The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-01-22
IN A FLASH.
rChambers, JournaLl


never have been accounted a handsome
woman. She was very tall and very angu-
lar, with a long thin face, the most re
mRrkable feature of which was Roman
nose of commanding proportions. But as
she had one of the kindest of hearts in the
world, her paucity of good looks seemed
matter of tnfing moment to those who
had the privilege of knowing her well. 1t
was at my request that, some two or three
years before her death, she wrote out the
following narrative Of an actual occurrence
b her life put the manuscript away at
The time and did not come across 1t again
until the other day. On looking over 1t
once more, it seemed to me not to be I'M
worthy Of being transcribed for wider
circle Of readers than that comprised by
the writer's immediate friends and ac-
ouaintances:
You ask me to go back in memory (be-
gins nv aunt to what seems to me now
Ike period of remote antiquity, when l,
Barbara Waldron, was "a years of age,
end my sister Bessie five years younger,
and endeavor to put down in writing the
little story / told you by word of mouth
few days ago.
You must know, then, that in those far
OF days my sister and / were keeping
house for our brother John, who at that
time filed the position of steward and land
agent to Lord Darlington. The house we
lived IN was q pleasant, but somewhat
lonely residence, about half a mile from
khe little country town of Levensfeld.
The house suited us for several reasons. In
the first place, the rent was low; In the
next, larged walled garden was attached
20 It, in which Bessie and l spent many
happy hours; and in the third place. there
was side entrance to Darlington pork, by
which my brother could take a short cut
20 the hall whenever he had business with
his lordship, or his lordship had business
<zySfh i'm C1rr Ix-oc
one and besides ourselves comprised only
Mary Gibbs, a middle-aged woman, and
her niece, a girl of 16. Johns horse and
gig were looked after by young man
named Reuben Gates, who did not how
ever, sleep on the premises An impor-
tant part of Johns duties was to receive
and pay into the Levensfeld bank the
rents due from the farmers and other
tenants of property held under Lord Dor
kington. One such tenant was a certain
n1r Shillito, corn and seed merchant,
who was noted for his eccentricities. It
was only in keeping with Mr.. ShillitO's
hggravatin = way of doing business that
be should never pay his rent at the time
bther people paid theirs; that he should
pay 1t in gold and notes, instead of giving
check for the amount, as he was quite
~ q position to have done, and t. he
mould make point of bringing it HIM
Rel4, instead OF naming q tim when my
brother might have called upon him; and
nnally. tx he seldom arrived with the
money matter banking hours.
We come now to certain autumn even
lng. Kitty had just brought in the tea
Eay. It was growing dusk, almost too
dnek TO see CLEARLY without the lamp, but
Hessie and / liked to economic the day
Nght as much as possible, especially now
hs Ehs long winter nights were. so close
hpon us. John had come in for cup
81 Ieau This evening he VS. going to
save over to Nethercroft, some ten miles
away. dine there with some friends, and
stAg all night, After dinner there was 60
pesa dance; and l was not without my
sGgpicions as to the nature of the attfaC-
don which was taking him so far from
Some, although he laughingly pooh poehed
kbe soft Impeachment when l challenged
him with It. John was in the act of put
ting down his cup and saucer when he
ABeFd g noise OF wheels outside, which
presently came to stand opposite the
house He crossed the room and peered
khrpugh the window.
tits old Shillato, come to pay his rent,
he remarked moment later. Two
hcuTs after banking time, as usual. What
eBuuisance he isl" He went down stairs;
md about ten minutes later we heard Mr..
ni1itos trap start off, Presently John
Kame back, NINETY pounds, all in gold
Ind notes, I" he said. GIVE had to lock it
th5sn my desk till morning"
may here remark that iron safes for
the custody of money and other valuables
fAfe by no means so common in those
dye especially in out-of- theway country
nlaees, as they appear to have since be-
HBut the money will be quite safe in
YoNr desk, won't it. John2 asked Bessie.
aSafe enough without q doubt, seeing
E1ak no one but ourselves knows of its
presence there. Only, as matter of bust
asss, should prefer to have had it in the
OFFERS of the bank. Presently he added:
q The old fellow was half.seas over, as he
Generally ID, and 1 have no doubt with so
hanY houses Of call by the way, that ne
VII be soaked through and though before
be reaches home. wonder whe 1er ne
hoes TO bed sober q night in his life2"
a few minutes later John kissed US and
hSdeAageodsnight Bessie and I went to
tAa Window to see him start, but by this
sane &c was nearly dark. Heswaved his
whip ct US as soon as he had settled him
belEfn his seat, then he gave the relns
Aiksae shake. Black Berly's heels struck
sse from the stones as she sprang forward,
he gravel serunched beneath the wheels
ind q moment later the shadows of even
ing had swallowed up horse and gig and
driver Ny sister and pulled down the
Blinds and drew the curtains and rang for
Kitty TO bring In the lamp.
The evening passed after our usual
Quiet fashion. We worked a little and
kead little and played some half dozen
Euets ar | chatted between times, till the
block pointed to 1870 O'Clock, at which
2 hour We generally retired for the night.
NY last duty every evening was to go the
pound of the house and satisfy myself
that all the lights were out, that the fires
were safe and that all the doors and
windows were properly secured.
When this duty had been duly accom-
pllshed tonight the drawing-room lamp
was extinguished and then Bessie and
took our bed candles and marched up
stairs, leaving darkness and solitude be-
hind us. Mary Gibbs and Kitty had re-
tired long ago
NY sisters room and mine adjoined each
other, with door of communication be-
tween. which generally stood partly open
at night for the sake of companionship
The windows of both rooms looked into
the garden, which ran in wide strip along
that side of the house and was shut in by
wall some seven or eight feet high, be-
yond which there were three or four
meadows, and then the boundary wall of