The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-12-08

from England--a cook and nurse.
For the first night she had no other
servants in tho house. li1on afIi SO 4
'a Upon the first evening of Mrs. Com.
yers' arrival, her husband was obliged
to spend the day and night from home.
She amused herself by wandering
about the old house, prying into musty
cabinets and cupboards, looking With
wandering and admiring eyes upon
the rare old Venetian glass and egg
shell china, which seemed almost too
fine and 700 delicate for use. About
half.past 6 o'clenk, as she sat in the
drawing-room, the nurse entered, say
ing that it was necessary for Ter to go
out to buy some things urgently re-
quired. The woman respectfully asked
her mistress if she would go up to the
nursery to the children, should she
hear them cry. hred
Certainly. nurse. / suppose you
will not be very long away?'fIl is
81 cannot say, madam. l do not
know Dubliup''7 3ol' l..,n t.sf'i,.l,'
4 "Then I think cook had better 90
with you--she has been here before.
| dare say no one will call this eve
ming ~ siesae.1 no a.nlnde
"Thank you, madam" and the nurse
left the room. Presently Mrs. Com
yers heard the hall door closed, and
the two women's footsteps echoing
down the steps. enc ~ aa.uo.l
A quarter of an hour-twenty min
utes passed. The doors between the
drawing-room and the nursery, two
flights higher up, were left open, SO
that Mrs. Comyers could hear every
sound. The evening was fast closing
in, and she experienced a strange feel
ing of loneliness, and began to. regret
her foolish impulse in allowing both
servants to go out. She laid down the
book, she had been reading. and pres.
emily one Of the children ga~Gk cry,
The mother started from the couch
where she was rsclining,and was abou:
to go. up to the nursery, when hurried
footsteps on the stairs struck upon her
ear. a1 lga ioE eaa l'dt l.ii ALa41i q
"Oh, 1 need not CO." she said to her.
self. II suppose cook has stayed at
home after ali;" and having by this
time reached the door, she indeed saw
by the waning light the figure of al,
elderly woman turning the landing OF
the flight opposite to her. Mrs. Com
yers returned to her sofa. But the
child's crying did not cease, and as
she listened it increased from whin
ing cry to wall of terror. In alarm
she started up and ran to the nursery.
The eldest boy, child three years old,
was sitting up in bed. shrieking, but
the cook was nowhere to be seen.
In vain Mrs. Comyers tried to paci-
fy the child. FREDDY" she asked,
"did not cook come up to your" ri
But the child only sobbed the more
convulsively, so much so that the mo
ther RETAINED from asking any further
questions Softly singing to him, he
was soon asleep again, and she stole
quietly from the room. 1t was almost
dark, yet she distinctly saw, walking
few steps before her, the figure of a
woman which she yet believed to be
the cook. as'f-'ty'Il g'tEf.,..1t
"Why, cook, ] thought you had
gone out with nurse"
The figure had just reached the bot
tom of the flight of stairs; it turned
slowly round, revealing the face Of an
old woman with a white cap-bordei
closely crimped around her puekered
up, leering face, A gruesom, weird
light seemed to surround her, so that
Mrs. Comyers distinctly saw the shriv
eled lips move, the bleared eyes CLEAN
and the shaky, skinny hand, which
was raised and shaken menacingly al
her. The figure then turned and rar
swiftly down the stairs. f4
For a moment Mrs. Comyers was
frightened; but, girding up courage
blamed herself for giving way to nerv
ousness-persuaded herself that i
must be some person engaged by thu
cook. She walked down the stairs
her heart beating violently, and called
out courageausly:
"My good woman, who are you, anC
what is your business here" 1g
For answer. a chuckliug laugh re
sounded throughout the echoing ole
house. The clatter of many feet wa
heard upon the stairs; still, the brav'
little woman hardly quailed. Blu
what was she to do? She was too ter
rifed to venture after the figure. Jus
then there was a knock at the hal
door, and, with sense of relief, sh'
hastened down to open it. The two wo
men servants entered. 81.
"Cook," said Mrs Comyers, ''di'
you leave any one in the house durinl
your abssnceS l8t NED seq
"No, madam" ttairt.bos Sd
"WeH, you bad better go and lool
in the Kitchen, for some woman wen
down stairs just now" .II .sl