Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-02-20

which We're trembling on her lips
Presently maid came in with a
tray containing cold fowl, ham, French
rolls, and small china pot of frag-
rant tea; and while Martha was enjoy
ing her repast with the appetite of
eighteen, tap came to The door, and
n tall, slight girl, all in white, with a
wreath of flowers in her hair, glided
IN.
"May | come IN? We were all for
bldden to disturb you; but knew you
wouldn't mind me-
Martha looked admiringly at her
soft, brown eyes, and the mass of
golden brown hair that foW cd down
over her shoulders.
"Do YOU live here?" asked she.
81 stay here" said the girl, until he
comes after me-"
"Until who comes?'
"lIamlet, Prince of Denmark.
Don't You know" she said inpatient
ly, al am Ophelia? All, you may
well look surprised. People think
am dead, but here am, you see. And
Hamlet loves me through it all. He
will come; am smc lie viii come.
You have arrived from the world" she
cried suddenly. perhaps you have
seen him-my Hamlet?"
A cold thrill of terror shot along
Martha Fairfcld's nerves. Was the
fair young girl crazy?
AZ the same minute a servant, in
mob cap and plain gray stuff gown,
entered.
"Miss Ophelia," cried she, "How
ever came you here? c me away di-
rectly, miss, or I'll call the Doctor"
The girl shrugged her shoulders inn
patiently.
Il am not afraid of the DOCTOR"
said She. ''He is always kind TO me.
Besides, he knows that his position as
court physician depends entirely upon
my good word with the King"
"Come away, miss, dear" coaxed
the woman. you must get TO bed
early, ycu know, or you won't be
fresh when he comes, as may be he'll
do tomorrow morning"
"That is true" said the girl, her
dark, sleept eyes lighting up. eyes,
Hester, yes, will come"
wrAfpah 9gsys gesrdhfRsy band u AGrihae
skipped away after the maid.
Martha followed her to the door,
and there, pacing up and down the
wide passage. by the light of sus-
pended lamp, was a silver-haired wo-
man, with a large wax doll in her
arms, over which she bent her head.
making an inarticulate cooling sound
as she walked.
"Who is that?" she asked of the
woman who was lealing the passive
"Ophelia" away.
''Ifs Mrs. Jessup. Poor thing!"
She added, in an undcrtone, "she
thinks that's her baby as died and was
buried thirteen good year ago. There
comes the doc.or now"
AS DR.. Campington entered Martha
Fairfield confronted him with a pale
face.
"Sir," said she, wildly, ''what place
is this you have brought me to? A
mad house?"
He sat quietly down, beckOning her
to an opposite chair with an air of
quiet authority that she found it inn
~~s~s'sss,. !. sss.sSe siSi. '-.s-' :,
"You are quite right" said he. alt
is what the world calls mad house,
but we, who are wiser in the history
of moral and mental disease, term it
Sanitary Retreat"
"But you have deceived me. You
advertised for companion to an in
valid"
"Have we not many invalids here?"
DR. Campington asked with smile.
al put it TO your own reason and good
sense how many answers we should
get to an advertisement worded thus:
'Wanted-A Keeper in a Madhouse.
Now, Miss Fairfield, see protest
and refusal in your eyes But take
time to reflect Your duties will be
light, merely the supervision and COM
panionship of the two or three refined
and delicate invalids who cannot be
entrusted to the coarse and uncul-
tured attention of menials-your sala-
ry double what was mentioned in the
advertisement. | will await your de-
cision tomorrow morning in this apart
ment. Betsy" TO the little maid who
ma brought the tea, "show Miss
Fairfield to her room"
And in a large and airy apartment,
with easements which overlooked the
mountain slopes, Martha Fairfield sat
down to decide.
There was something in DIR. Camp
ington's calm eye and calmer words
that treasured her-the "MadhouseD
seeming no longer to possess terror in
her sight
1--WE have outgrown the supersti-
tious age of the world" she told her.
self; "and /, in particlar, have always
prided myself on my strength of mind.
have-a mission-three hundred a
year. With that sum | could give dear