Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-05-21

attempted.to utter some phrase oi
boyish gallantry At the first word,
however, the girl stopped him.
Don't speak to me, !" she said, in q
voice trembling with suppressed emo.
ton. z 81.
Young Thurston was SO disconcert.
ed that he. had serious t thoughts Of dis.
appearing down side street. One
thing only was quite clear to him, and
that was that the adventure he had
embarked upon was very different
from anything he had vaguely antici
pated. The girls appearance and
manner precluded all suspicion oil
lightness Of character; her demeanor,
indeed, impressed him with q feeling
Of: solemnity. He could not for the
lite of him bring himself to explain
that he was not the person he had
pretended. Youthful awkwardness
and a sense of shame kept HIM silent.
At length his guide turned aside into
a mean, marrow street and stopped be.
fore one Of the poorest houses. AT
the door Thurston made last DIES.
perate effort to unburden himself, but
the gill silenced him by peremptory
gesture and preceded him through q
narrow entrance, and up a creaking
flight of stairs. Thurston, unfamiliar
with the habitations If the poor, for
got his embarrassment in uncomfort-
able wonder and distrust.
At the top OF the. second flight
the highest story, in fact-the girl
laid her hand upon the handle of a
doorway, and then paused. She lift
ed the candle which she carried, and
gazed scrutinizingly at Thurston.
Summon. up your, courage" she
said sternly, yet with a mocking note
in her voice. "Do not be AFRAID
II am not AFRAID he said quite
mildly.
The. girl conducted him into small,
miserably furnished room, with a
sloping roof. One end OF it was par.
titioned off with a. curtain. Thurs
ton staring about him curiously,
had barely time to notice these de-
tails before his companion, advancing
to the curtain, drew it aside.
"Look here!" she said.
Thurston started, and then, with
an involuntary exclamation, took a
step forward, for there, upon mar
row bed, lay what he first imagined
to be waxen figure. It was the dead
body of a young girl.
A child almost, with delicate features
and masses of golden hair, which
streamed upon the pillow and over
her shoulders. The poor creatures
remains had evidently been arranged
with view to picturesque effect. The
thin, waxen hands were folded upon
her breast, which bore a cross Of
flowers. hetableau-a tri6e morbid
and theatrical, perhaps-was never.
ttheless strikingly beautiful and touch.
ing.
Poor young Thurston was appalled,
and Mortified. He was but a lad and
had never seen a dead person,
The sublime serenity of death-sleep
was never more impressively mani,
fest than in the motionless face Of this
dead girl. He gazed with a sort of
terrified fascination, and the spectacle,
combined with the painful shock. Of
surprise, made him turn white and
faint.
His companion-the girl Helen
meanwhile stood gazing at him with
an expression OF relentless severity.
The veins of her hand, which clutched
at the curtain, stood out, blue and
hvld, her eyes glared speeches. indig.
nation.
''That is why Maggie could not
come" she said at length, slowly.
"She is dead, as you see"
Thurston said nothing, being over.
come by shame and horror dt the Jest
which had led to this tragic de.
monument.
"It was by her wish that brought
you here. She would not tell me your
name and address, but made me ad-
vertise as directed"
Thurston opened his lips to speak,
but could not find words to express
his thoughtless frivolity at such mo-
ment.
':she told me to tellyou," continued
the girl, chat she loved you and for
gave you. Your letters are here, next
her heart; she wishes them to be buried
with her"
The girl lovingly laid her hand on
her dead sisters breast as she spoke;
then IN an altered tone, and with a
startling change of attitude and man
ner, she drew a letter from her pocket.
Except this" she added sternly;
"this l was to give back to you. It is
your last letter. She did not believe
you meant what you said in it,"
Thurston's natural impulse was
to refuse the letter, but thegirl press
ed it almost fiercely upon him, and
he deemed it wiser at the moment
to take it than to explain. He there
fore hurriedly thrustit into his pock-
ct.
*That is ALL" said the girl evident
ly controlling herselfby a great effort.
SUNLESS you would like TOTO kiss"
'No, no." interrupted Thurston in
g. whisper.
II don't think the worse of YOU
for that" said the girl, dropping the
curtain, with an air of relief; "Of all
lips, yours are the most unworthy to
touch her angel face. But she bade
me ask you"
She turned aside as she spoke, and
Thurston began to edge towards the
door.
II promised I would not reproach
you,' said the girl, not attempting to
hinder him. But it was cruel, heart
less crime. We were alone, she and T.
my baby sister. Times were bad, and
I had to leave her for while-a little
while. I thought she was safe, but
you came by-you, q fine, rich gentle
man. You .ruthlessly plucked my
poor flower and flung it aside. God
forgive you"
Thurston, who was at heart an hon
est young fellow, was easily moved to
genuine emotion. Innocent as he was