The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-08-01
MISS LASCELLES' DISAPPEARANCE

are you gong 10 oAra1oga, NlhAf
ITO Long Branch. thenT'
To the White Hillsg"
ANo."
"Then where are you going 81 was the
general cry.
Il am going 4 disappear" answered
Miss Lascelles; and il was the only an
swer her curious friends could get from
her, let them try as they would. At every
fresh surmise she shook her head and
smiled m~ysterious,y. Il am going TO dis
appear" she persisted.
Miss Lascelles kept her word. She did
disappear. and nobody could find out
whittier. In fact. there was no one Q find
out from. no one to whom she wa in the
beast degree responsible for her comings
and goings. An orphan without near
r~elatives-an heiress. moreover-she was
entire mistress OF herself. and had she pro-
posed to go TO the moon. so far as this
earthly planet is concerned there would
have been nothing to hinder. But for
certain atmospheric difficulties being in
the way OF such a tour. her acquaintance
would have been inclined 10 suspectif was
the very one she was making al present
that out-of-the-way sort Of thing exactly
txllying with her oddity I: for. BY common
consent. Nina Lascelles wss dubbed
~odd:'' bright. sensible. attractive. Ger
kinly. but for all that with an odd streak
about her.
But where had Miss Lascelles yones
Not quite as far as the moon. and vet 10 a
region almost as remote from the sphere
q her dear five hundred friends. One day
there had chaTced TO present itself to her
recollection the picture of 8 certain
weather beaten, gambrel-roofed house up
among the rocks and hills Of one OF the
Northern States. where she had passed
the happiest summer Of her life. Miss
LAscelles thought she would like 10 Try il
that old time could not be brought back
again. To be sure. she had been only
twelve then. and the tastes of twelve and
sweDty-one are apt 10 be somewhat differ
ent but at least IL would be a novelty.
She was tired and overtired Of the pre-
scribed pleasure tread-mill. every step OF
which she knew so YEARLY well. Briefly.
zhe-had set her heart on the experiment:
and when this young lady set her heart
on doing anything. it was very likely TO
be done.
Besides. il was not simply her own in
~clination she consulted in this choice.
Among her poor ~people-for poor people
were one Of Miss Lascelles' oddities-were
two young English orphans, a brother
md sister. WHOM she had discovered one
day in a crowded. ~unwholesome city hack
lane. where they were breathing distilled
dirt. and cheating their young. growing.
hungry muscles with q sort OF refuse
which IL was the highest strain Of courte-
sy TO call food. No wonder II their poor
cheeks became paler every day. and that
the boys strength was hardly sufficient
to earn the pittance which just kept the
life In his sister and himself. These chill
drtn were special favorites with Miss Las
olles, whether because Of their singular
attachment TO n another, or because
shey were orphans with no ties Of kindred.
even as she herself was ; and marking
their Increasing delicacy. IL occurred TO
her that { o take them out of the close heat
Of a city summer into the free air and life
IN which she herself had once thriven
would be no bad way Of spending the
months usually allotted TO the busy idle
ness Of watering place existence.
SO. with her two young proteges. Miss
Iaseelles disappeared. TO come TO the sur
fsce again in the little town Of Stone
borough. The old gray house and the
scattering village appeared TO have under
gone as little change as the eternal noun
txins themselves that closed around.
us this place really in the world. |
wonder.' said Miss Lascelles TO herself.
with q smile. surveying IL. 1t seems to
be out Of Times way, az any rate. |
don't believe a creature has been born or
died IN II since 1 was here. Tcould almost
fancy myself still the slip Of q May-pole |
was then. with eyes several sizes too large
Tor my face. and a skin the color Of the
butter Mrs. Hutchins il working there
Miss Lascelles laughed again at the re
collection. IL was only a recollection.
and she could afford 20 laugh al Il now.
nor there was certainly no butfer-oolor in
the glow on the clear cheek, and the full.
ycf firm and free figure suggested any
thing but a Msy-pole. Good Mrs. Hutch
has, herself as little changed as all the rest.