The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03


but still the award has been different from
anything l expected
Il think it is better, even for our happi-
ness, that results OF all we do are in other
hands than ours" she answered gently.
"No doubt, no doubt; but still
he stopped, as though his thoughts would
not shape themselves to any words that fit
ted the occas sion.
They had been sitting all this time in the
bleak, damp little drawing room AMI
whether from the conversation or the atmos-
pierre she felt chilled and depressed, though
bright sunshine lay athwart the land The
rectcry was cherries house now, with
dusty decorations dragging from the spotted
CRATES and long cobwebs hanging unnoticed
in dim corners. And once she had known
him so fond of brightness, and free ar. and
sunlight. Poor Georgel OF course he was
no more neglected than are other lonely
men, but having known him young and
hopeful, his circumstances struck her with
melancholy sense Of contrast 1t was like
Miss Priscilla to forget her own immediate
troubles in plying some one else.
The lunch made a diversion, though It
was not what could be called, strictly speak,
ing an enlivening repast A grim serving
woman waited on them and handel them
CDlQ DldOeS WIFI dlT Oh DIOOccb, anu ueT
presence taken in conjunction with the di m
glasses and spotted cutlery made Miss Pris-
ella very unhappy.
ale has seven hundred year if he has
penny; and yet everything is perfectly
dreadful" she said to herself, while his good
natured hospitality over the soaked potatoes
and hard peas and underdone mutton gave
her tremulous inclination to laugh and cry
together
But all this time dark clouds had been
Filing themselves in the west, and sharp
wind had begun to blow coldly, so that when
a messenger came to call the rector urgently
to death bed, Miss Priscilla became sud
denly aware that a storm was threatening
"You must wrap up we'll" she said, as he
prepared TO go; "you know you are not
young enough to run needless risks" and
he thanked her smilingly for the unpalata-
bic information.
"You will make yourself quite at home
during my absence" he said, and went away
cheerfully on his melancholy eTrand.
The house looked worse To Miss Priscilla
when she left alone in it. The furni-
ture seemed to acquire an uncomfortable
humanness suddenly; the mirrors stared
at her, the chairs held them elves stiffly
aloof, and the arabesques on the walls de-
veloped countenances which eyed her in
quisitively. She bore it as long as she
could then she rang the bell nervously.
Il shall take off my bonnet if you will
kindly show me to a bedroom" she said,
accosting the grim woman servant with
friendly warmth.
The woman surveyed her with hostility,
shifted unpleasantly and preceded her up the
staircase without answering.
Arrived in a neglected chamber, Miss
Priscilla looked round her with the inevita-
BILE curiosity that spinsters bring TO bear on
the abodes of bachelors or widowers. The
pretty paper on the walls was widowed, the
brown Holland blinds were dropping from
their rusty nails, and the mirror was so dim
that she could not refrain from drawing
finger across its surface. Then she blushed
at her action. What an old maid | am
growingr she said, and effaced the traces Of
her handiwork
Master allows no one in the study" the
servant informed her as she approached the
door on her descent.
"Your master will not mind me, she said,
turning the handle and entering
Here, too, the demon of neglect and dis
order reigned supreme; the CRATE was red
dened in spots by the last shower down
the chimney; the ink-stand was filed with
a thick sediment, and heap of pre-Adam-
tie pens lay beside it; when she selected a
book from the shelves it backened her
fingers; when she sat down the chair re-
tanned an outline of her form at is per-
fectly disgracefull" she said, flushing
angrily; "and to think of that horrible
woman pretending to serve him. And, Of
course, he, poor dear, notices nothing
Miss Priscilla was in a scornfully indig
nant mood, otherwise she would not have
ventured to jerk the bell as she did. Bring
me a buster, please" she said, when the
woman appeared The latter tossed her
head wrathfully and waited for an explana-
ton. None being vouchsafed, she hounced
off, and presently returned with a nonde-
script article, which she offered at arms
length. Miss Priscilla thanked her politely,
closed the door after her carefully and then
set to work. She did not reason about what
she was doing, she only felt that if she was
to sit in that room it must be cleaned first,
and with her snowy cuffs laid aside and her
sleeves tucked up, she got so into the spirit
of her occupation that she sang softly to
herself over it There was not thing
that she touched that she did
not renovate, and. when all was tidy, and
the roses, gathered an hour ago were pour
table, Miss Priscilla sat down and sighed
Meantime, the rain had begun to fall
sharply, and the wind to whistle shrilly, in
the keyhole, and Miss Priscilla bethought
herself of he luckless pedestrian.
when Mr. Horribly is out in the rain what
do you Coz" she said walking boldly into
the kitchen and assailing the enemy in her
stronghold.
"Dol Why, nothing What is there to
dof grufly.
do you not have a fire lighted for him
and his warm things waiting2"
"The master has no old maids ways that |
know of, and, if you please, missi-, you will
leave me to mind my own business in the
house where | have given great satisfaction
for over five years" This self-satisfied per-
son leaned herself in threatening attitude
against the table, and looked at the intruder
sourly.
"Your business is to make your master