Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-10-08
ooked around him with n satisfied

and Dayton congratulated himself up
on having such a jewel of a house
wife.
The weeks passed and q holiday
came. Mr.. Dayton had gone to towI
the day previous to remain the res
of the week. The housekeeper haC
given permission to the servants tC
90 also. She felt Il welcome relief tC
have the house and the day to herself
She locked the doors carefully after
the last servant. She would have ne
dinner; only lunch. She had almost
forgotten her real character in that
which she assumed; but to-day she
could be herself without fear of III
trusion or disco, cry.
She laid aside her cap and gray
dress, washed the stain from hel
skin and arranged her luxuriant hail
in becoming curls, and donned 4
pretty, fresh muslin, which fitted well
the slight, graceful figure. This
done, she entered the parlor and
stood before the mirror, as attractive
Il figure as one would often see.
''Truly, have forgotten my own
looks! | am Kate Franklin, after all y
she said.
Removed from her long restraint,
her spirits rebounded. She felt gay.
light-hearted, and like committing
any foolishness.
"Miss Franklin" she said, in the
mincing, affected tones of an exquis,
ite, sit would be an ineXpressible pleas
ure to hear the music Of that long ST.
lent voice."
at would be 4 great pity to de-
prive you of it, thcn," she answered,
in her natural voice, "and myself al
So" she added; and going to the
piano she opened it and played a few
pieces with exquisite taste and skill,
and then she sang song after song,
in a sweet, clear, cultivated voice.
She chose at first the brilliant and
triumphant, then the sad and plaint-
i've succeeded.
There were tears in her eyes as she
arose from the piano. But to-day
her moods were capricious.
"Mrs Franklin, who is playing on
the piano." she asked, in an excel
lent imitation of Mr.. Dayton's voice.
''It is only l, sir, dusting the keys.
They need dusting so often," she re-
piled in Mrs. Franklin's mcagrc tones;
and she busted them vigorously with
her pocket handkerchief
"Ah, me-" she said, snow what
other foolish thing shall | doto prove
to myself that l an not an elderly
housekeeper, but 4 young girl, who
by virtue Of her age, should be gay,
by right Of birth, wealthy and of
consideration, visited and visiting, as
Mr.. Dayton's lady visits and is visit
ed. He is noble, good, and hand
some," she said with a sigh. "She
will be happy. How gracefully she
danced here at the party the other
evening, when the old housckecpcr
was permitted to look on. She looks
good and amiable, too. Mr.. Dayton
danced with her three times. | Won
der if have forgotten how to dance?"
and humming an air, she tloated
gracefully about the room.
She stopped breathless, her cheeks
brilliant from the exercise, her splcn-
did halr disarranged.
81 believe I feed like stiff, old Mrs.
Franklin, with whom dancing doesn't
agree"
"One more song by that heavenly
voice, Miss Franklin, and l shall go
away dreaming l have heard angels
slng," in the ludicrously affected voice
she had before initiated.
"Ah," she laughed, half sadly,
''the compliments poor old house
keeper Franklin receives, I hope won't
spoil her, and turn her silly old head.
She sat down again at the piano,
and sang "Home, Sweet Home" and
then played one of Beethoven's grand
est, most solemn pieces.
She rose and closed the piano.
"Thc carnival is ended. Kate
Franklin disappears from the scene.
and Madam Franklin enters"
Neither Mr.. Dayton nor the ser
wants would have suspected, from the
placid and dignitied department OF
the housekceper, when they returned
ut evening, of what strange freaks
she had been guilty. The house
keeper, as usual, when Mr.. Dayton
was alone, sat at the table. 1t had
commenced to rain violently, and the
weather had grown suddenly cold.
Mr.. Dayton, as he had done occa
sionally, invited her to the library
where cheerful fire burned in tn,
CRATE. He read the letters and papers
which he had broughtwith him from
town, while she knitted.
An hour or more passed i'll silence
indeed, the housekeeper seldom spoke
except when asked question. Al
length Mr.. Dayton looked up to hel
and said abruptly:
"Your's must be a lonely life, mad
am. If it is not a painful subject
may l ask how long since you los1
your husband?"
Two hands suspended their employ
ment, two eyes looked up to him with
an alarmed expression. In his seri
Gus sympathetic countenance there
was nothing to frightcn or embarrass
but the red grew deeper on her brown
check.
'It is painful subject she said a
last, faltering. ''If you will please
excuse me-"
One morning he was speaking o
the great loss to children in being de
prived of their parants.
81 never know a MOTHER" he said
"She died before my earliest recollcc
ton. | believe that, man as | am, i
l had mother, | should 90 to he
with all my griefs, as q little chilo
would. | have sometimes thought o
asking you to act as mother in th'
quiet evenings, when | have longe,
to confide in some one. My motbc
would have been about your age,
think"
Again there was vivid color il
thp chnal- Of tho housol an,,nr ru.h n