Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-11-14
WHO WAS SHE (!


MATES in a young ladies' seminary of tn
old school, at the age of twenty-five.
was not unalloyed bliss, however Th
greatest drawback to the situation was M
fondness for the society of young ladies
The president of the institution was MI
maternal uncle and was fully aware of mi
weakness; therefore, with a view TO botl
my own ard his fair pupils welfare, h,
kept me much under his eye But there
were times when my proclivities were by
no means frowned down-when a new CIR
with wealthy papa missed her home gai
cites and limited at leaving, or a sentiment.
al miss pined at the breaking off of some
forbidden correspondence-on such occa.
sions the healthy tonic Of little delicate
attention from the only eligible man in the
place was rather encouraged. Then, too,
even Uncle Joseph was not quite uLiquit-
Gus, and the stairs and halls, the music
rooms, the verandahs and the many pretty
walks in the really lovely grounds afforded
innumerable innocent opportunities for
chats with the fifty more or less charming
girls of the seminary. On the whole these
were happy days. had great chLms in
every class and almost every set-the gay
girl who was used to plenty of admirers
at home, and so, naturally, appropriated
| the only available candidate in that minia-
ture world; the shy girl who was not used
to being noticed and was so grateful and
ready to be pleased, or the bright girl who
helped and rested me in class In such
daily intercourse very many and very diff
ferent reasons were found for friendship,
and think / may say that l numbered
among my friends most of the girls at the
"Hall, who were beyond the ordinary in
any respect-pretty, graceful, or bright
and that is why it has always seemed to
me so strange that never could discover
"who she was" But so it is; to-day am
as much puzzled as to her identity as / was
the moment she slipped out of my arms.
1t was Halloween and l was invited to
little party by pretty village girl, who
was graduate of the seminary Some
mishap-Miss Maggie's lover choked him
self pobbing for apples, / think-tbrew a
damper on the party 1t broke up rather
early and l reached the seminary not long
after midnight.
My uncle rather discouraged my accept
ing invitations in the village, fearing, pre-
sumo, that my accounts of these gaieties
might render the girls, who were pro-
hibited from visiting, discontented So
when l went out, and came in, too, for
the matter Of that, ! generally made very
| little fuss about it and frequently neglected
mentioning the fact to my uncle at all.
When on this occasion | softly turned my
latch key and opened side door to find
everything in inky darkness, my state OF
mind could only be expressed by an ex-
pletive not proper for my seminary vocab
ulary. That stupid Becky when going her
round of the halls had, in fit of absent
mindedness, extinguished the light in the
lower hall as well as the upper one. 1t
was no easy matter to find ones way in
that lower hall in the dark. There were
doors in every direction and three different
staircases. stood still and mentally at
tempted to place them. There was the
great staircase and the staircase which led
to the store room. There was the vesti-
bule door. the door to the study and to
''study hall. the door to the reception par
Tor, the doors to the girls parlor and play
room, the house-keepers door, the corri-
dor which led to the dining room, and it
seemed to my diseased imagination in that
moment that there were a score more en-
frances and exits the names and positions
of which / could not remember. 1t would
be committing suicide to attempt to find
the proper staircase in the dark. remem-
bered, however, that the first door should
be obliged to pass was that of the house
keeper, who proverbially slept with one
eye open listening for burglars or girls
making raids on the pantry. As did not
want her to rouse the house and Uncle
Joseph crept along in the direction of the
staircase, determining to light my way
with matches as soon as l should be safely
| past ludJ uOOI. MtdllN ullt L Itlb lily case
and discovered, to my mingled dismay and
amusement, that it contained one solitary
match
With the determination to save this for
an emergency I continued to feel my way
until at last touched staircase railing
but was it the right onei Now was the
time to sacrifice my match. and / conf
| IDENTIFY drew it FORTH but, alas, as / re-
placed the case in my pocket the match
slipped from my fingers to the floor. This
was most provoking, but not to be bafiled,
l chopped off an impatient exclamation
and STOPPING, set to work to find it by the
sense of touch. | ran my fingers lightly
over the first step without success and
raised my hand to the second to continue
my blind search, when full on the back Of
my hand was set, smooth, cool and soft, a
small bare foot.
All that followed of course occupied but
a very few minutes but have gone over
every one Of those minutes and they re-
| main in my memory clear and distinct
started up in amazement, if not fright and,
Of course, the sudden movement on my
| part threw the foot's owner backwards and
into my arms. A dozen confused ideas
| rushed through my mind, foremost among
them the thought that this must be gen
uine case Of somnambulism, which in
| duced me to add to the exclamation of sur
prise which | had already uttered hasty
| explanation as to my identity and the as
| suranee that there was no cause for alarm
To my surprise my well meant speech was
met with absolute silence, though the mys-
terious creature now made quick and
violent effort to escape from my grasp.
This proved to me that she was awake,
and also that she did not have any idea of
betraying her identity. What could it
meant Not an elopement; the bare foot
settled that theory, and as / lightly ran
| my hand over her shoulders, which were
| on level with my own and down her
arm, decided without difficulty, notwith-
standing my absolute inexperience, that
| the lady's costume was arranged for the
| night. | have no wish to deny that the
| touch of the round, fl. IN arm and shoulders,
so palpable under their thin and fluffy Gov
| erings, filled me with a new and strange
sensation of pleasure, and even set my
heart to beating trifle faster than usual.
In her effort 10 escape, her hair swept over