The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-06-03

she ordered Kathleen OIL to room at TIN
top Of the house, bare garnet under the
Shln hot roof, which was used only for soil
tary confinement In very bad cases. 1t wa
the blackhole OF the convent
Kathleen was marched up to this place o.
durance vile, and kept there till evening
prayers, with the refreshment Of slice o.
black bread-such bread as the coachmeT
give their horses in that country-and cur
| of water. In the cool eventide she was lei
out of her prison, which had been like ar
oven all day, and she and Rose lay down
together side by side in their narrow beds
at the end Of the long dormitory, nearest
the door.
When all the others were asleep Rose
knelt by her sisters bed, and kissed and
cOmforted her; but the child was broken,
hearted. She said she would die In that
miserable house. Lessons were given to
her which she could not learn, and then she
was punished for not learning them. She
had been frightened In that dreadful room.
She had heard things-awful things-run.
ming about behind the walls, squeaking and
screaming. She thought they were demons.
They were rats, darling" said Rose, ca
ressing and soothing her. "You shall never,
never be put in that room again, il you will
be brave, and trust me-"
Rose shuddered at the thought Of that
sitting garrett, under the burning roof, and
the rats running about behind the wanscot.
She had heard of children being eaten alive
by rats.
"Shal we steal out OF the house to-mor-
row morning as soon as 1t is light and 20
away and live by ourselves sOmewhere?"
she asked, In whisper.
1t was an hour after bedtime; the other
children were all snoring on their hard little
holsters. There was no one to overhear the
sisters as they whispered and plotted. 1t
was no new thought with Rose o. Hara. She
had been meditNting upon 1t for long
time, ever since the new rule had begun and
had made Kathleen unhappy She had
never forgotten those words Of Miss Fltz-
patrick's: when you are grown up you
will have to get your own living, and then
you may have to be parted" The very
thought of severance from Kathleen, this
only beloved Of her heart was despair.
Rose made up her mind that there should
no no such parting. Why should they not
work and live tOgetheTP Rose felt herself
strong and brave, and able to work for both.
She had wasted no opportunity that the con-
vent afforded her. She had learnt all that
her teachers had given her to learn, and
now felt herself able to teach as she had
been taught. II Miss Fitzpatrick were left
free to plan their lives, she and her sister
would be parted; but IL she took their fate
into her own hands, they could spend their
lives together-prosper or fail together land,
IN her young hopefulness, 1t seemed TO her
That failure was hardly possible.
She whispered the plan to Kathleen. They
were to get up at daybreak-at the first
gllmmer of light-dress themselves, and
creep out of the dOrmltory and down the
stairs, with their shoes in their hands. The
door opening into the garden was bolted
only. They had nothing to do but draw
back tho heavy bolts nolselessly. The gar
den was guarded by high walls, except in
one weak point which the girls knew well.
An older wall, only eight feet high--a pom
derous old wall, with heavy buttresses Of
crumbltng brick-dlVlded the western side
of the garden from an extensive orchard
slopng down to the river.
This wall had been scaled by many O
young rebel In quest of plums and pears,
and 1t would be no obstacle to the sisters
escape. Rose would take change Of linen
In little bundle, and her fortune Of fifteen
gold pieces, Blddy's legacy, In her pocket;
and with this stock Of worldly wealth they
would make their way to Paris that won
derful, beautiful city Of which they had
heard so much from some of their schoolfel-
lows, the daughters Of Partisan tradesmen,
who had been sent to the Belgian convent
for cheapness.
Are we going to walk all the wayP" ask
ed Kathleen.
mot all the way darling. We can 60 by
rail. But II we find the journey would cost
us too much we might walk part Of the
way"
~ will walk as far as you like; l am not
afraid" said Kathleen.
Their scheme prospered. In the dewy
morning they climbed the crumbling or
chard-wall, where there was plenty of foot
hold on the broken bricks, and ran across
the wet grass to the edge of the river, fol-
lowing which they came to the high broad.
They avoided Bruges, the city of church
towers, and steep roofs and many bridges,
and made for the rONd to COurtrai. Their
first days journey of fifteen miles was over
dusty rOad-long, dreary, monOtonous-a
long and weary walk; but they rested on
the way at cottage, where they enjoyed a
meal Of bread and fruit which cost them
only q few pence. Not for years had they
so relished any feast as they enjoyed this
dinner of black bread and black cherries.
which they ate In little arbor covered
with q hop-Ylne, In corner of the cottage
garden. They were three days on the road
to Courtral, sleeping In humble cottages.
and living on the humblest fare. At the
roilway-Station at Courtral Rose found that
the price Of railway tickets to Paris, even
the cheapest they could buy, would make q
great hole in their little fortune; so she and
Kathleen decided that they would walk all
tho way. 1t was a long journey but not so
long as that Of the Scotch girl whom Rose
had read about In Sir Walter Scotts story.
~ should like to walk" said Kathleen.
~ have been so happy to-day--ro lessons,
no one to scold us. The sky, and the tow
ers, and the fields all to ourselves"
Rose found decent lodging for the night
in weaver's cottage, and they started next
morning on the road to Paris, Kathleen as
merry as lark, Rose happy but with o
grave sense Of responsibility.
They were weeks upon the road, in the
balmy summer weather, walking and walk
ing, on and on, under cloudless blue sky;
for the heavens favored them, and the peer
less July weather lasted all through their
journey, save on one day when they were
caught in thunderstorm, and had to take
refuge In deserted stable, were they sal
crouched together in dark corner, while
the Thunder rolled over the broken thatch