Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-29
AN EYENTFUL DAY.

1t was in The very first days OF the
Franco PrussI8n war. Little else was
spoken of or thought of in this small
German town, as IN all others. But
one letter being written by young
girl bore no reference to the stirring
events OF the time. My dear friend,
do not fear for me-" It ran. "Ir any
such instance should arse in my life
as you have pictured TO yourself, i
shall have, | trust, the sense TO meet
it. Nothing yet has come to me that
would tempt me to forget my position
IN this house,"
Nothing2 The writer held her hand
one instant suspended Well, so let 1t
stand. sac must not grIeve her one
friend by leaving her with even one
fear concerning her.
She finished her letter, closed and
stamped it. Then she sat n moment
with her hand pulled through the
rebellious waves of her hair, staring
out of the window at the houses Oppo-
site. In most of them the shutters
were tightly closed. There WAS some
thing reckless and disorganiZed, some
thing unusual, about the appearance of
the most familiar objects. The streets
had been filed all that morning with
restless crowd, gong and coming.
forming Into knots and dissolving
again. An unwonted agitation and
suppressed clamor rose from near and
far. But Cecily was scarcely conscious
of the disturbance. Her thoughts were
far away. The face on which the light
struck had a delicate pallor, which
recently had become consistently more
and more emphasized. 1t was at all
times a face more remarkable for
nobility, for intellectually, than for
beauty, though 1t was not deficient in
the least. But of late Its eXpressiveness
had become still more sentient; almost,
one would have said, more sensitized
She was looking out at her future,
and it was black. Miss De Poer had
said in her last letter: IF ever your
life turns too bitter to you, my dear,
you know that there is place for you
here.D Yes, God bless herl Cecily
knew that, in truth She pondered for
a moment on the strange fatality-it
was like intentIon-that had caused her
old friend to write her those words just
at this time. Had there been some
undercurrent of which she was herself
not conscious in her own letters, and
had the old lady's fine perceptions,
rendered more acute by suffering and
long, If silent, sympathy for others.
seized a shadow of the new element in
Cecily's life? However that might be,
the girl had a deep certainty OF the
welcome she would find in one spot on
earth. But also an equally clear con-
viction that never could she avail her
self OF the privilege held out to her.
Miss De Poer's meagre little income
was barely sufficient to keep in a few
common comforts for the still majestic
old woman, who In days gone by had
known all that riches give. And
Cecily was willing to work. She had
never looked forward to anything else.
To renounce, to refrain, had always
seemed the law OF life to her. And
yet-and yet
She started up abruptly. She could
not have told whether the roar OF
many tongues, the surging tramp ol
many feet, beneath the windows, had
been growing slowly, or whether the
tumult had reached suddenly its pres
emf climax. She was a girl of quick
nre,ence of mind, and she discernec
instantly that something serious I'M
pended. This was not the mere aimles:
turmoil, the fermentation or politlca
and patriotic excitement which hac
filed the normally somnolent streets o.
the little German town with wllul,
Cesticulating men these few days past
IllS WAS L14OAc eA@ ~
Cecily threw the window open anc
one moment looked down. a mar
with brawny arms, from which th'
shirt sleeves were rolled, looked vi
and saw her. Beyond the corner o
the house. on the small square on whlci
Fran Won Ulrich's residence fronted
the crowd was denser, and there ever!
unshaved, turbulent face was TURNED
inward. without exception
"TeIl us where he's hiding, that -
FrsnchmanI Tell us where we cai
get our hands on hlmP' eriea the n'a'
who had seen Cecily.
She FASTENED out or the room AM
across the wide, dim Vestiou4e. "a
tns same moment there was vioien
crash, a many-throated snout' wn1, az.
sounded like the reveroeration OF uis
tant cannon. and q nearer snieA
merciless alright from penlnu oue
the doors opening out on the VesIiouie
The door was thrown open, anu Louis
Won Ulrich's mother, pallid as q spec
tre. precipitated herself into tue ailn
of her daughters governess: :,
s'Thou good Heaven" she etieu - y
German. "Do you see wnau Lnes
tends are doing, Meess Leroyr Inc
are mobbing my house. lucy al
breaking my windowsF
Another missile went crasnin
Through a pane OF glass. and shiverln
IFS fragments right and left wniL-e
nast the shoulder of a young girl STANG
inc within, and struck a mirror on tn
onnosite wall. Louise Won Oiricn gas
nIerrirg cry, and she clung 10 tn
shoulder OF the young man Ds'o' ~