Little Falls transcript., 1886-04-16

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spend the holidays with us. Now
please don't refuse, do ocome. All this
before one could scarcely count three.
Wouldn't they be seated and stay
awhile? They would and did for the
evening. II was Helen first bit Of the
old life which she had known since she
had left the quiet, home town to
teach in the city. after dear, old Mr..
Whittemore laid down his noble life
and passed into the Beyond, leaving
his motherless daughter little but the
memory of that life, his tender bless
ing, and the large and rare library
collected in many lands and through
many years. Oh, it was hard to
find herself 80 completely cut of from
the world to which she was born; to
be of no Importance, for how interest
in q young lady does die down, when,
to the inquiry: 'Who is that pretty,
bright.looking girl?" the answer, given
indifferently, is: "She? Why, she's
only teacher in q public school" "
It's all very pretty to prate about
'Ihe nobility of labor, the long pedi-
gree Of toll" But bless me! There's
precious little practical recognition in
Miss Janet Hildreth returned home
enraptured with Miss Helen White
more. "Mumzy, she looks like q
queen-tall, slim, with long, white,
tapering hands, large blue eyes, long
black lashes and great coils OF purplish
black hair. And she's so intellectual,
and when she's startled out Of that
acquired quiet she's so witty and orig
inal."
"And what do you think of her,
Dana?" asked DR.. Hildreth, turning to
his son, the young doctor.
"She's a woman very much out OF
the ordinary. l like her very much
and such library! You and I must
ask the pleasure Of overlooking them
soon, father. They are rare old treas
ures, and one can see she thoroughly
appreciates them"
Such high praise for non-commit~
tai Dana, the authority of the family,
was phenomenal, and Janet paused
in her caresses, rubbing her father s
nose up the wrong way) and gave a
quick look at her brother before she
resumed: "And the daintiest little
room! It has q rosebud carpet and
rosebud paper
"And for an inmate the queen rose
OF the rosebud garden ofgirls?" queried
Ned, the poetic.
"More OF g. lily. And one OF those
beds that fold into cabinets, you
KNOW resuming her description and
her caresses, varing the latter by gen.
tly pulling her fathers ears ''Then,
books, books, books. lining it almost
all around two or three choice pict.
ures, and-oh, 1 havn't seen such a
gem ola room for ages'
So it came to pass that the Hill
dreths, in family council assembled
adopted the lonely girl into their great
hearts and warm sympathies, and gen
erous plans then and there; and when
Helen, in her plain black silk and the
rich lace that had been her mothers,
presented herself at their luxurious
home, she was greeted with such a
homely cordiality that her heart ach-
ed for Joy. Old DR.. Hildreth carried
her hand with old.time courtesy to his
lips and said, while the tears stood in
his kindly eyes: "I.et me take as
nearly a fathers place as any but
kissed her heartily and begged her to
feel entirely at home then and always.
DR.. Dana shook hands, very unusu-
al mark OF attention from him. Ned
asserted that he was mighty glad to
see her, and little Jamie hid behind
the door from sheer delight at seeing
his idol.
It was a JOYFUL, thankful time to
Helen, and it was but the beginning.
Every little while Janet would insist
upon her staying from Friday until
Monday with her. And there were lect-
ures and concerts, and the books to
be read and discussed, and little teas
and bright people she met, in short, q
life OF interest and happiness OF which
she had lately never dreamed.
People began to discover that Miss
Whittemore was not only "a charming
woman, but q beautiful and cultivated
one. Even Miss De Browne admitted
that her family was good, and that
she was really "much above her sta
tiOn." Bah, it makes me sick! as
If q woman, any woman could be above
independence and faithful, honorable
work!
She had several admirers, too, to
her train, now that she had become
"a friend of the Hildreths, you know"
but that authority, Everyone, &C
cepted for her Mr.. Clifford Vanness,
rich, handsome and agreeable, if a
trifle dissipated. What more could
she want? asked Everyone.
But Miss Whittcmore herself, one
evening after a call from DR.. Hildreth,
had been startled by g. humiliating lis
covely, nothing, in fact, short Of the
sudden knowledge that she loved this
proud, reserved quiet man with all the
pent up force other passionate nature.
Poor Helen! she threw herself upon her
bed and like him of old, turned her
face to the wall and wept, in a parox-
ysm OF self-contempt, bitterness and
grief that seemed to engulf her. Gun
asked! Unsought!"
She recalled his brotherly kindness,
his considerate courtesy, his noble
heart, and found some comfort in
thinking that any woman would have
loved such q man. Then she would
recall his late constraint, and his
seeming avoidance of her, and would
writhe in agony. Could he have guess.
ed her secret before she herself had
known of its existence? %*s
After that night of misery, people re-
marked that Miss Whittemore grew
more spirituelle; but as her body's
strength grew less, her spirits strength
grew great, and it was with triumpant
pleasure she would note how plainly
the purple veins could be traced in the
delicate hands. Then would she say
exultingly to herself: DIT is coming,
coming fast. It can't be far distant
now ..s .ss.4*.G..5 /.