Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-11-30
MISS DEMAR.

am Clotilde, Miss Demar's maid, ifyou
please, sir, and 1 can tell you the whole
story.
You see; sir, Miss Demar came here, to
the Surf House, last July. 1 was out of a
place, having been bred lady's-mMd, and
not being fit for anything else, was very
? uneasy, though [ was taking care of the
landlady's children. Mrs. Ray had said to
| me:
Nov, Clotilde, if you will take good
care of the children. till the summer visi-
tors come down, I'll get you anice place
with some of the ladies'
I was impatient enough for them to
! come, and in June they began to arrive.
But it was not until the LIST of July that
Miss Demar came.
was peeping through the blinds, as her
carriage came up, and when saw her step
out, 1 said to Mrs. Ray:
"There's lady I'd like to serve"
cts Miss Demar,'' said she. "What
does it mean that she's come without her
maid?'
was rocking little Harry to sleep. that
evening, when Mrs. Ray came into the
nursery.
"Clotilde,'' said she, "Miss Demar's
Marie was taken i'll on the journey, and she
was forced to send her back. And she
wants a maid
'sAnd may apply to her, Mrs. Ray2"
Eye. 1 think you had BETTER" she said.
| Ibid I,oh in 70
went up and knocked at Miss Demar's
door. She called s'Come In % and I went
in.
There she sat by the window, reading.
81 heard you wished a lady 's-maid, Miss
Demar,' said I, courtesying.
ssAnd you are Clotilde?"
eyes, ma'am."
''Mrs. Ray has recommended you.
| will engage you at once, if you are
ready
said that was, and then she went on
reading, and began putting the dressing
table in order. 1t was all strewn with
Jewels, and ribbons, and silver combs, and
bracelets of gold lace, as 'twere, they were
! wrought so fine, like embroidery. And
everything about her, and belonging to her,
showed her the lady that | knew her to be
the moment 1 set eyes on her. She read
| for while, and then she said
! s'Clotilde, will you take down my hair?
My head aches.''
No wonder. sir. That purple-black hair
came unrolling in my hands, until it lay in
coils on the floor. And it was fine aid
lustrous, and soft as silk.
Nothing false in her makeup, sir, and l
was dumb with surprise.
While was combing her hair, she asked
me questions about myself, in pleasant,
kind way-how long I had been in this
country, and had any home, and did [
think I should be happy with her? Oh, in
all her ways, she was a thorough lady, sir
didn't tell you she was handsome, did
1? Well, 1 didn't know it myself, at first,
for she had none of that flush and anima-
tion that makes you think women hand
some when they are not. But her face was
just like one cut on cameo, with all the
lines smooth and graceful. Her skin was
dark, but fine and shining like satin, and
her eyes we're steel-blue, steady and bright,
with curled black lashes and white brow
1 remember that she wore black and
white. with pink coral ornaments, great
deal, and she was very fond of roses in her
hair.
Sometimes she would seem to think
much more of these things, and then she
would be quite Indifferent, nor mind what
put her in, in the least. Absent and sor-
rowful-like she would be. And she would
have these spells, often, when there were
gay gentlemen in love with her, as was
plain to be seen. How she managed it, or
why it was, I never could see, but she nev-
er encouraged any Of them.
She was fond of the place-of the beach,
and the rocks, and the sea. There was a
place called Red Cliff, that she was fond
! Of ascending; the water washed its base,
and swept away, so wild and free. She
used often to take me with her, to stake
care of her," she said; for she was apt to
grow bsent-minded, in such places, and to
come away and forget shawl, or book, or
glove, and once she came near being cut
off from the shore by the tide.
The hotel was the only house in sight,
except a stone one which stood upon the
rocks, a mile up the beach, with three &C.
dar trees before it. ''The Cedars,'' I've
heard the place called. I'd heard some
thing about the master Of it, but not
much.
Miss Demar was fond of the beach while
there were few persons upon it, and would
find her way to Red Cliff quite early in the
morning. One morning, as she sat there,
she commenced singing an old song.
recall the old song very well, and she
sang it very low and sweet. But it fright
ened me half out of my wits to see that
there was a man seated just below us on
the cliff. and that he turned and looked at
her. He was large man, with beard
half gray, and would have been very hand
some, but for a scar from his temple to his
lips. She did not see him at all, and was
afraid of telling her, for fear of terrifying
her too much. It was such lonesome
spot, you see. But pretty soon he got up,
and went down the cliff, and when he was
below, she spied him.