The Lake Charles echo., 1879-04-19

1Ugb Huu LusbJ culaiI -SAo$A~-i
! the station, with an ancient affair on
four wheels, drawn by an animal not al
all unlike the solemn old man, vino said
his name was Dark, and whom j shocked
unutterably by calling him MIR. Dark.
I had plenty of time for reflection as
we left the highway, turning up through
an avenue of paternal hemluckE, to the
no less forbidding house, with quantity
of wings and windows, a rambling porch,
and one or two statues on tine terraces
all sogey with rain, and Uttered over with
dropings from the pines, whose funeral
branches had for many years kept the
sunshine from that gloomy portal
Il staid, elderly woman, II g respect
able silk gown, met me at tine door with
the intelligence that my aunt was quite
put out at having the tea kept waiting
a quarter of an hour, which accepted
as an omen OF q bad beginning.
She was already sitting at the head OF
the table In. the dining room--a gaunt
apartment, with high ceiling, heavy
mahogany furniture, with tall silver
candlesticks,
a paliid old woman, with snow-white
hair, and burning black eyes, with all
their old fire still smouldering in their
depths.
She held out one hand shrouded in a
black lace mitten.
Come here And so you are my
niece? But you are no Rushton. She
has gent me the plainest one, Of course.
Well, cured your mother Tor her
beauty years ago. i am glad 1shall not
be reminded of it il you. Sit down
there, at the loot, and don't keep me
waiting. Hand her the tray, Stevens"
The pale, ghostly glimmer OF the wax
lights on the Ruanton plate, the wins
pering of the wind in those gloomy trees,
the rustic OF the silk gewn as Stevens
came and went between my new mistress
and ], taken with the etrangeness of the
and the remembrance of poor
little mammy,s fearful speeches, and the
plaintive song Of the robin, deprived me
If my appetite, and j only minced at
,he cprrant jam and biscuit.
Stevens cleared away the things,
eaving the cloth and candles, and, stand
ng at the back of Miss Rushton's chair,
'he wheeled her nearer the fire. My
aunt was paralytic, then.
In spite of that hard face and those
ierce eyes, q sudden, strange pity filled
ne. How hard it must have been, how
aard for one in whose veins still flowed
.he wild current of the Rushton blood,
She beckoned me to her side impa-
,ientiy.
GO j want to say, Agnes, that if your
mother sent you here, thinking to make
much of it, she is mistaken. i take you
INTO my service as / would any worthy
and disinterested young person. j shall
pay You your wages quarterly, forty
pounds sterling per year and your
living, which is ali you will be worth
and i do not intend to add one rourd or
promise any favors from the fact of
your being Gerald Rushton's daughter.
Yoa understand 2"
nodded silently, feeling too much
aurt TO trust my voice.
&" Stevens, my cabinet"
She unlocked the box and took out
,ome bank notes with her gloved hand.
q" j make ii rule to give one quarter
n advance. Here are ten pounds. Ste
sens win aceuaint you with your duties
md show you to your chamber. j shall
not require you before nine in the
Good night"
Not tired, but glad to escape from
that room, j ventnred to raise one thin
,and to my lips, but ahrank back-4those
fingers were icy-cold.
j WAS not naturally a timid girl, but
'he lofty corridors, highly vaulted pas
'ages, and shadowy room, hung with
tapestry, made me feel cold
and frightened. Everything about the
room Was dark and ponderous. Some-
now, the canopied bedstead, with its
1loodrred curtains, made me think of
'he tower where the princes were stran-
,led. j declined the assistance of the
maid, and Stevens retired, leaving me
me waxslight, which threw gigantic
shadows on the wall. My duties were
aot hard or various. i was toansuse my
.nnt when she bade me; be always at |