The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-02
that she was sure to be not only favor

| ite but an acquisition.
A fortnight slipped quietly away, and
in my weekly budget to my husband I
| gave most charming accounts of my
companion, which our every day inter
| course seemed fully to confirm. But
about the third week, a something 1
| could not explain made me take dis
| like to her. / had not been very well,
| and her kindness had been unremitting;
consequently, felt almost angry with
myself for indulging in feeling which
L could not help acknowledging was both
unreasonable and childish.
But it gained ground in spite of N.Y.
| self; and one night, as / was standing
by the looking-glass in my bedroom,
which was in the shadow, I caught sight
of Miss Rurke, who was leaning on the
mautel-piece in the full light of the gas,
| which burned on either side of it, re-
| garding me with a stealthy and search
| ing glance. which / instantly observed,
| but had sufficient sense to take no notice
| Of. The expression in her large black
| eyes haunted me for DAYS, and caused
me 20 say goodnight TO her on the
landing, and, in addition, to lock my
door, q preca1tiOn ] had never before
thought of taking.
One night shortly afterwards I awoke.
fancying l heard a movement outside
my door. My room was perfectly dark,
and / was convinced some noise had
suddenly awakened me. / listened in
tently, almost too terrified to breathe,
until / heard most distinctly the handle
of my door cautiously turned. An al
most death-like horror seized me, and
for an instant ] was absolutely rigid
with terror; but the spell was broken
by another audible effort to open the
door, and the hall clock struck three,
which made me spring up in bed, seize
the matches, and, with trembling
fingers, attempted two or three times to
strike light. At last was successful,
and the welcome blaze of the gas which
| Int gave me courage to call out boldly
Who Is there?" But no answer came,
L pcaled my bell vigorously, and in a
few minutes l heard steps approaching,
and Ellis' welcome voice asked if / was
i'll.
"No, Ellis, not ill.," 1 said, "but
terrified. " as I unlocked the door and
admitted her. Some one tried my
door moi five minutes ago"
Tried your door, ma'am? e? surely
rot calculated Ellis.
Y-s, Ellis I am certain of it, and
it has given me such a shock. 1 cannot
be let alone again"
What is the matter, dearest Mrs.
Conyers ?" exclaimed Miss Burke, who
appeared in my room iust as | had
made the last remark to Ellis.
"I have been frightened" answered;
"but do not disturb your elf, Miss
Burke it was probably nothing"
1t could not have been anything,
or I must have heard it, she said, half
to me and half TO Ellie.
Pray do not trouble yourself" 1
responded / am only sorry you got
up at all. "
She stayed for a few minutes, but
getting no encouragement TO remain,
returned to her own room, assuring me
If she heard a sound she would be
with me in a moment.
The instant she was safely gone I
turned to Ellis, desiring herin the first
place to close and lock my DOR and
in the second, to prepare to remain
with me until tue morning; for l was
so unhinged by the circumstance,
trifing though it was, that to be left by
myself was out of the question.
She had been with me ever since nv
marriage, nov three years, sud IL
been we'll known to my husbands
family all her life, consequently, felt
| might trust her, so l said ellis,
L have my own suspicious; but we
must DO nothing until we are sure.
Meanwhile, you must have bed made
up in this room, aud watch -
Miss Burke?" whispered Ellis.
" Yes l replied 1t WAS her who
tried my door
" Well, ma'am," confded Ellis, 81
have been downright afraid of / er this
some time back-civii spoken though
she is. But what could she want at
your door ?"
THAT do not know but we may
find ont"
BY dip5 of blanket off my bed, and
s8DGTT shawls, Ellis was made comfort
able for the rest of the night on the
Sufu, and | returned to bed. not to
sleep, for l was thoroughly upset, but
to lie and wonder how l was ever to get
through the ten months that still re
manned of my husbands absence.
Tired and mnerved, l met Miss
Burke at breakfast, and we spent our
morning in n very silent fashion. |
wrote to my husband whilst she walked
restlessly about the drawing room, con
stantly asking me how | was, an inquiry
for which 1 did not feel so grateful as [
might have done under other circum-
stances. Lunch came, and afterward
Miss Burke, who was usually most IN
willing to go out, asked me if / could
spare her fer the afternoon, as she
wanted to go to see a sick friend.
Certainly" l replied, glad to get
| rid of her. About four o'clock l lay
down on the sofa in the inner drawing
room, and must have fallen asleep, for
| heard no one come into the room, but
l awOke with the consciousness that
some one was leaning over me with their
face in close proximity to my own. L
felt rather than saw them so close were
they to Inc that their lips seemed almost
touching my own, and as ] sprapg up l
came in violent collision with-my com
panion.
" Miss Burke y l exclaimed, indig-
nantlv, but | could say nothing more.
for, after all, the crime of leaning over
me was not of n deadly nature, though
| coupling it, as l instantly did, with my
previous suspicious, 1 felt not only
extremely angry, but considerably
/ alarmed.
- l was afraid you were i'll, dear Mrs.
Conyers. l do hope l have not dis
pleased you," she proceeded, in a de-
| precatinG tone. u did not mean to
offend you"
ut Is of no consequence, " answered,
rising from the sofa ; "but please do
not do so again. l am nervous and
easily startled"
The circumstance was then tacitly
dismissed, and we got through the even
| ing pretty fairly. | rather looked for
ward to safe night, for l knew Ellis
bed was in read ness for her. | said
Miss Burke, but did not inform her
tha' l had indited an epistle TO ber
/ friend, the Rev. Mr.. White, to ask for
| further pan tIculars as to her anteced-
euts.
| good night little earlier than usual to
! heari her come up to her room, and
when her door closed, feeling of com
passion came over me, for / fancied [
had not only uujustly suspected her,
but been very cold in my manner, which
she he'd evidently felt. Ellis came after
l was in bed. and in short time / had
oral evidence that sha was slum beting.
1t made me feel secure, at all event q,