St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-02-05


When the morning in question arrived
tried to bundle Maria out of the house with
very unconiugal haste. but notwithstand-
ing all nv efforts her toilet required so
much time that it was past IL before she
drove of.
The drawing-room where / had decided
tn receive NV visitors was large, pleasant
and comfortable room, with double win
dows looking upon the road. 1t was too
full of knicknacks, thought. but that was
nv wife's doing. had contributed only
one article to the general collection small
gold vase which a favorite mare OF mine had
won in a trotting match. 1t stood on
cabinet between the fireplace and the win
dow. a couch being just in front At the
end of the couch and slightly in advance OF
it / placed chair for myself. intending my
visitors to sit in the armchair opposite, where
they could be facing the light
When Miss White appeared / was yexed
to see that it was already 1880. so that
clashing was nearly inevitable after all.
Let me say at once that she was very diff
ferent woman from what / had expected.
There was not trace of hardihoOd about
her: meeker looking creature l never saw.
In fact. began to think there must be
some mistake.
She was neatly dressed in black; in figure
she was tall, thin and rather angular, and
she had pinched face with very mourn
full expression. When she first entered
she raised her eyes to glance at me and
then at the room, but after that they fell
as if they were habitually fixed upon the
ground.
Her intellect, / imagined, was little
dull. for she apparently mistOok the seat l
assigned to her and occupied the couch. In
self-defense was obliged TO move my chair
further away and face the light. which was
not what 1 had intended. Without taking
any notice of my action, Miss White laid
down by her side black bag she had been
carrying. Then she drew out her handler
chief, placing it on her lap and folded her
hands over it, In this attitude, with down
cast eyes, she silently waited for me TO
begin-a most difficult thing to do, as now
found. AS tried to shape the necessary
questions so as TO be the least offensive, l
grew very uncomfortable.
''Ahem." / said, Miss White?'
There was knock at the door. and
James, my factotum, entered.
"A lady TO see you. sir," he announced;
"a Mrs. Stone"
/ fancied that Miss White raised her
ewes reproachfully to my face, but they fell
had guessed the object of this second Wis
it0r, and felt herself to be subjected TO
sort OF competitive examination only added
TO my embarrassment.
''ShOw her into the dining-room, james"
/ said, land say I'll be with her in few
minutes"
Don't mind me-" said Miss White,
humbly. ''Since the death of my poor
parents l am used TO being set aside for
Others"
''But, Miss white" protested.
''No, please don't apologize; L am not
used to that. All my life long have been
trampled upon. / don't complain-no, /
don't complain. l merely state the fact, as
L think it only right you should know ev-
erything. if L am to become an inmate of
your house."
Another lady to see you, sir" an
nounced James; "a Miss Mildew."
He was a pretty ENHANCEMENT. What on
earth had brought her along before her
time? OF course that other woman in the
dining-room would hear her and know the
meaning of her visit. was growing very
hot, indeed.
SHOW her into the library, James" l
stammered.
''Don't mind me-" again said Miss White
applying her handkerchief to her eyes:
please don't mind me. Pm used to be-
ing left alone. Pm only an unfortunate
single woman, without a friend in the
world. l think it only right you should
know that also"
''Your parents" said /, making a frantic
attempt to get to business; were"
- Most respectable people, but unfor-
tunate. Yes; it's only right you should
know that
Another lady to see you, sir" an
nounced James.
This time the rascal was certainly smil-
ing.
] knew quite well he was thinking of my
wife. / knew, also, that her appearance
upon the scence would just about finish me
Off but had no reason to apprehend any
thing so dreadful.
Miss White had a clearer idea of the stu
alton. She looked at me in the same re-
proachful way as before, and then composed
herself in that attitude of patient resigna-
ton which made me feel as if L were doing
her positive injury.
'What room is vacant, James?' l asked,
hurriedly. SIS any room vacant?"
''Only the boudoir, sir
Then show-who did you say it WASP"
"Mrs. Dark, SIR"
''Show her in there"
''Oh. don't let me detain yOu," said Miss
White, humbly. Pm not used to OBTAINING
people"
And then, as if the thought was too
much for her. this most depressing woman
burst into flood OF tears.
By the time that my fifth visitor arrived.
an event which happened very shortly after
the arrival of Mrs. Dark, was well nigh
distracted. There really was no room for
this last woman. l could not have two of
them gOssiping together. and perhaps quar-
reling, so was compelled to ask Mrs. Hes
lop to wait in the hall. Itwas very rude.
but what else could l do? Besides, such
inconvenience as she suffered was entirely
her own fault-her eagerness to secure the
post having brought her two hours before
her proper time.
Miss White" said, feeling at last Sc
cure from further interruption, .'are YOU
pray excuse a necessary question-are YOU
really kleptomaniac?"
l put the question bluntly, because felt
convinced that no woman who had so many
tears at her command could possess the
GOODNESS essential to successful pilfering,
and my only object now was TO get her on [
of the house. Instead of replying she sobbed
more bitterly than eyher. 1t was distress
ing to watch and listen to her. Looking
around desperately for some handle to use
against her, l experienced severe shock.
My gold vase had disappeared.
from that moment my opinion of Miss
White underwent profound change. /
rushed, perhaps wrongly, TO the other ex-
IRENE, and set her down as a most artful
woman, whose weakness was assumed to
cover her nefarious designs Naturally
enough felt rather sore on this point. fol-
placed high value upon the vase. There
could be no doubt as TO what had become OF
it. For what other purpose could she have
brought that suspicious-loOking black bag.