unchecked by
the presence of the strange young lady.
Rab had proved herself capital cook
and taken Georges heart in the act.
"This doesn't taste like hotel fare -
said be cxuitiogly, and even Bertha
discovered quite an appetite.
Miss Van Artlan It came back in
time for late dinner. She seemed cour.
teous, though habitually silent, and at.
ter few words went to her room tt
dress.
She was ceremonious, as it appeared
aud put our poor appearance to shame
BY her exquisite toilet at dinner. Al
though she wore deep mourning, che
oontrived to have it both rich aud be-
coming, and she was very particular il
tho observance Of etiquette throughout
the meals.
The dinine-room was directly under
the library, aud she seemed to lead The
way in that direction otter dinner wa
over. Here we sat for an hour or SO
and I found that Miss Van Ar,landt',
silence was never broken except whe,
politeness demanded speech, yet sh'
seemed to take great pleasure in on
presence, aod had such sad, wlstful'
looking eyes that l pitied her, though
I wished, for Bertha's sake, she coulc
have been less like black buokram il
hsr demeanor
| I Was very tired the night We frs
slept il our new home. I had beer
running aboutall day, aud my fec
aohed, and my head felt heavy. l al
most fell asleep while vas undressing
But, stupid as was, I noticed thai
the walls must be very thin, for I coula
hear rustling sound which supposed
Wis Bertba's movements in the mex,
room, aod yet it appeared to be close
beside me, and made me quite fidgety
until lost consciousness, of everything
10 sluuber.
My sisters face at the breakfast
table was not inspiriting-it was quite
pale, With melancholy lines drawn
about the mouth, and her voice VA
oorrespoudiogly hopeless.
II am afraid you did not rest we'll
DEAR" I said.
"Nervous," responded George, with
feeling, "deoidedly nervous aud fever
ish." :
Rartha ol.ncad +ov.rd. M;s. V.n