Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-08-15
NV Miss Laura.

1f1cnQlcSS. MISS Laura LIZ Ncdlo lOuul
me one day, crying bitterly, took COM
passion on me and brought me to her
home. Miss Laura's mother was an in
valid and the care of the house devolved
upon Miss Knox. the housekeeper.
had been there year when the Rev.
Mr.. Walderon. the rector of St. Paul's, be-
came frequent visitor, and at last Mis- ;
Laura's accepted lover. re was not
handsome, but yet a man of splendid
presence; and, because of his love for my
mistress, and for his commanding figure
and noble bearing, I came to look up to
him with reverence, almost with worship.
-Four years slipped by. One day
Miss Knox told me that Miss Laura's
cousin, Philip Lansing, had returned from
abroad. She also informed me that he
and Miss Laura had once been lovers;
that he wanted her 10 run off, but she re-
fused. He was heir to million, and
bound body and soul to his uncle. Miss
Laura was too poor to please the Cd man
and having spirit Of her own she re-
fused to marry the nephew.
The weeks passed on. began to no.
tice 6: change in Miss Laura. She had
not b' en- won't to sit brooding over her
thoughts, but she did now. I noticed
that her cousin often called in tho early
morning, and that she spent much time
with him; that when he had gone, she
was pale, preoccupied in fact, entirely
unlike herself. also saw that she went
oftencr to her money desk, and something
weighed upon her spirits; that now and
then she went out in a sort of disguise;
bat of f1r0 fhn, nh
my mind was full Of terrible misg1vings.
One night l sat up waiting for her till
the clock struck eleven. I knew the rec
tor had gone sometime before, and was
wondering what had become of Miss
Laura, when the door flew open and she
came in.
Her face was startlingly pale, and her
eyes, unnaturally large, seemed to scin-
tillate with quick fiery flashes. For a
moment was frightened, but at sight of
me her countenance changed. She nod.
ded and smiled in her own pretty fash
ion; then. going straight to the mirror,
she suddenly gloomed again, and began,
in an absorbed way, to pull the pins out
of her hair.
won't you let me do that for you. Miss
Laural" asked.
"Not now-l'm in hurry; my hair is
80 heavy. it hurts me--my head has
ached all the evening" You may do it up
gown, chid-the easy chair: that is COM
Portable. don't often keep you up 80
late, Renie. How cold your hands are!"
1t was not that my hands were cold
it was that her head was hot, it throbbe
heavily at the temples, and it almost
seemed as if the thick warm masses of
golden brown palpitated as they fell
over my arm, in rich, unrestrained lux
uriance.
At length the long coil was combed
and carefully fastened just above the
nape of the shapely neck.
'That will do,' she SAID, almost i'm
patiently, for still fingered. Il can get
along myself now.'
Then I heard one quick, passionate
sob, but her face was hidden from me,
for she had thrown both arms over her
head, and the drapery concealed her
features.
I left her reluctantly, feeling that
trouble had comc-troubie between my
beautiful mistress and the rector of St.
Paul's. Was it on account of her hand
some cousin? Vainly tried to sleep.
The easily fancy that she was sobbing on
the other side OF the wall haunted me.
What if she still loved Philip Lansing?
The grave, proud face Of Mr.. Walderon
seemed to tighten in disdain as caught
myself acting the part of Miss Laura in
an imaginary dramatic episode, he learn
ing the fact that the woman he loved had
been wooed, almost won, and thrown
aside, and that still her heart throbhed
at sig lat of her old lover.
On awaking the following morning,
found the sun shining broadly in my
room. Miss Laura was an earley riser,
and must have rung for me. Hastily
dressing, I hurried to her room. She
was up, sitting in the great arm chair
listlessly, like one dreaming with open
eyes.
did you ling for me?'' asked.
"l2 Yes. l believe I did, she re-
piled, with a start. "Dress me as quick
ly as you cam she added, with forced
quiet; II will have my breakfast brought
up stairs. You can make some excuse to
Miss Knox-say am not we'll land really
annot. I don't care at all about break
fast. but. as am going out, I suppose
had better eat something"
I dressed her, and had tray with
coffee and toast sent up. When she had
finished, she summoned me again.
"Renie, go put On your plainest
wraps" she said, ''and thick veil, and
wait for me in the library. I want you
ogo with me this morning"
Wondering at her manner, so quie
and self-contained, so almost humble
more than at the message, arrayed my
self in waterproof cloak, and drew &
thick veil closely over my hat,and waited
for her as she had directed. She came III
presently, hablted almost like a nun.
could see how white her lace was under
the muller she had drawn across it.
Placing in my care a parcel and 6
small basket, she led the wav, leaving
word with servant that she might no
be back to luncheon.
That the errand, whatever 1t was, was
secret one, knew by her manner, fo
from some inward agitation. For sever
al squares we walked along silently, and
on turning the corner of an obscure
street, she was joined by gentleman
whose tace did not see at first, bu
whose irm, elegant figure was unfanil
lar to me. %ssR - '~s =
I heard Miss Laura say, in answer t
some iow-voiced remark: so
~ can trust her--theres no risk, Phil
ip." f&.. *|sa
So this was the handsome cousin! On
pressed with almost overpowering anxiet
fell back step, or, two, and followe
slowly and I'm willingly. ! g +
On and on they went together, talkin
but little, and in low tones till they ha'
reached the lower plane, locally an
morally, of the city,. <f'2 H. s., =. + Z.
The house before which We stopped q
last was somewhat different from its SUI
roundings. twas fanked on one sid
by grim, deserted looking warehouse
on the other by an old Dutch church
whose few leaning, moss-covered head
stones in the small graveyard in iron
seemed sinking with age into the YIELD
ing turf. The house was grim and fade
%haal AZ. 4.