Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-10
HELEN.

borS knew anything definite about her except
that she was an English woman One neigh
Dor, good mothelly old lady, with a weak
ness, perhaps, for gossip, and whose Windows
looked into Miss Marsden's was determined
to get acquainted with her.
1t was in vain that Miss Marsden, shrink
ing and timid as a sensitive plant, tried TO
withdraw from this honeiy hospitality. Mrs.
Saunders was q woman accustomed to man
age others and have her own way, and she
would not be denied-Miss Marsden must 90
over and spend the evening with her; and
Miss MarSden at last, with a deep drawn sigh
OF resignation, put aside her palette and
brushes, smoothed her back curls, took off
the loose linen wrapper which she wore at her
work, and went over to Mrs. Saunders in tie
plain worn black dress in which she con-
staatly appeared.
After the first evening, with its half con-
scious restraint was over, and the ice little
broken, Miss Marsden often found her way to
the same friendly drawing room and drank
tea, did her best to relish the buttered toast
and the little piles of cakes, and grew really
to ike the old lady's shrewd, sensible talk,
which was never prosy, and sometimes full Of
interest, especially when 1T diyerged, it
often did, TO her own experiences to the hab-
its and customs Of her youth, and TO events
which took place when her pensive listener
was only baby in arms.
Mrs Saunders history was a commonplace
one, full Of simple pleasures, simple trials and
safe and guarded prosperity. The cup was
full but it did not overflow; nor did the
widow wish that it should She liked to talk,
and, with the garruhty of old age, she soon
made her silent companion mistress of all her
IL,
Helen Marsden knew how and where and
when the late lamented Mr. Saunders had
died, of the viii lie had made, the property
he had left, and the amount Of fortune which
Janet the widows only child, had brought
to her lord and master, a prosperous mer-
chant in Calcutta Next came a detailed and
minute account of Janet'S trousseau; and
then, parenthetically, the widow remarked
that there was something very romantic in
her daughters engagement and marriage.
Her lover was much older than she was, and
grave, staid, reserved man, too. He fell in
love with Janet, q laughing school girl, less
for herself, it almost seemed, than because he
fancied she was like some one whom he had
once known long before-some one whom he
had loved and lost. and whom he fancied he
saw resuscitated in the smiling Edinburgh
school girl.
a would not have had such poor, second
rate love if it had been NE, said Mrs Saun-
ders almost Grossly.
She was searching for something in the hooks
Gnd corners of large work table, and when
she found it she put it down before her visitor
with an abruptneSs that startled her.
'There-that is Janet" she said
1t was the portrait of a pale, dark eyed,
laughing girl-much such girl as Miss Mars
den herself might once have been perhaps,
when her pale cheeks had more Of roundness
and softnesS in their outline; when her grave
mouth, 50 straight now, had poutng smile
of its own, and the sad eyes were merry and
bright
"Well, what Go you think of herr" asked
tIrs. Saunders.
With a slight expression of interest, and
The faintest possible tinge of color in her pale
checks, she took up the miniature again and
hooked at it.
a think" she said, "that it is like my own
face. only far-far prettier."
NO" declared the old lady emphaticallv,
"that it is not; although James was very well
in her way. And now, as my old eyes are
getting very dim, viii you read me her last
letter, my dearP
Miss Marsden complied. She had felt those
long letters which had 10 be read and reread
so often quite an infection at first and then
she had come 10 take a strange interest in
them. and in the Scotch girl on the banks Of
the Hooghly, so far from her Bith and kin,
and pining in her luxurious home longing to
win for herself the first pace in preoccu-
pied heart-not happy, but very brave and /
accomplishing, never murmurinE at the /
burden which she had rashly taken upon /.
herself, but striving to bea.- it meellly, and ,
above all, to prevent it from overShadowing .
and crushing her mother This unknown
Janet. whose silks and Satins. whose Iaces +
and Jewels, had at first seemed so contempt
ible in Helen Narsdens eyes when placed by
the side of her own earnest hard working
life was, after all, a Sorrowful, self sacrifc- .
ing woman-nuch as she had been herself
subduing and hiding under a smile her dis
appointment and anguish lest they should
pain the fond, faithful heart of the old mother
ut home.
"We shall have a longer letter by the next
mail. aIn sure" Miss MarSden had said; and
Ms. Saunders, whether she quite shared III
the expectation or not, was cOmforted 10y the
words and took a melancholy pleasure, in
the hushed twilight i'll the spring evenings. in |
telling her companion all the Sorro wful tales
She could remember.
AT last the eagerly expected mail arrived,
bringing moUrnful news for the poor old LADY
Janet was dead, and Janets child, in
charge of an ayah, waS coming home TO her
mother, TO be cared for as lovingly and
tenderly as Janet had been. Sitting in her
Mrs. Saunders cried softly to her
self, but with TO frantic despair in her
heart.
Thus the time sped on, through the warmth
md brightness ri summer To the chill gray |
.utumn weather. Janet had been more than
welve months III her grave. when one morn
ne the Indian mail brought a letter. which.
il did not distress Mrs. Saunders. startled
ND diScompoSed her very much Her SON
n-law vas coming home-Janet's husband.
whom she had never loved and with whom
he had always been upon terms Of the most
.ainful constraint. She did not show that
etter 70 Miss Marsden, although she could
lear her singing softly in the nursery above
merry song of the old times Tor Master
'om's benefit; she managed TO get through it
erself with her weary old eyes, and then she .
vent away 10 her own room, and there, !
lowly and painfully, wrote dutiful letter in ,
eturn, asking him 10 come and stay with her
yhen he reached Edinburgh This invitation !
e cid not accept, TO the poor old Lays great {
elief; but he came 10 see her and hrs boy IS
oon as he arrived
az knew no would not fan 70 do 50. nv {
ear" she said TO Miss Marsian on the even 8
lg after the dreaded visit; and as she spoke i
he put up her wrinkled old land aud wiped I
way the tears that rolled down her fur G
owed cheeks. He always does what Is {
;cb.. bs &c q trJlst wort man hut nor I0vs |