Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-16
4 STRANGE EXPERIENCE.
THE COalPANIoN's STORY.

Wanted Immediately, lady, as companion
to a young lady who IS slightly defahgeu' Inc
patient Is quite harmless anu sehtie' 4 Ooiii-
Portable home offered.
was not by any means weak-minded
ar nervous Young woman, and it seemed
TO me that the slight pref Idice which made
me shrink from such OmpanlOnShlp might
easily be overcome. The salary named
suited my requirements and, as my ere
dentials were satisfactory, my application
was met by an acceptance, and all the
preliminaries being arranged, it was agreed
that l should journey down to E. with
out further delay.
On the morning Of the day on which
had arranged to begin my new life 1t oc-
CURED to me that the train had hXed on
would not get me to E before O'Clock,
and that it would be far from pleasant to
arrive in the damp darkness OF an autumn
evening at a station with which was I'M
familiar, and which might De mics from
the ''ManOr House."
I therefore decided to 20 by an earlier
train. thinking that it could not possibly
make much difference to my employers
whether | reached Iny destination at eight
OF at four.
I cot a fly at the station, and with my
smaller belongings was packed INTO u.
After What seemed an lDtermlnable drive,
the conveyance jOlted and shook itself
door. which formed the only feature IN a
long red brick wall, high enough TO be IN
itself a very sufficient protection, and tur-
Their secured by a formidable cheVauX dc
frise. Ny lyman rang the bell ana
alighted. A long interval elapsed with
ont anv sign Of life from the other side OF
the door, but when at last be somewhat
impatiently rang again, there came
sound Of footsteps on the tagged pain
within, and the door was opened about
three inches, while voice said:
'.WhO's there:
s.NIv name is Graham" ] answered. 81
have come to be Miss Tharpe's compan-
ion"
"Ohv' said the voice suspiciOusly, but
Miss Graham was rot to come till seven
Nevertheless | am Miss Graham, and
YOU see l have come at four. am coming
in, so please open the door,"
swell, suppose you may come IN,
was the ungracious reply, and the door
opened.
The hall in which my boxes were set
down was large and dark, furnished with
oaken settles and seats black with age.
paid the lyman, and when he was
gone looked with anxiety for some sort OF
welcome. for the tone of the letters had
received led me to hope that TINS WOULD
be a home in fact no less than in name.
care the ladies Out?' l asked.
eyes" said the old SER ant. ''They VIII
not be back till SIX. You had better take
your things of and sit III the library TIL
they return"
| did as she directed. In the library,
which was at the back Of the house, were
a good fire and two wax candles in pom
derOus silver candlesticks. The walls were
Oak-paneled and the curtains heavy, dark
and handsome. The whole atmosphere
was one of decayed magniticence. leaned
back in my chair and put my feet on the
fender with feeling of cOntentment which
not even the mystery Swallowed forth by
the outward signs of mourning on the
house could dispel. The change from the
chill damp world outside TO TINS Warmtn
and comfort, the absolute stiffness OF the
place after the hurry and hustle of railway
/ trayeling-these were very soothing, and
all cOnduced to a sense of drowsiness
which gently stole over me. yielded to
it. | don't know how long | dOZed, but
when a slight nOise-a cinder dropping
from the fire / fancy-rOuSed me again to
4 consciousness. / found that l was no long
er alone in the room. Seated on low OF
/ tOman on the other side Of the lire, her
/ great gray eyes fixed on nay lace, was q
girl: her hands were clasped across her
/ knees and her whole body bent forward in
! an attitude of profound attention. over
! her plain white dress fell the splendid
! waves and ripples of her auburn hair;
/ her complexion was of that clear shell
] like tint bv which that cOlOred hair is sc
/ qftqu accompanied. She was eXquisitely
in it that made IfIesG-- w nat was there
! from her? The deep changefuf u ntarlly
| red perfect mouth, the wiz rOSe-colOret
| cheeks. the whole person of the girl. though
of a more complete beauty than any l hac
ever seen, vet stirred in me certain in
! definabIe repulsiOn. Who was she!
had hardly realized where | was for tbs
moment. but at that question | remem
bered. of course she was the patient
I and the shadow that marred her beaut.
been prepared. " Gfnfef1n n for which na'
do to let this repuisivI. ' l4.-t II would no
headwav. since / was to be the c6mpan
ion Of the girl before me, so | crushed i
! down as well as l was able, and hOldin.
out my hand, said quietly;
'.How do you dO:"
s'Hushv' she whispered, taking IN,
hand; "dOn't speak too loud or Jane vii
hear us, and she will want me to go away
She does not know 1 am with you. l TOLD
her / was going to my work, but wanted
/ to come and see you. You are to be M
| companion, are you nOt|'
eyes, Miss Tharpe."
Don't call me that" she said, quickly
/ s1Call me Isabel"
4 shall be very pleased to do so. Isabel
THAT is nice" she said. You have
very pleasant voice. WHAT'S your nameY
"Frances Graham"
q will call you Frances" she said, Il
you will let me-"
Certainly" ! answered, my hear
warming a little toward her.
"Now, Frances" she went on, coming
close to me and tWining her arms rOunC
( my waist; Il want you to be my ffienC
and let me love you. You will, Won
yOu"
OF course l said YES" How could
do otherwise when her soft check was laiC
so caressingly against mine?
''And you will try and love me? AnC
| YOU will be gentle with me and not be i'm
patient, and you won't be annoyed if
talk too much of my work? You know i
is the only thing l care for, and l mus
/ talk about it. No one else ever did any
work at all like it,
"What is your work, dear?V l asked
| anxious to show interest in what was eYi
| IDENTIFY her one topic.
'Oh, you shall see it presently" she
said. There's no hurry; It's always
| there. you know"
''What is it like % l asked.
''Oh, 1 won't tell you what it is like
| said Isabel, gayly, because that will
spoil the surprise for you; but it's very.
very beautiful"
Il shall like to see it very much" ]
| said, feeling, it must be confessed, but a
| very lukeWarm interest in the matter. I
was tired and faint, and hoped that
should not be required to criticise or adj
mre anything before l had been refreshed
by tea. OF this, however, there seemed
no sign, so l concluded that in this old
fashioned mansion afternoon tea was un-
known, and that l should have to wait fol
the set meal at six, for WI ich the Misses
/ Tharpe were evidently coming home.
/ sighed.
Are you very tired?" said the girl,
who was now kneeling in front of me
/ holding my hands in hers; because if
/ you are not Unln Purkeps we had better
/ 90 and see my work now. I nave Oren
! down here some time, and l don't want
Jane to come interfering before you have
/ seen it,
There was something strangely child
/ like about her suppliant way OF looking
/ up at me. A refusal would only vex her,
l thought, so l gathered my tired limbs
| together and followed her.
She caught up one of the heavy silver
candlesticks from the table and went be-
fore me through the dark passages, hold
ing it high above her head. Its light fell
on the red gold of her hair, whose lustre
seemed to brighten the dim house as she
passed through it. 1t seemed a long way
Z I'M 81 oil IL