Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1889-08-22
CHAPTER Z.
EUNICE.


We we're being waited on at table by the
strange girl Eunice Behman, Miss Lulus
waiting maid, who, though perfectly silent,
respectful, and expert in the discharge Of
her duties, was not long in betraying to my
observant eye another secret of her eccen-
trio and complicated character, in the rev.
elation that she was passionately in love
with her young master, and correspond
ingly jealous Of Miss Digby, who naturally
engrossed the greater part Of his atten-
tons, and to whom, it was equally evident,
they were by no means unwelcome.
This secret passion and jealousy on the
part of the servant were betrayed to me
by number of slight and subtle indica-
tions--byio swift, resentful glance here, a
sudden flush of the dark cheek there,
with now frown, then a smile, and then
again turbulent, Uncontrolled futter Of
the full womanly bust-but it was not I'M
til the dessert was being placed upon the
table that the secret of her stormy heart
Enthusiastically revealed itself, atleast to me.
Miss Dixon and were exchanging
words in sort Of half-aside, which is not
forbidden by etiquette under certain cir
cumstances, and on the opposite side Of
the table young Dixon was saying some
thing in low tone to Miss Digby, whose
pleased and happy expression was not
altogether hidden by the dropping attitude
of her face. when my attention was sud-
denly riveted by the girl Eunice.
She stood directly behind them, and was
just in the act of conveying over their
Bonded heads from the old fashioned side
board that occupied the greater part Of
that side Of the room q great china fruit
basket. filed to OVERLOOKING with royal
1netan0e OF apples, oranges, grapes and
bananas. for the purpose of carrying it
around the end Of the table and placing it
before us. Suddenly the girls beautiful
face was distorted by as fiendishly malig-
nant an expression rs had ever seen writ
ten upon the dial of human sin and crime
Her superb eyes grew contracted like those
Of cat, yet shot forth burning, baleful
just above Miss Digby's unconscious head,
with the unmistakable intention of letting
II fall crushingly thereon.
But hairsbreadth of time was lacking
between the intention and the fulfillment
"a mere atom of time-yet sufficient for
me to shake the table violently, as if by
accident, and to catch the eye of the
would-be murderess.
Whitening and quivering all over in an
instant, she received and accepted the
warning in time to divert the disaster. but
not to altogether prevent it. The great
vase slipped from her trembling grasp TO
the floor with great crash, and was broken
to fragments directly behind the chair of
the young lady for whose destruction it
had been momentarily intended, and who
perhaps, has never to this day suspected
the deadly peril that lowered over her at
that instant
The crash was great and the value Of the
To- IL
but neither OF the ladies was any more for
getful Of her conventional schooling than
to slightly start in her seat, without COM
menting upon the accident, while Doc
merely remarked, good naturally, as
Eunice was down upon her knees gather
ing up the debris:
"How my poor grandfather would have
stormed at you, Eunice, for he thought
more of that rare old chinaware than we
do! You ought to be as grateful as am.
though, that you didn't let the thing fall
on Miss Digby's head.p
Eunicc said nothing in reply, and, as she
rearranged the fallen fruits in another
dish and set them before us, her face had
taken on somewhat hard and impenetra-
BILE mask. but not oven supposition could
have detected in it a hint of the gratitude
with which he was disposed to credit her.
We know and read and hear enough of
actual crime, but who can reckon, guess or
dream Of the number of murders commit
ted in the thought --of the wickedness con-
coafed ~ the heart. but never projected
executionof the demoninc inten-
tons that, BY sbme subtle impalpable in
terPositlons are stifled on the threshold Of
fulfiIlment?
deemed it best, at least for th5 time
m <1mt cal,