The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-17

without notice till one evening in early
April, when messenger rode swiftly
up Breakneck and burst into the house
where the three sat by the dim lamp,
Lucinda keeping up her monotonous
flow of words, the two sisters silent.
"She's dyin'," he said. "The doc
tors said she might live till you got
there"
= "Who?"
Miss Althea had risen, and stood now,
fierce and rigid, clutching the fright
ened boy as she spoke.
"Miss Templeton," he said, strug-
Cling away. "Hiram told me to get
you team"
"Run, then," Miss Althea screamed.
"The fastest Wallis got. Tell him to
be quick"
Lucinda burst into loud Crying.
"Be still, you fool p rang out Miss
Diantha's voice, with its old sharp COM
mand. "I'm goin' on the hoss," and
snatching her hood she ran to the
gate, climbed from the long -disused
horse-block to the horses back, and
with dangling stirrups and tapping
rein she held her place by sheer will, as
the frightened animal tore down the
hill and through the village street, still.
as speed slackened, urging him on over
the four miles between her and the
chance Of speech. Up hill and down,
through thick wood and between low
meadows, the rush of the swollen river
drowned in the clatter of hoofs, and at
last the faint, twinkling lights of the
farm. The horse stood with dropping
head and streaming fanks as she slid
from his back, and pushing aside the
startled and curious group about the
door went up the stairs and toward
the room to which Hiram pointed.
She passed swiftly in, the doctor and
attendant were motioned out by hand
so imperative that none could gainsay
it, and Diantha, bolting the door, turned
to the bed, and after one look at the
motionless form upon it, fell on her
knees and buried her face in the cover
let.
"I thought you'd feel bad, Dianthy,"
Miss Chloe said, the words coming
family, and as if from some remote dis.
tance. "I thought you'd come, an I
held out an waited. There isn't any
time now, but, Dianthy, you must prom
Use me one thing. You must go home
and let by-gones be by-gones. 1 want
you to be good to Althea."
Miss Diantha raised her face, white
and set, as if death had touched her,
too. She lifted her hand as she knelt.
"Don't, Dianthy - don't I" Chloe
cried, trying to 1ise.
"Before you that I've killed, swear
it," said Miss Diantha, solemnlg. GIVE
held my tongue for spite, an I'll hold
it now for punishment. The last word
l say to livin' soul I say to you now,
Chloe Templeton."
"Oh, Dianthy, don't" walled Miss
Chloe, falling back on her pillow, end
ing with this last appeal the long en-
treaty of her life. When Miss Aithea
entered with the doctor, the elder sister
sat motionless and silent by the bed. In
silence she pointed to Miss Althea as
the one to make arrangements, and
waited till nothing further remained to
be done. In silence she rode home, and
shut herself into her own room, and
there she remained till the hour for the
funeral services, held in the old church
on the common.
From every quarter the people flocked
in. No such opportunity had come for
years of seeing all the actors in this vii
lage tragedy, and Miss Diantha faced
them all with a composure that made
the more sensitive shiver, and moved
many to fierce anger. The old minister
broke down as he tried to tell the gen
tleness and patience of the soul that
had passed beyond need of human
words, and for an instant there was an
ominous rustic, as if then and there
Judgment must be had on those who
had lain on it burden too heavy to be
borne.
Miss Diantha stood by the grave
until the last shovelful Of earth had
been lain on. then turned and walked
home, stopping for a moment at the
village store. When Miss Althea and
Lucinda returned her door was shut,
and no sound was heard from the room
until next morning. But as they made
preparations for tea Miss Althea saw
that the three teapots and caddies had
been removed, and that an earthen one
and a tin caddy filled with Orange Pekoe
stood on the lower shelf, and knew that
by this sign Miss Diantha had spoken,
and renounced her will once for for all.
Years followed. Lucinda fingered,
unchanged in look, and clinging more
and more to Miss Althea, who had aged
suddenly when Chloe died, and who
made continued efforts to break Miss
Diantha's silence. But though a GER
tain wistfulness seemed at times to
show itself. she only, when appealed to,
shook her head solemnly, and retreated
to her room. What secrets the old
walls knew, who can tell? What sor.
row and late repentance But none
knew till a morning came when,
alarmed by the long silence, Miss Althea
went in to find her with wide-open eyes,
but powerless to move from the fool
where she had fallen. In the open
drawer of the old bureau lay Miss
Chloe's Bible, the worn volume of Mrs
Hemans, and near them the broken
fragments of the three teapots, each ii
folded napkin. ., ...
A week of quiet waiting, and then il
the hours between night and morning
Miss Diantha suddenly lifted her head
81 thought you'd come, Chloe" she
said, and with the words was gone.
When her will was opened the,
found, first, legacy of one Thousand
dollars "to Hiram Steele and wife fol
kindness to my sister Chloe" and thei
an order that on the plain tombston'
erected for her should be simply the
words: "Diantha Templeton, aget