The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-08-23

through the kitchen, and up the back
stairs. The wind was rising. and the rain
which had just begun to fall. drove heav-
lily against the window panes on the up
per landing. The girl moved swiftly down
the narrow passage in the dark, toward
door at the further end, through the KEY
hole of which came a faint light. Here
she stopped, and tried the latch of the door.
1t did not let her in.
"Robertr' she called. "Robertr'
''What is it. Bertha9 can't come down
again, and--I'd rather be alone"
81 want to speak to you. Oh, Robert,
won't you let me in?''
s'It's no use; won't come down.
''No, you needn't; nobody has sent for
you. II just wanted to see your'
"Well, here am, . and the door opened
suddenly, so that the girl who was leaning
against it almost fell into the ROOM She
recovered herself however, and stood there
looking at her brother with pitiful eyes.
Il wish knew what to do" she said.
and ended with long drawn sigh.
Il know what to dor was the boys re-
joinder, and he set his mouth sternly, SO
that there was in his face curious resem-
biance to the old man downstairs.
You won't do anything wrong, Robert,
know you WON'T" she said, clasping her
hands. 'I'm sure father means to do ev-
erythng for the best. Try not to mindr'
Il do try, have tried, but it's no use.
Think l can't sees Father is mad because
that money is coming to me. instead of
him. Iwish Uncle George had never left it to
me: | could have got along without it. 1t
only makes me wretched all the time, the
way father treats me, and I'm tired of it. -
But, dear Robert, everyone sees-l mean"
she added, checking herself-"you have
grandma and me, who love you dearlyi
Don't that make up to You for these little
crosses? Father though he is so rough,
loves you very dearly; he is proud of you,
but something has made him irritable of
late and -
''Yes, ever since Uncle George died and
left me that money, said Robert.
''And you know he has been making i'm
proyements on the farm. Perhaps he has
got into debt"
'sWell, that's not my fault, said Robert.
81 believe in my soul you wish that money
had gone to him or you.'
30 Robert
Forgive me, Bertha. | know bow girls
feel about such things, and it's only nat
ural that you should want to help father
but tell you candidly, if | had the money
tomorrow, wouldn't lay out cent on this
miserable place. hate it, and I'm tired
of being treated like a child of five years
old! All my faults and errors talked over,
no matter who is by, I'm not going to
stand it any longer. Ifae can't be reason
able, he must get some one besides me to
vent his spite on.
80 Robert: what are sayinga''
''Just what | mean. | won't stand it!
It's bad enough to be cooped up in this old
country place. and then to be tyranniz ed ov
er from morning Knight. What good does
age, even if | felt like giving it all to him."
IF you only won't mind it, dear, I'll do
everything can to make you happy"
you're awfully kind. Bertha, and you
pose can't see how uncomfortable he make
you all feel on my account Come. you're
shivering with the cold. Take my candle
and go to bed; I've got another, and We'll
talk it all over some other time
Reluctantly Bertha obeyed, waiting only
to kiss her brother good night. When she
reached her room she blew out the candle,
folded wrapper about her, and sat down
in the little splint rocker, to think.
She felt as keenly as Robert did, her
fathers injustice, but what could she do?
She had no mother to go to, and her grand
mother was too loyal to her son to blame
father; he would have turned upon her as
he had before, with the bitter taunt that
she encouraged her brother in his idleness,
and excused all his shortcomings.
~-~~
still sitting up, trying to solve this problem
how to keep her brother from any rash act
that he would regret in after life. Strain
ing her ears to listen. she thought she heard
the creaking of door.
1t rained hard now. She could see the
tops of the trees moving in the wind, dark
as It was.
A sudden terror seized her. That GER
tainly was not the rain nor the wind, but
the familiar clank of the heavy c hair
against the front door. She run to hel
brothers room, her heart beating heavily
called him, but no answer came. Gropint
her way to the bed, she felt over it. Rob
ert was not there-the bed had not bee'
touched.