Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-18

| lanterns were trying to outshine the moon.
| my whole heart is in il, p" she declared stand
| ing up tall and vigorous. I'm so thankful
| wasnt born hundred years ago. when it was
| thought disgraceful for a gentlewoman to earn
her honest living. Now"-Philomel stretched
| out her two arms-'now she is as free as air to
| work-to work.
'Oh. Philomel!' said John Elliot, wistfully.
The evening came to an end, with its lights
and its music and its happy gayety.
| .Philo," said Madeline Akers. ''you won't
mind being treated like one of the family, as
| they said when they gave the boy a good
thrashing. The house is full that we are
| going to give you bed on the sofa in nv
fathers sanctum. l have tucked your blankets
in his closet. Hold the light, will you, please?
And hold the door open too. Those stupid
joiners have put no handle on the inside. and
| I've fancy for being shut in. as if were
| caught in a trap. You won't be afraid will you.
Philo2 The windows are all locked, and can
hear you If You call, for I am going to camp on
the parlor lounge"
| Philonel smiled. 'Afraid?" It would be
| amusing if young woman who aspired to earn
her own living should be timid in being left
| alone at night. Nevertheless, she went to the
| window to make sure it was fast.
| As she turned away. her dress touched some
| thing which jingled family. She was passing
the judges spindle-legged desk and What
carelessness! A bunch of keys had been left
| dangling from its lock.
| Like flash Medicines words darted into
Philomels mind The papers are locked up in
my fathers spindle-legged desk"
She turned away instantly, her lip half curl
| ing as if in scorn that she should even remem-
| Der what had been said.
| She took out the pins, and brushed and
braided her hair for the night. She sang a
little tune under her BREATH heartily vexed
that her unruly brain persisted in repeating:
The papers-in the spindle-legged desk"
"Noblesse Obige," she quoted to herself,
haughtily. Il have not so far descended as to
| disgrace nv people in that fashion,
She laid herself down on the sofa. She shut
her eyes. Even in the dark she could see that
desk on its slender legs.
THE examination is scarcely fair Algeria
Is naturally quicker than l. 1 ought to be
given some advantage over her. Ahl'' she
| cried. drawing long breath and shaking her
head on the pillow. Why could she not sleep?
Why would the blood throb in her temples?
The papers are in the desk!' 1t is so inn
portant that get the place. Algeria can do SO
many things that can't. She can teach She
can go into a store. She can advertise to 60
to Europe as somebody's companion. And
and-'the papers in the deskr"
| What had at first seemed an absurd impossi-
bility began to take on certain fearful fikeli-
| hood. Could it chance that even Seagrave-
Durant-
'Oh, dear Lordr' cried Philomel, from her
inmost soul. She sat up straight. She made
| a bound and stood upon the floor. Softly she
struck match and lighted her candle. She
began to dress herself rapidly. She was terri
| hed-appalled at her own thoughts.
"Oh, dear Lordn' she kept repeating, like a
| bewildered frightened child
| She blew out the candle made two long
strides, found herself inside the closet
"SRdp!' went the lock. There was no handle
inside.
| Now, young woman. you are safe from YOUR
| SELF" said Philomel triumphantly. IF you
| won't do right by fair means, then you must
| be made"
Philomel curled herself up on the closet floor.
One may be comfortable, though honest ~
said she, gleefully.
The whole affair, now all temptation had
| vanished. took on the aspect of Joke.
How shall get out when morning comes?
| I'll thump till some one hears me. How shall
| l explain my being here, hobnobbing With
Judge Aker's dressing-gown and slippers? ~Oh,
we'll confess and make clean breast of it!
! It's no shame, in case like this, to run away
and live to fight another day must admit to
you, Miss Durant, that this closet isn't as cool
| as could wish
1t may be that the heavy air made our girl
drowsy; She must have dropped asleep, for it
| suddenly occurred to her that morning had
| come very speedily. Was it daylight? Would
| the suns beams be yellow as the glimmer
which crept in at the crack under the door?
| The CLEAN grew brighter. There was a sound
| of footsteps-very soft but undoubtedly foot
| steps" decided the prisoner.
| At first she thought of calling out But an
unaccountable fear seized her heart The
light grew, but Philomel was sure it was not
day. She listened with all her might. There
was was sound as OF something family jinging.
Was it robbers? Philomel's breath came thick.
Whatever it was, the light began to grow DIM
| Slowly 1t decreased, and then all was dark and
| quiet.
The closet was sitting. Phiomel stood up
| right and stretched her limbs. The heat was
| getting worse and worse
Il wonder if the air will hold out till morn
| ing?" thought Philomel, trying to smile But
the whole affair began to seem far from anus
ing:
The blackness of darkness" She had heard
| or read OF that; now she began to realize what
| 1T meant. The minutes dragged on The
| hours seemed like years. Sometimes standing
sometimes crouching on the floor, longing for
| the breath of breeze, for a drop of water,
| Philomel tried to calm her fears Strange to
say, she never once thought of knocking and
! rousing some one to come to her relief So
| firmly had she made up her mind that she was
to endure until morning that no other way out
| OF the trouble occurred to her. Besides
that her head began to grow confused, dizzy.
Suddenly she became aware of much sun
shine, OF great draught of air, of water on
her forehead, camphor at one nostril and am
monia at the other while voices filed her
| ears.
She was lying on the sofa Madeline Aker
| and servant maid were bending over her with
| alarmed faces.
"What is the matter?" gasped Philomel.
"Ihats what would like to know" exclaimed
Madeline, laughing and crying at once 1--WE
| found you locked in the closet in a dead faint
Will you please to mention ,chy you went in
| there?'
| The whole night rushed back on Philomel.
| Why did you 60 into that closet?" demanded
Madeline
"To SAFE my soul,' said Philomel Durant
Or course the whole story came out. Made
| line was amused. She was also perplexed She
praised Philomel. She scolded her roundly.
'But to do such a mean thing as to look at
| the papers-why, Philo, 1 can't imagine it's
even being a temptdtaon-to you"
Philomel looked at her out of the corners of
her eyes and shook her head wisely
II couldn't imagine it myself until tried it."
| said she.
The girls went gayly down to breakfast. Mrs.
Akers was already pouring the coffee. The
| judge was late. He did not come to the table
for several minutes, and when at last he did
| appear he seemed considerably disturbed in his
| mind.
Madeline" said he, rather sternly, have
you been rummaging in my desk? left long
list of questions in one of the pigeon-holesN
questions to be asked of you, Miss Philomel,
to see if you're fit to serve in our fine new
library"
Philomel looked at Madeline. Madeline stared
back at Philomel.
"Why, father, didn't 'rummage.' Haven't
been to your DESK" said Madeline. But
knew the papers were there. You've overlooked
them, maybe"
| overlook"
'May I go and see if I can find them,