Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-01-16


& And life De only pleasure.
From Finley's Magazine.l
IN THE CEDAR CHAMBER
It would be almost impossible TO dis
cover any one more entirely devoid o
superstition than myself. Nevertheless
when I was II years old an event hap
pened which caused me to believe min'
haunted life. [ was staying in Paris
at the house OF my guardian, Sir Charles
c., and dressing for my first bal
"a ball at the English embassy. Ny
dress, a triumph OF Partisan taste, hai
been fastened, aud l stood before thu
glass while my maid arranged the flow
ers in my hair. A splendid bouquet lay
beside my gloves and fan upon the tot
let table.
"Ah, now mademoiselle is beantiful!'
exclaimed my maid, Justine, in French,
as she stepped back to survey her work
anmiringly.
I blushed with pleasure. It was the
first compliment that had been paid me,
and my glass told me it was true.
s. | wonder who sent me these flow
ers?' [ said, taking up the bouquet
preparatory to leaving the room.
/" Mademoiselle will doubtless discover
her admirer among her partners to
night" was the girls reply.
At this moment there was a knock al
the door. A telegram was handed te
me.
"Mrs. Northcote is dangerously ILL.,
and wishes to see her stepdaughter be-
fore she dies
Startled, dismayed, but beyond al
measure vexed at receiving such an un
timely message, I dropped the paper
upon the floor "Bring me railway
guide-quick!' l said to Justine.
Mrs. Northcote was my stepmother,
but we have never met. My father had
made mesalliance out in India by tax.
ing half caste for his second wife, and
when he died he lett to his widow, for
her life, the family estate of Grows.
nest, to which he had only just succeed
ed. I found by the railway guide that
if l changed my dress with speed there
was time to catch the last train that
night from Paris. By noon next day ]
should reach Dashire, in which county
C1owsnest is situated.
"Justine," cried, excitedly, i" bring
me my travelling dress. You must go
with me tonight to England"
"M0,a dieat, n1ade27a05selle! Would
you take off that ravishing dress that suite
you to such marvel? Would you give
up the ball." o.,
Once more looked at my reflection
in the glass. Once more took up the
railway time table to study its contents.
At 8 o'clock next morning there was an.
other train. Meditatively
raised the bouquet to my face. Who
was it said, 8: The woman who hesitatee
is lost?" The sweet perfumes of the
flowers permeated my senses. Who had
sent them? Curiosity prevailed.
would wait till the morrow, 20 to the
ball and solve the mystery. Sir Charles
and Lady C were waiting for me
when I descended the stairs. did not
say anything about the telegram; we en-
tered the carriage and were driven ia
the embassy.
The ball was brilliant in the extreme,
and I completely intoxicated with the
adulation l received. LA j0lie An.
glaise!" "The new debutante," was on
everybody's lips. The night was half
over before even remembered the
avowed object OF my deferred departure
for Overwhelmingly, to discover the
sender of the flowers.
"Of what were you thinking so pro-
foundly, Miss Northcote ?" asked gen.
tleman in q way that made me start.
The speaker was Mr.. Weston. He had
been introduced to me q few days before
at my guardians house.
g / was thinking of the sender of this
lovely bouquet, and wondering who he
is. See. my name, Nina, is spelt out
in white violets," answered, holding
the flowers towards him.
6! hope you were thinking kindly OF
the donor?''
"Indeed I was." s~ Z
"Thank you. Will you always Sc
think of him-of me?''
My surprise was too great to form an
immediate reply. Besides, his manner
embarrassed me. It inferred so much
more than the mere mords. danced
with him more frequently than with any
one else, and found q new and strange
attraction in his presence. On returning
from the ball I told my kind host and
hostess of the telegram, and my deter
mination to start for England on the
morrow. "
Lady c.. looked grave when she
read the message.
You might have saved few hours,
dear, " she said. :.E-t
"Only q very few. And then i should
have missed the most delightful expert,
ence Of all my life!" I answered fer
vently. IA.
"But it was case Of life and death, my
child, she answered gently. And felt
she had given me a reproof.
My trunks were soon packed by JUS
tine, who accompanied me to England.
Sir Charles c., as my legal guardian,
alsorinsisted on going with me, and late
on the following night we were driving
through the moonless darkness of coun-
try roads to Crowspest. A stately house,
keeper met us in the hall:
:" Miss Nortbcote, you come too late, /"
she said, and there was more austerity
than sadness in her tone. my dear miss.
tress died three hours age If you had
left Paris last night you would have been
in time. My lady had q communicat
she desired to make to you. y
What was lt?" l asked, in much dis
tress. S.. 81 4. q q zi,' $50 20,
That no one will ever know in this
world" WAS the answer. And I felt
from that moment as if Mrs. Stevens
was my enemy.
Sir Charles G remained at Crows
nest until after the funeral. Then. IN
vain, he urged me to return with him to
Paris. T was bent on remaining few
weeks longer IN the quaint old fashioned
house, which now to all intents and spur-3