New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-17
CHAPTER XXXII-CONTINUED.


And Rose. too, went to bed early She had
great deal of her mother in her She recognized the
advantage of getting rid of herself, if not in any
more pleasant way. then in that. But she could
not sleep when SHE wished, which is quite different
thing from going to bed. She seemed to SEQ as
plainly possible. dangling before her with all lis
red seals, the packet which was to bc opened her
twenty first birthday. Why shouldn't 1t be opened
now What could 1T matter To anyone, and especl-
ally to papa, whether, it was read now two years
hence Rose was nineteen; from nineteen is not
long step to .one-aild-twenty. And what If that
packet contained the paper that SaymOTe had wit
messed She had told Anne she ought to open it.
She had almost opened IL herself while Anne looked
on. If She only could get ut il now
Next morning rcmarka6le event occurred,
Anne drove out with Mr. Loseby to see the Dover
house at Lilford, and report upon it. The old law
yer was very proud as she took her seat by him in
hope everybody will u.s. he said. Il should
Ike all the people in the county to see Qncen Anne
young fellows that would give their ears to b, me
badness and all. Every dog has his day. and some
We get it,.
'Remcmber Anne said Mrs Mountford that if
It is the least damp will have nothing to do with
Rose watched from the old bow-window with the
round panes to see them drive away. She waved her
hand to Anne, but she was scarcely conscious what
she was doing, her heart beat much. She sent
her maid ont to match some ribbon which She knew
would take long time to match. and then Rose
made a general survey of the rooms. They all
opened oil square vestibule, or more correctly an
antechamber. She went through her mothers fist
carelcssly, If looking for sonnet hing: then
through her own; and only went to Annes as the
last. Her heart beat high, but she had no feeling
that she was going to do anything hat wrong.
How could 1T he wrong to read letter a little
earlier than the time appointed for reading it. III
there had been anything to say that Rose not
toread il at ALL then il might have been wrong; but
what could 1t possibly matter whether it was read
in two yearsP To be sure it was not adj
dressed To Rose but what of thats Except Cosmos
letters, which OF course exceptional, being
lOve-eteTS, all correspondence If the family in
common-and especially, of all things in the world,
heart beat as she went into Anne room. The dis
patch box generally stood 10y the writing-table,
Id was shut down To day, which gave her IA great
fright. But it was not locked, as she had feared.
She got down on her lnees before it and peeped IN.
There was the little drawer IN which 1t had been
placed. drawer scarcely big enough to contain it.
trembling hands. One bit of the came off of
itself. Had Anne been taking peep, too, though
she would not permit Rose TO do so No: there was
no abrasion OF the paper no break of the seal.
Rose suddenly remembered that the very seal her
father had used was at this moment her mothers
desk. She got up hastily to get IT, but then,
membering. took ont the packet and carried it with
not OF Annes and 1t would not do to scatter scraps
of the red wax about Anne's room and betray her
self. She carried ii away stealtlily a mouse.
Whiskng cut and IN of the doors. Her cheeks
flushing, her hands trembling. Now, whatever it
was, III minute more she would know all IL bout il.
Never in her life had Roses little being been in such
n commoton. Not when her fathers will read:
not when that gentleman at Cannes made her her
frst proposal; for at neither OF these moments had
there been any alarm i'll her mind for what was COM
Ing. The others might have suffered, perhaps, but
not She.
, Mrs Mount ford complained afterwaTd that she
Rose Anne
asked when she came back full of the Dowerhouse,
and anxious to recommend it to all concerned.
After INQUIRIES everywhere IL was found that Rose
was lying down III her room with bad headache.
She had made the maid when she returned from her
frulteSs quest for the ribbon, which could not he
matched, draw down the blinds and there she lay
i'll great state just as Mrs. MountfOrd herself did i'll
similar circumstances. Anne, who went up to
her came down with half smile on her lips.
She says II is like one of your headaches,
mamma and she will keep still till dinner
That is the best thing she do said Mrs.
Mountiorl II she can get a little sleep she will
Secretly it must be allowed that Anne was more
amused than alarmed by her little sisters ndispo-
sition. Mrs. Mountford had been subject to such
retlrements as long as anyone could remembers and
Roses gct-up was very careful imitation of her
mother s-eau de Cologne and water on "A char be
side her sofia wet handkerchief spread upon her
head. her HAIR let down and streaming the
pillow.
Don't let any one take any notice, she said in
FAINT little voice. If am let alone L shall soon
be better
Nobody shall meddle with Won, said Anne
half-laughng. And then she retired downstairs to
discuss the house with Mrs. Mountford, who was
only han an authority when Rose was not by.
and tie dis6eveled locks Ross head
ing. with fever but with thinking She had
adopted his eXpedlent to gain time, because she
narEet IieI thon%h WIN ~ 10 o ne
expenditure OF wax than the original was safely
returned to the dispatch box. But Rose had been
80 startled by the information she had received
that further action had become impossible to her.
What was she TO do Z She not going to Sit
IL,
live on for two years knowing all about it. How
could she do that This was "a drawback that she
had not fOrcseen: information clandestinely OBJ
tanned Is always a dreadful burden to carry about
How was she to live for two years knowing that
and pretending not to know il? Never before IN
her life had the current OF thought run so hot In
her little BRAN. What was she to doi " as there
nothing she could do She lay still for some
minutes after Anne had left her. To be in such a
dilemma and not to be able to tell anybody-not to
ask anNbOlIys adVIcel She thought once of rush
ing to kcZlah putting the her of someone
else. But how could Keziah tell her what TO do
At last a sudden CLEAN OF suggestion shot through
Roses brain; she spIang halt up on her sofa, for
getting the headache. At this period she was i'll a
kind OF irresponsible immoral condition. not aware
that she meant any HARM thinking only OF defend
ing herself nom danger which she had just dis
covered, which nobody else knew. She must de-
fend herself. II Iobber is after you in the dark
and you strike ont wildly and hurt someone who is
on your side who is trying TO defend VOLTS that
yOur faultI Self-detence was the first thing the
only thing. that CURED TO Rose Alter it came
into her mind IN the sole way in which il was pos
sible she took no time to thInk, but rushed at il,
and did 1t without a moments pause. She wrote a
letter, composing II hurriedy, but with great care
1t was not long. but IT meant great deal. 1t
so much Importance, had been addressed. to
'Cosmo Douglas, esd, Middle Temple What
could little Rose be writing to CosIro Douglas
abOutY She slid il into her pocket when, still very
much flushed and excited. she went down to dinner
and carried 1t about with her till quite late IN the
evening. when, meeting Saymore with the bag
which he about to send oil to the post Office
she stopped HIM on the stairs and put il III with her
hand.
This was the history of Roses day-the day when
she had that feyerlsh attack which alarmed All the
said it was nothing and happily il came to nothing.
But who could prevent mother from being
alarmed when her child suddenly appeared with
checks 80 flushed and pulse that was positively
racing. Mrs. Mountford said However, fortunately,
the patient herself always predicted q nights
rest set 1T all right