The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-09-19

lett the house, of course, partly in
dudgeon, partly in amazement.
Three weeks passed by, when, 10 |
the old lady came again.
She walked into my consulting
room, dressed as before, as greatly agi-
tated, as carefully, polite.
"Sir," she said, "again 1 trouble
you. Ny poor daughter Come at
once"
Madam" I answered "it is a doe.
tors duty, as it should be his pleasure,
to obey such calls; but you are aware
that | have been sent from your door
twice without seeing the patient. AL
low me to ask you question-are you
the mistress of the house ?"
Heaven knows l am" said the old
lady. 81 have lived there forty years.
own it. | am the only person under
that roof who has right to give an
order"
"And the person who sent me
away ?"
"My old servant Margaret"
"Did she do it at your order ?"
mo, sir; it was piece of presump-
ton. But Margaret means we'll ; she
loves us"
"Then, madam, if / accompany you,
shall l see the patient! 70
"Assuredly, sir"
put on my hat again, and wo went
out of the house together. We exchang-
ed very few words as we walked the
streets. At the door of the house the
old lady paused.
Don't mind Margaret" she whis.
pered. "She means we'll"
Then she assembled the steps.
At the last one the door was open
ed to US by the woman 1 had seen
twice before.
"The doctor must see my child, Mar
garet," said the old lady.
Margaret stepped back.
"Walk in, SIR" was all she said.
The old lady beck oned me to follow
her. did so. She went up stairs and
opened the first door we came to. 1t
was an empty bedroom. She closed
it with a sigh. The next room into
which she led lne was also empty. So
were all the others, In effect, we visi.
ted six departments, only one of which
seemed to be regularly occupied as a
sleeping chamber and at last the old
lady turned to me with strange gilt
ter in her eyes.
"Stolen," she said, "stolen, some
body has stolen my girl. Sir, do you
know, think it must be Satan p
Then steady step crossed the sill.
Margaret came in, and the old lady,
bursting into tears, suffered her to lead
her away.
AS made my way down stairs,
Margaret rejoined me-
"You understand it now," she re.
piled.
81 do, indeed" said.
"She had daughter once" said
Margaret, "and the girl-a pretty
creature of sixteen--ran away with a
bad man. She came back home one
day and begged forgiveness. Her
mother turned her from the door in a
fury. 1t was night; the rain and hail
beat down upon the poor thing and
the wind buffeted her. There is no
knowing what happened to her that
night; but next morning, she lay dead
in the police station, Her mothers
address was pinned to her baby's cloth
ing, and they brought her home. From
that day, sir, my mistress-who, in her
remorse and delirlum, called in TWEEN.
ty doctors to bring her dead daughter
to lite-has always been doing what
she has done to you. | try to keep the
secret generally, but some find it out
and others think odd things of us. |
thought / would let you know the
truth. If she contrives to call again
to you, you can always promise to
call, and so be rid of her. Poor soul |!
she has nobody in the world but me
now. She's punished for her hardness,
at any rate, and you'll excuse her con-
duct"
l bowed. l could say nothing. Mar.
garet opened the door for me and |
walked out into the fresh air.
AS looked back upon the house,
with all its elegance, it seemed to have
a haunted air, as though the ghost Of
the poor girl still hovered about.
"God only knows how many fearful
secrets such handsome houses may at
times shut in," l said to myself, as l
turned my back upon it gladly.
/ have never seen the poor old lady
since that hour. Probably Margaret
has kept too close watch upon her.
"There is something indiscribably
irresistable," remarked Mr.. Adonis,
"about woman's smile" "Yes," re-
piled his friend. an old married man,
who had frequently accompanied bis