Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-09-29

fled at such sight coming suddenly
upon them she averred.
"lou are none of you without
your fair share of common sense, -
said Miss Mildred. "And Won ran
deliberately plan and aid and abet
deed like this!"
She tossed the image out into the
dark, open chamber.
with an angry exclamation, FL.
trlda was springing after it, but she
found herself held back by a strong
! hand.
mo, girls! That same thing has
been done in this very house once
before. Wait till | tell you what
came of it before you try again to
carry il Out.r
AT the thought of hearing a story
Elfrida forgot her momentary anger
aud crowded in beside us. near the
chair at the window, where Miss
Mildred had seated herself.
She looked at us very sadly. The
halt,light may have deceived me,
but | thought then, and l still
think. that her keen, gray eyes
were full of tears, as she began to
speak.
~ did not always live here by
myself, girls, in the old homestead"
she said. Five aud twenty years
ago, my dear mother aud father
were here; and had darling
brother, one year older than myself,
named Oliver, and sister younger
than either of us, who was called
lsadore, after the heroine of STORY
that my mother had read, and liked
very much, just before her birth.
81 was always tall, and thin, and
gaunt, as yon see me now. girls. |
took after my father. He looked
well enough, for man. mind YOU.
But his features and figure did not
suit girl, and | WAS always called
'honcIy' from Il child.
"But Oliver was handsome. like
our mother. He had great blue
eyes and brown curling hair, and
the brightest color and the sweetest
smile. And lsadore was like him,
only far more beautiful. You have
seen her portrait down stairs"
What that lovely, that angelic
child Y cried Eltrida, wonderingly.
IL thought that was an artists
ideal picture y
at was the image Of our Isadore
ut nine years of age" replied Miss
Mildred, trying TO cover the sudden
break aud trenble in her voice by a
loud "hem r.
"And AT sixteen she was far be.
yond that painting for beauty
continued Miss Mildred. .'Strangers
used to stop IN the street to look at
her aud TO inquire who she was.
But she appeared TO know nothing
aud care nothing about her Won.
deriul good looks. She WAS good
and gentle and always amiabie,
without the least apparent sign of
vanity"
"'Ripe for heaven orr good old
minister used 10 say. wish she
might have gone there then y said
Miss Mildred, with a stiiled eroan.
"She did not die then !" exclaimed
El!rida. al WIS so afraid you were
going to tell us of her death -
"She did not die, God help herr
replied Miss Mildred, with sigh so
deep and sad that it was almost
groan. "Here, in this very wing.
chamber, my brother Oliver thought
of it, she said. alter a long panse.
"Here he called me to help him de.
eide how TO carry out tue plan. You
see, girls, lsadore was like your
friend Evelyn she possessed great
courage. She seemed TO have no
fear Of anything Oh earth. Oliver
knew this; so did 1. And neither
of us expected anything more than
a hearty laugh at her expense, or
at our own, when the evening trolic
ended.
at was Hallow Eve. Isadore
and her dearest friend, a Miss Nancy
Bruce, twho lived then at The farm
inst below this one,) had agreed 10
try fate, with spells on that even.
ing. They dared each other 10
one thing and Other, and finally
lsadOre pledged herself 10 go into
the lonely old north rooms, with a
candle, at 9 o'clock that evening,
and eat an apple before Grand.
mamma Thorn's great mirror that
had been stored away there for
safe. keeping for fifty years or more.
"fou see, girls, the idea was, that