Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-08-11
Ny Miss Laura.

When twelve yeals old my mothers
death made me an orphan, poor and
fricndless. Miss Laura De NeaIe found
me one day, crying bitterly, took com
passion on He and brought me to her
home. Miss Laura's mother was an in
valid and the care of the house deyolycd
upon Miss Knox, the housekeeper.
| had been there q year when the Rev
Mr.. Walderon. the rector of st. Panl's, be
came frequent visitor, and at last Mis- !
Laura's accepted lover. He was not
handsome, but yet a man Of splendid
presence; and, because of his love for my
mistress, and tor his commanding figure
and noble bearing, j came to look up to
him with reverence, almost with worship
Four years slipped 10y. 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 to run off, but she re-
fused. He was heir to a million. and
bound body and soul TO his uncle. Miss
Laura was too poor to please the o man
and having spirit of her own she re-
fused to marry the nephew.
The weeks passed on. | began to no.
-sice a change in Miss Laura. She had
not been wont to sit brooding over her
thoughts, but she did now. | noticed
that her cousin often called in the 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
'oftener to her money desk, and something
weighed upon her spirits; that now and
then she went out in q sort of disguise {;
but l dared hot even conjecture, thou Oh
my mind was full of terrible misg1vinys.
One night sat up waiting for her till
the clock struck eleven. | 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 stastlingly 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 Der hair.
Won't you let me do that for you Miss
Aaurae" | asked.
"Not noW--im in hurry: INV hair is
80 heavy! it hurts me--my head has
aehed all the evening. You May do it up
for the nieht~-there! now, my dressing
gown, child-the easy chair = that is com
Portable. don't often keep you up so
late, Renie. How cold your hands are y
It was not that my hands were cold
1t was that her bead was hot, it throbbc1
heavily at the temples, and it almost
seemed as if the thick warm masses of
goldeh brown palpitated as they fell
over nay arm, in rich, unrestrainea lux
uriaaoe.
At length the long coil was eoSabed
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 1 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.
left her reluctantly, feeling that
trouble had ecme-troubie between my
beautiful mistress and the rector of St.
Paul's. Was it on account of her hand |
some cousin? Nainly | tied to sleep.
The easily fancy that she was sobbing on
the other side OF the wall haunted me.
What II she still loved Philip Lansing?
The grave, proud face of Mr.. Walderon
seemed to lighien 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 throbbed
at sight OF her old lover.
On awaking the following morning, /
found the sun shining broadly in nv
room. MISC Laura was an earlev riser,
and must have rung for me. Hastily
dressing, | 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?" I asked.
II? Yes. believe 1 did," she re-
piled, with start. "Dress me as quick.
~ as you cam" she added, with forced
quiet; II will have my breakfast brought
Up stairs. You can make some excuse to