Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-10-10
The Evil Genius.
ADOMESTIC STORY.
DY WILkIE COLLINS.
BEFORE TIE STORY,
ADOMESTIC STORY.

uary of her bedroom, celebrated her release
from the obligation OF wearing widows
weeds.
The conventional gradations in the out
ward expression OF grief which lead from
black clothing 10 gray formed no part of this
afflicted lady's system of mourning She
laid her best blue walking dress, and her new
bonnet to match. on the bed and admired
them To her hearts content. Her discarded
garments were left on the floor. Thank
heaven, I've done with YOU she said, and
kicked her rusty mourning out of the way rs
she advanced to the fireplace to ring the bell.
Where is my little bOy?" she asked, when
the landlady entered the room.
Hes down with me in the kitchen, ma am;
I'm teaching him to make plum cake for
himself He's 50 happy. l hope you don't
wait him just now??'
Not the least in the ord. l want YOU
to take care of him WIFI am away. BY
the bye, where's SyG?'
The eldest child (the ID had been christ
ened Sydney, in compliment to one of her
fathers female relatives The name was not
liked by her mOther-wi,) had shortened it
to sgd, by way Of l"avi..g as little of it as
possible. N...i Il look at Mrs. Wcsterfield
winch expressed ill-conccaed aversion, the
landlady answered: ".She's up in the lum-
ber-room, poor child. She says you sent her
there to De out of the way"
''Ah, to be sure, so did"
There's no fireplace in the garnet, ma am.
I'm afraid the little girl must be cold and
lonely"
Ii was useless to plead for Syd-Mrs West
erfield was not listening. Her attention was
absorbed by her own plump and pretty hands.
She took tiny file from her dressing table,
and put a few finishing touches to her nails.
'Send me some hot water, she said;"I want
to dress"
The servant girl who carried the hot water
upstairs was new to the ways Of the house.
After having waited on Mrs. Westerfeld, she
had been instructed by the kind-hearted
landlady to 60 on to the top floor. "You will
find pretty little girl in the garnet, all by
herself. Say you are to bring her down to
my room as soon as her mamma has gone
out"
Mrs. Westerfield's habitual neglect of her
eldest child was known to every person in
the house. Even the new servant had heard
of it. Interested by what she saw, on open
ing the garnet door, she stopped on the
threshold and looked in.
The lumber in the room consisted of two
rotten old trunks, broken chair, and dirty
volume of sermons Of the old-fashioned
quarto size. The grimy ceiling, slanting
downward to a cracked window, was stain
ed with rain that had found its way through
the roof. The faded wallpaper, loosened
by damp, was torn away i'm some places and
bulged loose in others. There were holes in
the skirting- board, and from one of them
peeped the brightly timid eyes of the child's
one living companion in the garrett mouse,
feeding on crumbs which she had saved from
her breakfast.
Sgd looked up when the mouse darted
back into its hole, on the opening of the door.
"Lizzie! LizzieV' she said, gravely, you
ought to have come in without making q
nois. You have frightened away my young.
est child.'
The good-natured servant burst out laugh
ing. Have you got large family, miss?'
she inquired, humoring the joke.
sgd failed to see the joke. "Only two
more" she answered, as gravely as overland
lifted up from the floor two miserable dolls,
reduced to the last extremity Of dirt and d.
lapidation. my two eldest" this strange
child resumed, setting up the dolls against
one of the empty trunks THE eldest Is .
girl, and her name is sgd. The other Is .
boy. untidy in his clothes. as you see. Their
kind mamma forgives them when they are
naughty, and buys ponies for them to ride
on, and always has something nice for them
to eat when they are hungry. Have you got
kind mamma, Lizzie? And are you very
fond of herr"
Those innocent illusions to the neglect
0rylSf nyS kl.<< ~
young life touched the servants heart A
when she, too, had been left without play
fellow to keep her company or Q fire to warm
her, and had not endured It patiently.
''Oh, my DEAR" she said, 'your poor little
arms are red with cold. Come to me, and let
me rub them"
But Syds bright imagination was better
protection against the cold than all the rub.
bling that the hands Of q merciful woman
she answered. II don't feel the cold when
careful to give them plenty Of exercise. We
are going to walk in the park"
She gave hand to each of the dolls, and
walked slowly round and round the miSer.
able room, pointing out visionary persons Of
distinction, and objects Of interest Here's
the queen, my dears in her gilt coach drawn
by six horses. Do you see her scepter p0k
ing out of the carriage window? She gov
ems the nation with that Bow to the queen
And now look at the beautiful bright water
Ducks are happy creatures. They have thei
own way in everything, and they're good Il
eat when they're dead. At least they use(
In bo Vvn had MI Asv,nn Il
papa's time. / try to amuse the poor littll
things, Lizzie. Their papa Is dead. I'm
obliged to be papa and mamma to them, botl
in one. Do you feel the cold, my dears!'
She shiycred as she questioned her magma
~ children. Now we are at home again,
she said, and led the dolls to the empty fire
place. Roaring fires always In my house,
cried the resOlute little creature, rubbing he
cold hands cheerfully before the bleak, blanl
CRATE.
Wam-hearted Lizzie could control hersel
no longer.
''lf the child would only make some com
paint" she burst out, ut wouldn't be 81
dreadful! Oh, what q shame! what
shanieW she cried, to the establishment o
little sgd. Come down, my dear; to tn
nice warm room where your brother Is. Oh
your mother? don't care il your mothe
sees us; should like to give your mother
piece of my mind. There! 1 don't mean h
brighten you; Pm one of your bad children
l fly into passion. You carry the dolls an
I'll carry you. Oh, how she shivered! Civ
US kiss"
Sympathy which expressed itself in thi.
way was new to sgd. Her eyes opened wild
in childish wonderland suddenly close,
again in childish terror when her good friend
the servant passed Mrs Westerfield's dcs
on the way downstairs. III mamma hsInce
See See ier:" The The nice h,s-- warm room receiyed
them in safety. Under no stress Of circum
stances had Mrs Westerfield ever been known
to dress herself in q hurry. A good half
hour more had passed before the house doo1
was heard to bang, and the pleasant land
lady, peeping through the window, said
There she goes. Now we'll enjoy our
selvesv'
5.-The Landlord,
Mrs Westerficld's destination was the pub.
lie house in which she had been once em.
ployed as barmaid. Entering the p!ace
without hesitation, she sent in her card "a
the landlord. He opened the perlor door
himself and invited her to walk in.
You wear WE'LL" he said, admirinp her.
Have you come here to be my BARNARD
againr'
DO you think am reduced to that.' she
answered.
"Well, my dear, more unlikely things have
happened. They tell me you depend for
your income on Lord lie Basque-and his
iordShlp's death was in the newspapers last
week"
And his lordship's lawyers continue my
allowance"
Having smartly set the landlord right in