Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-11-06

"No, miss, | think not. She's been
travelin' in from the country, l take it,
an looks clean beat out. ."
"Well, l will go down at once and see
what she wants. The expressman has
come for the trunk, has he Delia!'
eyes, miss" "
Louise paused for an instant with her
hand on the door, racking her brain to
try and gain some glimmeriug as to the
identity of the person awaiting her in
the parlor, some person who had said
that she was expected.
sIt's some one who knows the rest Of
the family are away too" she unused,
but this fact did not enlighten her in the
least, and finally she went down, still
mystifcd.
Nor was she any wiser when she en-
tered the drawing room and beheld a
little old lady seated on the sofa. The
top of her head could surely come no
higher than Louise's shoulder, her face
was yellowish aud wrinkled with age,
and her gown was black aud severely
plain.
Louise was certain she had never seen
her before Her surprise, therefore,
NAV be imagined when the caller rose
to her feet, and, coming quickly toward
her, reached up on tipt0e and kissed her
on the forehead.
'Id have known you anywhere, my
dear" she said, 'from your resemblance
to your mother
"Yes, but-but-'
And here Louise paused. The old
lady. whose face, when one came to look
at it closely, had certain sweetness OF
EXPRESSION. seemed so confident that she
was known that the young girl felt as
though it would be almost like striking
her TO saw that she had not the remotest.
idea who she was.
IL looked for you over at the station,
went on the stranger, pulling Louise
down to seat beside her on the sofa,
and gently smoothing with her wriukled
fingers the fair ones she still held; "an
7 waited some time. Then | thought
somcthiu might have kept you, so in-
ouired the way an come over in the
cars by myself. But I'm most tuckered
out. Can go right up to my room
If lie down for spell ] think Id feel
better
Her room She had come to stag
then. Louise was utterly bevildered.
Matters must be straightened out at once.
I'm very sorry" she began, "but-
but 1 think you must have mistaken the
house. Was it Mrs. Theodore Alley you
came to see''
The old lady, who had half risen from
her seat, now fell back again with lit
tic gasp.
"Mistake'' she repeated. "rhera
can't be any, can there, when you're
Louise Alley Didn't you get my let
ter"
Il beg your pardon, said poor LOU
ise, beginning to grow very nervous 81
don't know who you are"
Then you didn't get my letter" ex-
claimed the old lady promptly. "PrapS
| ought to have fixed it different, but
I'm Abby Moorhead."
"Oh, mothers Aunt Abby ex-
claimed Louise, putting her hands out
instinctively. "I-I thought you were
out in Dakota"
$50 was, my child, but got back
this spring and was sick long time up
at my brothers, in New Hampshire"
but how did you know where we
were?" inquired Louise. "We've only
lived here two years.
That's what I'm going to tell you,
went on Miss Moorehead. alt all came
about so queerly. You see the railroad to
the White Mountains runs through Con-
man, and two weeks ago there was an ac-
cident, and a passengers came to Tim
othy's for linen to bind up the wounds,
an if 1t wasn't Albert Bond. >
"Oh, yes" broke in Louise. "He's
very old friend of mothers"
But at this point the OH lady's body
swaved to one side, and Louise sprang
up and caught her in her arms. She was,
as she had expressed it, "cleau tuckered
out" and was now on the verge of d
swoon.
Louise reached behind her and pulled
the bell, and presently Della appeared,
the picture OF amazement.
"Here, help me up to my room with
Miss Moorehead," and Louise, with com
pressed lips, gently put her arm around
the old lady's back.
Between them they got her up the
stairs, where Louise applied restoratlves,
and presently she opened her eyes and
looked about the dainty furnished room
iuquiringly.
'Is it all right, my dear'" she SAID
feebly.
ayes, Aunt Abby, but you must lie
quite for while, and try to get soult
rest. Twill darken the room and CONF
back soou, and l want to find yo'