Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-09-20

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newsboy whomI had offended, and a
member of the Stock Exchange whom l
had failed to please. At one time the
balcony became unpleasantly crowded,
and again it was empty.
The sounds went on, and the crowbar
fell with disagreeable persistency. Just
then lady stepped on the balcony and
calmly entered my room.
"Would you be kind enough to tell
me what that noise is outside, asked.
"Ohr' said she, giving little scream.
rather astonished evidently. IA man
and bed-in the pariOr? What does
all this mean, please?'
s.Well, why not?" said /, rather Of
Tended, and with the egotism of illness.
Some scattering remnant OF what
once had been my intelligence sug-
gested that this young lady might be
one of Arthurs sisters, who had come
home Unexpectedly, and had stepped
forgive the dreams of a sick man) over
the balcony into the parlor.
.'Who are .yOu?' / asked. 10 +'.'.'-
Il am Helen Froment, the governess,
said she; 'sent down by Mrs. Clark for
some forgotten books. The train ran
off the track. 1 got here inst now.
have rung ana rung and rung, but as
no one let me in, l, seeing the blinds
open, naturally clambered lover the
iron railing, and here l am. Now, who
and what are you?'
Il am sick man, Horatio Bronson,
/ believe. Arthur brought me here"
'-Oh, of course! How absurd? He
wrote to his mother all about you. ]
had forgotten My nerves have been
SO shaken by that railroad accident
had forgotten that you were here.
beg thousand pardons for this intru-
sion. will creep up into my room
and disturb nobody r.es-
stop a minute, my mind is weak.
Turn up the gas, please. will you? How
do you happen to be called Helen Fro
ment, like the picture on the wall?''
The lady laughed and turned up the
gas. SIT is curious coincidence"
said she. 1.-The young ladies call me
the Rubens.' I am simply a German
girl, with common enough German
name, Helena Froment, the governess. "
took Il good look at her.
She was quiet girl, in a gray travel
ing dress, although l thought her
smiling, German face not unlike that of
the picture.
Then. the gas went down, and she
went off, and the crowbar went on fall
ing every five minutes outside, and the
little bell tinkled at three o o'clock.
About this time Arthur began to fade
cnnn,nI To fhot I ONLY,
him once after this. and then said to
him: ''Nice girl, Helen Froment," in a
jocular way.
He laughed and. said: "What queer
things you do say!''
II mean the governess, your sister
governess, hoping he would tell me
about her.
''Oh! yes; the governess; yes; ha
ha! Helen Froment. Oh! yes. Horatio
old fellow, keep cool; keep quiet
Yes. She is nice girl enough" but
he laughed and would not explain.
Arthur disappeared about this time
/ asked for him, and they said he haG
gone away. should have missed him
more, but Helen, Helen Froment, be-
came so devoted to me. She did not &C
back to Mrs. Clark with the books. She
staid and nursed me most assiduously
She could draw and paint very well in
water colors, and finding that this quie1
accomplishment amused without weary
ing me, she was kind enough to sit by
my side and let me watch her. Their
she told me quaint stories in a German
accent, and read poetry to me, and in 8
low recitative, or in sort of chant she
gave my weary ears the relief of pretty
and plaintive ballads of her own Ger
man land, which she sang in pure
simple ballad voice, the best of al
voices.
One hot evening she said to me: "Ds
you know what night this is? 1t is the
eve of st. John. Midsummer Night
when the spirits of men 60 forth to meet
God in the woods; the angels are al
about us.
And she drew with her water color.
for me little picture of procession O
Druids walking in forest, Will,
through the gothic arches of the tree.
long lines of white-winged angels cam,
down to meet them. l remember how
cleverly she touched in the wings will
a CLEAN of white.
But | was getting too much whit
about this time, and the strong whit,
drapery and the sad face of the Gene
began to trouble me. l asked Helen tt
put that picture away, so could no
see it. "That l can not do" said she
"but l can throw my dark shawl ovel
it, = and she did.
Helen Froment, meantime Rubens
Helen, continued to smile and be amia
BILE. asked the other Helen to max,
me little copy of that bright face, ant
to leave it where could tip it up will
my weak hand, and look at it littl,
nearer. i This she did, but when triet
| to grasp it, found out how weak was
l found that l could not even maste
that frail piece of paper.
"YOu must remember" said Helen
"you are still very ill.," and she lait
the sketch away in a drawer of nv lit
tie table.
Then l began to get better, 1 wa
strong, convaiescent. returned il
thought to the world, and with me int
the land. of health came the patien
girl who had now become my daily
companion. She did not take all tn
care of me. Two men seemed to dc
that | could not exactly tell where o.
when they came in, but just about will
the disappearance of Arthur, 1 should
say-that vague, uncertain period, no
far from the time when Helen came in
Somehow, did not care to ask ques
tons. Life was delightful enough
with the music, the painting, tn
poetry, which this accomplished CIR
brought into it. The other people mad
disagreeable noises, and were not al
together agreeable to feeble nerves