New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-06
WHAT THE BAG SAID TO AlINE.

VIAL HE DhO NhlD ~ hIA4NE'
fortnight had elapsed; the low sunlight cast
gigantic shadows of crosses Rue Ste. Croix.
A knock came to Miss Marthas door. lt was re-
peated when answer came, End then the voice OF
the old maid cried quernlOusJy, Who 10 there ]
What do Won want y After awhile the door opened
and Aline and Miss Martha stood face To face. 10
was the Ist time they had met since that bag had
been riiled by prUane hands
health and strength had yslbly declined. II the
freshness and sparkle of her expression had faded
there was vet upon it. perceptIble through the DIS
turbance caused by Gnwelcome WIS., the seren-
ity that comes from intercourse with The dead.
She glanced askancc at Aline. AMI did not invite
her to enter. should like to speak to you Miss
Martha, said the Young girl tinldly. There Is no
hurry. can wait here until you are ready To re
ceive me. Tho concierge PROMISED TO return TO
take me back to the convent Il did not want to
see any Of my convent pupils again. they nave
made me suffer TOO much Miss Martha SAID, with
EXPLOSION She turned away hut she did not shut
the door, and Allne accepting this as negative IN
vitati0n, made a step or two into the room. she
Jaw that il had once been a pretty apartment,
drapod with the cOgnetty OF white curtalns and
pink ribbon; il looked to-day at If the owner had
grown weary OF the task OF arranging and mad al
lowed the dust To accumulate and the hanglngs 10
drag Miss Marthas bag was on the table, ITS CON
tents taken out evidently Allne had disturbed the
old maid i'm the midst of her memories. With fever
ish haste Miss Martha began TO put lack her treas
urrs speaking aloud in curt detached sentences,
yehcuently. one accustomed to speak to herself
They jeercd at his words-his sacred words.
Monkeys. chatterng and grinning at a marty rdOm.
The good mother says Lay yo1r SORROW AT the
iect of the Virgin will lay IT nowhere; ] will
keep il where 1t ls-in my heart Yes IN my heart.
Ii is my possession; have cared for nothing else
all those years. have enyied nobody elSeS JOY,
because had it, would not have exchanged 1t
my sOrrOw-for any ones happiness. say to my
self |, the old. grotesque poor woman, | had his
love; ana when we meet again he will know that /
thought of him To the end he Thought of me-.
linen suddenly looking up at Alne, and address
ing her: If you have come like the Others like
the Mere and the sisters to ask me to part with my
bag ami come back to teach. you may 20. 1t is
no use; | will not part with it-therc | will not
no, not for a day-not for an hour-not for mo-
uent.'
ing the old maid who had sat down after the last
words The girl knelt by the chair a velyety look
was in her eyes. She spoke ardently in a concise
voice. | have come to ask yO1 to accompany me
into the cOuntry-tO be with III my grandfather's
chateau We shall be so we'll there
An expression the old maids face seemed to
say she would not go. She was well here in this
room, where she had spent so many years with her
Past.
i am going there for while Aline's voice
trembed and fell away a blush arose. She re,
sumed quickly: You will see how well we shall
he at the chateau; it stands in the midst of woods;
you will he able to take those long country walks
YOU like to take, aud pick the wild flowers. And
the bagi Oh! yes, the bag is to come with US. l
want it alsOp
with lowered brOws.
YES replied Aline. in that husky tone of emo
ton; if it has SAID SO much to yOu, it has said
something to me-something that may alter all my
life
Your life.' said Miss Martha, surprised, almost
jealous.
Yes repeated Alne. hesitating, yet resolved to
speak. You see had 10 lis,en when Refine read
those letters. 1t was as if something held me
there; and when you left and every one was gone.
still there was as II were, voice speaking TO me.
| tried to shut my to it, for said to myself it
may he an evil sprit-One of temptation. | went TO
the chapel and prayed and prayed; still it was
there talking 10 me-the voice of the young man
killed. 1t was as if had laid my hand upon his
heart and felt its thrObs and he had come TO be my
friend He was always by me-in the convent, in
church. in the garden. thought heard his step
keeping pace with mine as went up and down the
convent stairs. | almost thought saw him, his
brave young face loking at NE as he pleaded fOr-
for il seemed to me-a comrade. All we used to
argue together, to fall out, to be reconced. He
would say: How do you know that 1t is not to
that one who told you his love- that YOU are sert
One heart comfored may be asked of you-ons life
made little happier, little nObler for your in
fluence over it," All! Miss Martha, have prayed,
and prayed, to know if 1t was my own poor heart
that spoke to me if it was an evil spirit or true
one who haunted me. | don't know yet. don't
know. But | told il all to the Mere Sup6reure,
and to my COnfessor They advised me to leave the
school for while-to go into the world, IL test my
heart there. And so said to myself, shall go to
Miss Martha-to the woman this dead friend loved.
shall ask her TO come with me-to come into the
country. va shall all three 20 together-all three
Aline ended abruptly, with a little laugh that
had tears in It.
The old maid listened. sitting bolt upright amaze
ment depicted on her countenance. She had ut hrst
interrupted with such EXPLANATIONS as He said
that TO .yOuf lie said that' But toward the
close OF Alines speech she looked straight at her,
and as she looked beam touched the old face, and
woke new EXPRESSION upon 1t. 1t seemed as II all