The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-12

| opposite W nun, leaulnR dgNnSt WOOueu
| press, her head thrown back, her arms
folded under long colored apron that she
wore over dark blue gown. knew the
| girl by sight; once she had waited on me
at the table; once or twice had seen her
gathering fruit in the garden; she seemed
| TO have no fixed service in the house, but
| to make herself useful as occasion re-
quired. Without much beauty, some
thing singular in her appearance drew at
tention She was brown-faced girl, with
masses of sun.faded brown hair, and
sleepy blue eyes that had q. trick OF open
ing suddenly 10 accompany sud.
den smile which revealed two rows
OF small white teeth; otherwise
her expression was sullen aud
rather scorniul. So much had noticed,
paying little heed to her, however, as she
came and went about her work. Her
presence in the room now surprised me.
She was speaking rs came in, but ended
or broke of abruptly on my entrance, and
stood AZ | have described her, leaning
against the wooden door OF the press.
She shot u glance at me from her half
closed eyes rs took my book from the
table where | had left it, but did not
change her position. The young English
man, on the other hand, sprang 10 his
feet.
II tell YOU" he said, facing her and
speaking with certain vchemcncc, "you
have nothing to do in the mattcr-noth
ing. Keep out Of it,
lie thrust his hands deeper into his
pockets and swung out OF the room. The
girl looked after him; did not like her
look, but II was no affair OF mine. took
my book and quilted the room, leaving
her standing there with her folded arms
At the foot OF the stairs met my acquant.
anCc, the waiter.
"Who is that grip" | said, describing
her, 81 have seen her several times about
the house"
"You mean Lotte2" said the old man.
"llave nothing 10 do with her, young sir,
she III bad one. The master took her in
out of charity, but tomorrow she leaves.
There il nothing she likes better than 10
set on the men who come here Ia quarrel
about her There have been two ducls
fought already in the twelvemonth she has
been In the house No great harm done,
10 be sure; but the master won't have It,
aud 80 tomorrow she goes. lie has found
her place where there will be- no young
men 81 set by the ears. oh, | know her
ways; I've seen her ut It. She treats them
like dogs till they turn and insult her, and
then she gets one OF them to take her part
When the mischief IL done she rubs her
hands. Oh, I've seen her At 1t, and
know her ways. No, no, she'll come 10 no
good wherever she is. ."
A bell rang and lie left me. | made my
way upstairs TO my own apartment on the
second floor At an open window in the
passage, ] saw the young Englishman
standing aud gazing out into the darkness
lie started ut my approach, aud preceding
me rapidly along the corridor opened the
door aud disappeared within the bedroom
next my own. heard q bolt drawn ~ |
passed and match struck, aud saw him
no more.
! was tired, aud although the night was
oppressive, ! fell almost at once into un.
easy slumbcn. | wokcagain restless with
the heat The room was perfectly dark; |
struck my repeater, Il WIS nearly o'clock
In the morning. My window stood open
and | could hear the even. temperate
sound OF u heavy summer rain, the low.
ering cloud WAS descending In steady
downpour got up and CROPPED my way
Ia the window, hardly visible ~ q square
Of fainter black opening from the black
ness within. A church clock struck the
simple stroke OF the hour, II was answered
10y another aud another, then Ear oil like an
echo, n chime from some hidden village
In the hills. Moist odors rose through the
darkness from earth aud herbs aud leaves
la the garden below, the damn aud odor.
Gus GOODNESS, the steady sound ut the rain,
refreshed and calmcd me. was return.
ing To bed with q better prospect VI sleep
than before, when my attention was az.
rested 10y a noise in the adjoining apart.
mcnt. A door communicating between
the two rooms made Il easy Tor sound 90
pass from one 10 another. Il was u sob |
heard now-yct less a sob than a kind Of
moan, ~ 10y some creature trap.
ped aud held by mortal anguish II came
again and again | listened until listening
became impossible. the room WIS occu.
pied, ~ knew, 10y my young conpatriot:
| recalled his pale aud desperate looks
tome few hour before, and lighting a can.
die, ! dressed hastily aud went out into
the empty corridor 4 streak oi light
shonc below the door of the ncighboring
apartment, ] knocked quietly aud waited
My kuock was quiet, ~ bciittcd the
silent hour but thai II was audible 10 the
OF the room was immediately an.
parent | heard 4 chair pushed back,
with movement ~ II some one suddenly
,pringing 10 his feet, then silence. / |
knocked again. This time n hesiiating
iootstcp crossed the iloor, the bolt was
the door WIS opened an inch,
Ihcn thrown back entirely, the young
Englishman stood before me.
lie was dressed a. | had seen him the
previous evening. except that hc hal
hia boots iut Slipper In his hand lao
held candle that iccbly lighted up the
-parcly furnished rDom, the bed standing
In u dusky corner. the painted wardrobe
and hall-doIcn chairs, the small table sct
near the window II illumincd his white
face also, aud hair hanging loose aud
damp over his forehead. There was some.
thing dishcyclcd aud miserable In his
whole appearance and a scarcd lonk la his
eyes, ~ they met mine, that made mo
hasten 90 explain INV appearance there.
~ beg YOU PARDON | said, FOR In.
truding at this hour, but | feared you
might be Ill., ! wanted 10 know II could
he ui any use to you"
Tie gnzcd at the uncertainty for a mo.
mcnt IA silence, then, standing ON one
side that ! might enter, be- closed the
door, bolicd u aud, advancing TO the "a.
blc, set down his candle among a litter "
papcr aud letters with which II was
SlfcNn. A chair was pushed hack irnm
the table, close by, proppcd up against
another chair was an open portmanteau,
The young fellow molioncd me 10 a scat.
aud sank himself into the one from which
he had just risen. For a moment he sat
without speaking, gazing hxcdly before
him, then turned his head, ~ though 10
address me. Hut any worl he might have
spoken died away In NJ Of shiyering.