Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-07-14


dIned and / went TO fetch it before going
up stairs to bed. The young Englishman
was still there, seated in the chair where
had left him. Had he ever moved? |
could not tell, but he was not now alone.
a young girl stood opposite to him, lean
Ing against a wooden press, her head
thrown back, her arms folded under a long
colored apron that she wore over a 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 required. With
out much beauty, something singular in
her appearance drew attention. She was
a brown-faced girl, with masses of sun
faded brown hair, and sleepy blue ewes
that had trick of opening suddenly to
accompany sudden smile which revealed
two rows of small white teeth; otherwise
her expression was sullen and rather scorn-
full. so much | had noticed, paying little
heed to her, however, as she came and
went about her work. She was speaking
as | came in, but ended or broke off alb
ruptiy on my entrance, and stood as |
have described her, leaning against the
wooden door of the press. She shot
| glance at me from her half-closed eyes as |
took my book from the table where had
left 1t, but did not change her position
The young Englishman, on the other
hand, sprang to his feet.
| tell you" he said, facing her and
! speaking with certain vehemence, "you
have nothing to do in the matchmaking
| Keep out of it,
He thrust his hands deeper into his
pockets and swung out of the room. The
girl looked after him. | did not like her
look, but it 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 acquaint-
ance, the waiter.
Who is that girl?' 1 said, describing
her have seen her several times about
! the house."
You mean Lottie?' said the old man.
Have nothing to with her, young sir;
she is a bad one. The master took her in
out Of charity, but tomorrow she leaves.
| There is nothing she likes better than to
set on the young men who come here to
quarrel about her. There have been two
duels fought already in the twelvemonth
she has been in the house. No great harm
| done, to be sure; but the master won't
have it, and SO tomorrow she goes. He
has found her place where there will be
no young men to set by the ears. Oh,
know her ways Eve seen her at it. She
treats them like dogs till they turn and in
suit her, and then she gets one of them to
take her part. When the mischief is
done, she rubs her hands Oh, I've seen
her at it, know her ways. No, no, she'll
come to no good wherever she is"
A bell rang and he left me. / made my
way up stairs to my own apartment on the
second floor. At an open window in the
passage | saw the young Englishman
standing and gazing out into the darkness
tie started at my approach, and preceding
me rapidly along the corridor, opened the
door and disappeared within the bedroom
next my own. | heard bolt drawn as L
passed and a match struck. and saw him no
more.
was tired, and although the night was
oppressive, | fell almost at once into I'M
easy slumbers. | awoke again restless with
the heat. The room was perfectly dark
| struck my repeater; it was nearly l
O'Clock in the morning My window was
open, and | could hear, the even, temper
ate sound of the heavy summer rain; the
lowering cloud was descending in steady
downpour. | got up and CROPPED my way
to the window, hardly visible as a square
of fainter black opening from the black
ness within. A church clock struck the
single stroke of the hour; it was answered
by another and another; then far off like
an echo, a chime from some hidden village
in the hills. Moist odors rose through the
darkness from the earth and herbs and
leaves in the garden below the damp
and odorous GOODNESS, the steady sound of
| the rain refreshed and Gained me- | was
returning to bed with better prospect of
sleep than before, when my attention was
arrested by noise in an adjoining apart
ment. A door communicating between the
two rooms made it easy for sound to pass
from one to another; it was a sob | heard
now-yet less sob than a kind of SILVER
ing moan, as from creature trapped and
held by mortal anguish. 1t came again
and again; | listened until listening be-
came impossible. The room was occupied,
as | knew, by my young compatriot; | re-
called his pale and desperate looks some
few hours before, and lighting candle, |
dressed hastily and went out into the
empty corridor. a streak of light shone
below the door of the neighboring apart
ment; | knocked quietly and waited.
My knock was quiet, as befitted the
silent hour; but that it was audible to the
occupant of the room was Immediately APP
parent. ! heard a chair push back, with
a movement rs of some one suddenly
springing to his feet; then silence. /
| knocked again. This time a hesitating
footstep crossed the floor, the bolt was
withdrawn, the door was opened an inch,
then throw back entirely; the young
| Englishman stood before me-
He was dressed as had seen him the
previous evening, except that he had re-
moved his necktie, and exchanged his
boots for sliSpers In his hand he held a
candle that feebly lighted up the sparely
furnished room, the bed standing in a
dusty corner, the painted wardrobe and
half dozen chairs, the small table sat near
the window. 1t illumined his white face
also, and hair hanging loose and damp over
his forehead. There was something dis
hevelled and miserable in his whole APP
pearance, and a scared look in his eyes as
they met mine, that made me hasten to
explain my appearance there.
i" beg your pardon" said, ''for intrud-
ing at this hour, but feared you might be
ILL., wanted to know if / could be Of any
Use to you"
He gazed at me uncertainty moment
in silence, then, standing en- one side that
| might enter, he closed the door, bolted
it, and advancing to the table, set down
his candle among a litter of papers and
letters with which it was strewn. A chair
was pushed back from the table; close by,
propped up against another chair was an
open portmanteau. The young fellow mo-
toned me to a seat and sank himself into
the one from which he had just risen. For
a moment he sat without speaking, gazing
fixedly before him; then turned his
head as though to address me. But
i any words he might have spoken died
away in fit Of shivering. He grew even
paler than before, his teeth chartered, he
looked at me helplessly, as child might,
as he sat there grasping the table with
both hands in vain effort at self-control
felt in my pocket for my traveling-fask,
and going up to him got him to swallow
some brandy. The effect was good; the
shivering ceased, some color returned to
his checks and lips.
. That is better" said, contemplating