Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-06-13


"Your room is not ready yet,
but 1t will be presently" she said,
when We had greeted each other
.tyou can dress here. We haye a
few friends to dinner Tonight
Your parents are we'll, hope"
"Your parents !" and this in al
lusiou to her own sister, whom she
had not seen for years Her greet
ing-in fact, her manner, every
thing about her--was perfectly po'
lite, but strangely cold.
eyes," replied, "they a'e quite
we'll, thank you"
"You can com down stairs when
you are ready" she contin ued, as
she stood before the glass, giving
the last touches to her toilet
"Dlnner will be on the table in
about twenty minutes. l had bet
ter 20 down-they will be waiting
for me- saying which she left the
room.
A curious woman, l thought.
when she vas gone and, sltogeth-
er did not care much about her
perhaps, also. l was a little sorry
that, against the wishes of my
parents, l had come to The Will
lows at all. When l came into
drawing room found a party OF
about a dozen people assembled
there. There were, besides my
aunt and an elderly German lady,
who was Q relative of her late hus-
band, the clergyman OF the parish
With HIS wife and two daughters,
the local doctor-s good looking
| Young man OF about six or seven
twenty; the squire and three or
four others, who, like myself, were
staying on q visit at the house
Dinner passed very pleasantly
We had music and q dance when
the gentlemen came up stairs. AL
together l enjoyed myself very
much, and 1t was past midnight
when We rose from the supper ta'
BILE, One thing 1 did notice almost
| unconsciously during the evening"
and this was q strange, absent, and
at the same time searching, ex-
preston which sometimes came
upon Aunt Judith's face. 1t was
as though she were looking at OF
for something which was Invisible
to everything else.
Well, when supper was over
and those OF the guests who were
| leaving the house had taken their
departure, went with Aunt Ju'
dith to her bedroom, ITO see," she
said, "whether Sophia had got my
room ready yet"
Sophia was waiting for us when
We entered the room, and my aun'
aud she Immediately began to talk
lin German. What they were say
| ing could not tell, as l did not
understand the language; but
somehow, from their manner or the
tone of their voices, 1T seemed to
me ss if they we're discussing some
thing which they did not want me
to know about. At last my aunt
said to me in English;
any dear, am sorry the room
| | had intended Cor you Is not ready
vet. 1t will be ready tomorrow
bot for tonight you must sleep ID
another ROOM" -.
Here Sophia said something ID
German, and after moments
pause Aunt Judith said, as 1t IL
answer
"The blue room. Yes, my dear,
she continued, speaking to me, "l'
is IN old fashioned room, but verj
comfortable. Sophia will snowy
to it. Good night, dear
Again the curious look L ha'
noticed before cane over her fac
a. lett the room with Sophia, VIII
walked before me with a candle.
, We went up a fight of star
that led to q part of the Oulld'nl
, which seemed to be but little used
, rat the top Of these stairs theT
. was . long narrow passage th
walls of which we're lined with oa
panels. When We got to the Ell
I of this passage we turned 10 III
. right and went a FEW yards dow
another and similar passage, unt
tha servant opened a door that lie
|. into spacious bed chamber
Having put the candle oO I'll
Il mantelplsce, aud lsld my travel'n
II bag, which she carried with he
2 on the floor, she looked curionsI
D round the room, and :hen, WHIT
D. she had bidden me good nigr
d went out and shut the door
N telt very nervous as look
ID sbout the apartment, which see
9. ed to be an uuinhabited part OF I
large house, and was furnished,