The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-02-02

be mentioned here for its connection
with my story.
A slenderly formed woman, in deep
est mourning, and yelled blackly al
Ness to her feet, appeared at the door
way II the "ladies' parlor," and with
= few hasty strides was crossing the
hall toward the stairway, when sudden
ly, witr half-suppressed scream--an
exclNilas;~sa Of mingled recognition and
dread--shS .ossed her arms wildly up
ward and fell to the floor.
The few people happening to be near
rushed TO her assistance. She was lift
ed gently and placed in reclining at
titude upon the sofa; but the fact be-
came Immediately evident that what
ever had been the nature Of her attack,
it had not left her in swoon. She
resisted, with sufficient vivacity to at
test her consciousness, any attempt to
battle her temples or give her more air !;
and presently, ut her own order, was
lifted into an armchair by the servants
and carried up stairs.
As we approached the gay group up
on the shore, beyond whom my gloomy
mood had perceived with satisfaction a
clear expanse of solitude, what was my
dismay TO hear Alfred Colt exclaim,
"Why, here, as good luck will have
il, we chance upon our own party
Mimi, and May, and Meta, and the
boys. But who," he added, in tone of
soliloquy, sis the center piece of this
family monument? A stranger to me,
am sure. DO you recognize her, Bob ?
the girl in the red jacket"
The young lady thus unceremonious-
ly sketched crmed the apex of the pyra-
mid that had been improvised upon the
wreck. Her scarlet jacket defined WV
idly softly curved figure; the delicate
ly shaped face, turned from US almost
10 profile, had its animated contour
cast into relief by pale background
Of blue mist; while the winds, pushing
back to full length cluster OF light
brown curls, along with the dark plume
of coquettish little hat, gave, in con-
junction with the jackets martial dash
OF color, quite spirited air-a sort of
liberty-cap or banner-aloft look to the
whole group.
The taDleau, however, did not stay
for elaborate criticism, but at the first
recognition Of our approach tumbled to
pieces like Chinese puzzle.
The boys rushed upon us with the
ferocious appetite Of two young canni-
balls. Mimi flew to ALI with kiss, and
came very near bestowing upon me the
same sisterly etfusion of regard. Meta
chung TO Alf's arm, and beamed I'M
feignedly gracious upon the next re-
move TO that prime object of her
warmth. May, the petted romp, made
her dual greeting cordially felt, and
then introduced her companion:
Miss Reed, MIR. L.; Miss Helen
Reed, my brother ALI"
We strolled leisurely along the beach.
Mimi, with charming air of matron-
liness-she had been married six
months-attached herself to me. ALI
sauntered before US, Meta on his arm,
and conversing with Miss Read. May
prowled restlessly about, evidently dy-
ing to bare her feet like the boys, and
wade in the wake Of the surf.
am soglad you came, said Mimi;
"there il TO be ball tonight fancy
ball, no masks. 1t was impossible for
George to be here, and mother and /
were wishing for escorts. ALI always
IS providential, dear fellow, and
What do you think Of Miss Reed?"
Calamity checking the words that
arose to my lips, 'sReally, had not
thought" and unable at that moment to
reproduce in mental visions the picture
that had formed itself upon my retina
from the wreck, now deliberately OBJ
served the young creature as she chat
ted with ALI.
"a very nice girl, / should think"
1--WE think her . beauty" said Mimi.
Certainly she is, as you say, a per-
fectly lovely girl; favorite school
friend Of Metals and mine, and we had
not seen her in three years until now,
although she lives in New York.
But no one ever sees her there.
That Is part Of the mystery
which, suppose, really adds to our adj
miration. And, poor girl, even here she
j. prisoner almost. A stroll in the
morning, occasionally coming down to
battle, and after that not q glimpse of
her all day. She Is in constant attend
ance upon an invalid aunt, dreadful
creature-invisible of course. Even at
school we had no idea where she lived.
Miss c. knew, l suppose; but we
schoolgirls never could find out, or
never Couid, rather; for any suggcs-
ton Of walking home with Ellen gave
her such evident distress that she was
too much liked to be hurt for curiosity's
sake; and in school she was the life OF
her class--one of those electric sort of
girls, you know, who always seem to
create circle OF animation. And
So my companion affectonately rat
tied on, and would no doubt have con-
tinued atfectionately to rattle on, had
we not reached the fishing place; and
all her energies we're diverted from me