The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-02-29

IS possible; meanwhile turning it ove1
and over in my mind as to what I SHOULD
10 with her.
At dinner time I held consultation
With Jack, the nominal head of our fam
ily.; I say nominal advisedly, for he in.
sists that I defer to him only as mat.
ter Of form, after having fully deter
mined in my own mind upon any course
Of action.
Be this as it may, he generally con.
firms my. decisions, thus making assur-
ance doubly sure; SO this time, after
looking over my Every latest, as he
called her, he promised to go to he,
mother and negotiate, If he could, fol
Helenore's services.
Az . result Of that interview he found
ont for certainty that Madame Bal.
dean was q horrible old vixen, but she
readily agreed to let her daughter re.
main in our employ if, after q suitable
trial, We so desired.
When Jack came home at night he
found us all together in the sitting.
room. Twas sewing and Helenore was
sitting near ME playing with little Ned,
our 3-year-old boy.
s.Well, Helenore," said he lightly
Il have seen your mother, and you can
stay with us if you are a good girl"
Sometimes quite an audience would
gather around her while she played
and she always received their applause
with much dignity, and as matter Of
course. But there was one thing about
this instrument very remarkable and
mysterious; it responded to Helenoret
touch and to hers alone. Many others
tined it, but always with poor success.
Even Jack, who has o sort of facility
with . dozen instruments, and can play
the whole opera Of Patience" on tin
whistle, after fashion, finally gave i,
up in despair, declaring that he believed
that Helenore was witch undoubtedly
It was the peculiarly of her voice that
gave to her footing such wonderful ef.
feet.
She seldom sang, and when she did
Il seemed to be solely for the sake Of
giving vent to some powerful emotion
otherwise inexpressible. Her voice was
low, but very sweet and flexible; she
had no high tones. I think she consid.
cred them too light and frivolous "a
convey the feelings of her soul.
I once asked her why she never sang
high.
mime heart is down here" she an.
ewered, laying her hand ON her heart and
was glad to believe that in those low.
deep tones of hers, so tremulous and &c
solemnly sweet, the strange, poetic soul
Of this poor untaught creature found
full expression and was satisfied.
She sang her own words generally,
and they were without connection
senseless tumble; and yet as she sang
them they often possessed weird and
startling significance. Here is one Of
her songs: e. e.ls
s. On sti h1itp e ss hiIR TSit ns moon.
To leev, to love, to die
All still and white, 70 diet"
BY questioning I found out what these
words meant to her. She was alwaysat
ease with me, and could express hers
more freely to me than anybody else; sc
she tried to explain this verse.
She turned toward him with a look
of unutterable gratitude and tried in
vain to speak; then, with one swift
movement, she threw herself at my feet,
and fastening her great eyes upon mine
with an expression I shall never forget,
she made the sign of the cross upon her
forehead and breast.
We saw her do this afterward on sew.
eral occasions when deeply moved, and
It was as expressive and touching as
characteristic.
We soon became much attached To
her, and her odd wild ways furnished
us no little amusement. One of her fa-
vorite pastimes was to sit with baby in
the back door and play on her music, y
as she called it. This was I'M invention
Of Helenore's own, and was only one OF
her many grotesque but poetic fancies.
It was only large sheet of thick pa
per. rolled up into huge trumpet
shape, and on this queer instrument she
would play for hours, bringing out the
most unearthly, but withal, musical
tones, which the neighbors far and
near soon learned to marvel ut and DIES.
ignate as s'Helenore's music"
She said she was ''Oh, SO happy
with us. She loved her little chamber
she could be "all still;" she loved to
have the "white moon" look SO kindly
upon her at night, and she felt it would
be good to die there ''all still and white. y
In the spring, however, change
came over our Helenore.
Her deep content gave place to q
strange restlessness She was no lon
ger the faithful, attentive little hand
maid I had learned to love and trust.
She seemed to be irresistibly drawn
away from all her indoor occupations:
il bird sang near the house, she would
drop her work. and run eagerly to the
window Is If she heard her own name
called. II she were sent down town on
an errand, she was unaccountably long
IN returning and, finally, one aftarno0n
when she took little Ned for his sCcus-
toned airing she was gone for hours,
wandering away across the fields, and
bringing him homo at dusk lying hack
tast aaleep in his carriage, with Q wreath
Of violets like s halo round his golden
head, and more clutched tightly in hjs
chubby hands. s.5:al5lss
She received my surprised reproof Ia
sullen silence. and ] waited in vain fol
some account Of her absence.
She grew moro and more strange and
restless every dsy, fretting and chatting
over her Light tasks like some Gagged
animal, until finally, ] questioned her.
Y "Helenore, !" said I kindly, s.whst il
II that ais you? Tell me, andI will
Try to help you, "
Al Atst abe frovned darkly and would
mot answer. but when I laid my hand
esntly and coAxingly npon her head :.
j had notiooa Ghe loved 1o have NJ do
g ~ yssidsd ssnd ~ ltonsus ~
,loosed.
q, E !: :. !: J; s.: 7: ::