The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-05-15
the attack with all on board. The Te-
cumseh was Langley's ship. N

Virginia came 10 live with us about
two years before the commencement of
my story. She seemed to feel sort of
sorrowful remorse about her husband,
which was not grief, and yet 1t cast a
shadow over her life. " He was treach-
erous and false she said to me one day,
sand he broke my heart--but what right
have to judge him Harrie, 1 told
him would never forgive him and he
died thinking himself unforgiven." OF
Langley, as told you, she never spoke.
Well, the "perfect treasure made her
appearance. She was rather young
woman, with pleasant, low voice, and
very good manners, for one of her sta
ton. / was charmed. Certainly this
girl seemed determined to please me;
she did her work in faultlessly neat
way; she amused and played with the
twins; and baby had more quiet nights
than have known him to have for
weeks. So, after months trial, be-
gan to sing Alice's praises, and allowed
her full control in her own department,
with good many privileges. Virginia,
alone, did not seem to like her. Virginia
had queer way of looking at new faces
a searching, penetrating glance, that
always thought had sort of mesmer-
ism in 1t, all the stronger because her
eyes were SO gentle and soft. Alice
never met the look fairly, as 1 remem-
bered afterward.
1t was the spring of '65. The closing
scenes of the war were crowding thick
and fast upon each other. Virginia
kept her room great deal. The warm
April weather seemed to enervate her
and she shrank away from the joy and
enthusiasm we all exhibited Poor
child 1t was hard for her to hear the
soldiers and sailors who would be COM
ing home now, and to feel that, for her
sore heart, Peace would bring no balm.
One night Frank had taken box at
the italian Opera in New York. We
lived in Brooklyn, and, as Kellogg was
to sing, 1 begged Virginia to go with us.
But she steadily declined. She would
stay at home and keep house, she said.
Now, two of my servants were going to
fireman S ball the same night, leaving
only Alice and the cook at home; so L
must say 1 felt rather more easy about
the children when found that Virginia
would not go. Going from New York
to Brooklyn at night, however, is long
journey, and it was close upon one
O'Clock when we drove up to our door.
In the meantime, Virginia, after our
departure, had sat for some time writing
letters in her own room. The twins
were having noisy romp in the nur-
sery; and when she looked in to say
good night, Fred fastened himself upon
her neck and begged to come and stay
with auntie; she yielded, and then Fred
began building card houses on the sofa,
until he got tired, when he curled him
self ina corner, and in two seconds was
fast asleep. Being very much interested
in her book, Virginia let the little fellow
sleep on, thinking that by-and-by she
would take him up to her own room and
put him to bed there, as she frequently
did. At last she fell asleep herself.
She never knew how long she slept,
but she had painful sensation, as if
somebody was trying to smother her;
and after struggling with the feeling for
some time, she slowly, and with great
effort, opened her eyes. Why what
had happened to the room The gas
must have gone Quit was totally dark
save Pickering CLEAN from the dying
fire on the hearth, and what a sickening
deadly smell there was. With lightning
rapidity, which is more like instinct
than thought, it suddenly flashed upon
her that the strange scent was-chloro-
form Then as she caught her frighten-
ed breath, and sank back into her chair,
a low sound of voices from the dining
room reached her ear. The door be-
tween the rooms was ajar, and she saw
a thread of light from it; the voice she
first heard was mans.
"Yer didn't give the young 'oman too
much, did yer? ?" it asked rather anx-
| iously.
81 wish had," returned Alice's low
and stealthy voice. ~ hate her. She sus-
poets me-"
"Ha ! hal" gurgled the man. She
must ha' been purity oncivil to yer; yer
usually gets on the right side of 'em. Is
that ERE pitcher silver or plate 2"
"Plate The silver is upstairs"
Virginia shook as she heard the venom
of that low voice. "She was Mr.. Lang
ley's lady-love till her old grandma stop