Frostburg mining journal., 1881-11-26

1 Btruck Matcu ana uBnteu bne
lamp. He gave sudden start, and
turned away his head.
"Padon me" b, said. "but am suf-
fering from an acnte inflammation Of
the eye; cannot bear any light"
"Put it out, DEAR commanded my
sister, and I obeyed, my curiosity all
unsatisfed
l stood listening silently as he and
Helen talke'1. He was greatly in need,
he said, of quiet home Our advertise
ment had strangely attracted him, and,
though perhaps not as yet decrepit by
age, he felt he might be safely written
down as elderly, especially since this
painful condition of his eyes made it
for q time impossible for him to do any
thing save sit in darkened room.
His voice was in his favor certainly.
His manner, too. was that Of man
well.born, well-bfed. could see that
Helen looked iayorably Gpon him, and
was not surprised when the arrange
ment was closed between them.
Rising to go, he handed her his
card, and written upon it was his bank
er's address
"You can make any inquiries there,
Miss Ray" he said; "and, unless hear
from you to the contrary, I will take
possession on Thursday next"
Thursday and this was Saturday.
Only four more days for Helen and me
to be alone together
Scarcely had the door closed upon
him than burst into bitter tears.
"He shall not come !" cried "We
will starve ffstp
"Why, D0isy, did you not like him,
dear? OF course he shall not come, if
you object but he offered ussuch very
liberal terms, and seemed so quiet and
unassuming thought you would feel
as I did, that we had been most fortu.
nate Let us wait until morning." she
added, "before we decide anything"
Her advice proved good. The full
glare of the day showed the thing in q
more prosnic and sensible light. The
very end for which We had heen strug-
Cling was attained, and | had been un-
wiling to accept it. My ingratitude
deserved to be punished.
The next week, in the twilight as
before, Douglas Sage arrived. There
was large bookcase, several boxes of
books, reading lamp, an easy-chair, y
varied assortment Of smoking parapher-
MALTA, as accompaniments, to give u
enewed proof OF masculine element
under our roof tree.
For two weeks everything worked
smoothly. Except for subtle odor of
Cigar smoke about the halls, and a
daintily-prepared tray three times q
day, we could almost fancy no change
had taken place in our household.
Mr.. Sage asked that for time his
| u6aS Luibnt bS bSIfett III u1n IOOlui he
his eyes could not MS yet stand the light.
IT seemed scarcely right to leave him
all day alone in that darkened chamber,
unable to read, to write, or to do aught
to while away the slow, tedious hours
1t was Helen's suggestion that she or
occasionally should read to him.
CAT his age and in his condition of
health it really seemed our duty" she
said.
Somehow it fell to my share to carry
out her suggestion. He accepted my
suggestion most eagerly, and so it grew
habit that should devote to him two
hours Of each day. For the rest of the
time, as / have said, Helen and I might
sorget his existence.
he had been with US month, when,
one evening, We received from London
q message that my fathers sister, al
old lady, was very i'll, and desired that
one of us should come to her at once.
had been suffering al day with y
nervous headsche; therefore, it fell to
Heien's lot to 40. The evening seemed
very long without her, as I sat alone in
our pretty sitting-room.
Above my head could hear our guest
walking to and fro. He seemed strange
ly restless Tonight. Had his restless
ness impaired itself 10 me?
At 10 o'clock closed the house and
went to my own room, but was wakeful
and could not sleep, even after l had
prepared for bed; SO, throwing on a
wrapper, after two wakeful hours, sat
down to read,
In the Times, which had carelessly
picked up, was a long account of rob
berry committed in house located in
one of the suburbs, where one OF gang
of thieves had obtained admittance as
lodger, thus opening the way to the
others.
The whole thing had been most
adroitly done, and the police were on
the track of the thieves, who it was sus-
pected we're in hiding and disguise.
Disguisel Why did this latter word
suddenly brand itself upon my brainP
Why did Douglas Sage's spectacles sud
denly loom up before mel Why did I