Evening journal., 1892-09-24

" - -
"a nd 10 aUdS you that spread that ddinHd.
bic story"
Sister Martha, in spite Of her sound
constitution and great natural vigor
passed two very bad nights. The demon
Of insomnia sat by her pillow and
goaded her to the point OF desperation.
The second night a change had come
over the temper Of the weather, an
Gutumnal change that set the wind
moaning around the corner Of the house,
while dead leaves trailed OF on the blast
in long lines, and black scud sped over
the face of tho moon.
Sister Martha did not close an eye
until four o'clock IN the morning She
tossed and turned, and creaked the bed
stead-one Of Mother Mayhew's high
posters, rather rickety in the joints
aud every now and then raised herself
on her elbows and Kissed out between
her teeth in q stage whisper, I've got TO
DO it, OF 1 shall diel" thus witnessing to
tho stars that q burden lay on her con
science. Who could have believed that
Mrs. Martha Whitcumb, that stout and
self confident dame, was ever subjected
to punishment under the lash Of Ne
mesiss She, of all women, seemed the
least open to such Negotiation though
the black puffs under her eyes and the
yellowness Of her skin had, 60 AIMS
eye. Indicated some alteration Of health.
At last, at daylight, she fell asleep and
dreamed that she was trying to force her
way into a shining company with only
one thin garment on and without stock
ings aud shoes, while she suffered en-
agony OF shame at her unclothed condi-
! ton. Ia spite Of the creaking Of Sister
ALartha's bedstead. Miss Mayhew slept
more soundly than she had for many a
long month The cool change seemed TO
brace her and DO Her good. She was
folded like a child and Graded 10 the
long swing OF the wind, as II bowed the
/ tops Of the trees and sent the dead leaves
scurrying She lay snug and warm
breathing easily, and dreamed that she
was dressed IN white, walking in a rose
garden; and as she looked the roses bios
Eomed into the faces of little children
she had known. Some OF them were
dead. but they were oil smiling on her
turning their pretty heads 70 look as she
| passed.
The sweetness Of the dream seemed to
I linger with her some time after waking
with her vibrating nerves all pleasantly
a-throb in every atom Of her flesh. She
was very sensitive to dreams and omens,
what she called "intimations. Could
lit be that something good was going "a
happenl How long it seemed since any
thing had happened in the strange mo-
uotony of her life. at any rate she felt
stronger and brighter that windy morn
ing with It's splendid broken CLEANS.
There was life and excitement in the
air. It seemed to stir her languid pulses
She rang for Ann Baskett TO help her
dress, aud would have on her blue
wrapper and white shawl and pink
worsted slippers She was going down
to the sitting room to take her place by
tho window, and her face had a little
anticipatory brightness in tas she gazec
out on the bronzing tree tops. Qn'
b0ugh OF the big maple by the from
gate was already deep crimson. a col
or that seemed TO blow trumpet bias
as it spaTkled in the sun. Sister MarthS
tfound her already down stairs wher
Ann had llindled wood fire on thu
hearth, and the smell of the burning
sticks was pleasant in the nostrils j
was the first time they had met since
tho "high tea"
"Your party was a great success,
Miss Mayhem said in a simple, imper
onal way that was touching. ii
eemed real cheerful to have folks com
ing to the house again; felt as If moth
vt would like it if she could know, an,
tfather, too. for he was always fond o
having company. ] crep' out on tn
stairs in Oh dirk and heard the deacon
telling his old stories--that one abou
the coon hanging by his tail, and hoy
the minister did taught"
She went musing along, feeling gla'
that the old house had redeemed it
character for hospitality, the ideal s
dear to her heart, so dread when pre-
scented in a concrete form involving &c
| sponsibility. Miss Mayhem was NOR
pleasantly expansive than was her won
with Sister Martha, who usually Rctel
on her nerves like an cast wind. but tn
Halter had fallen into an unwonted sulky
silent mood; the reaction from the to
= party seemed to have como IN as bac
stroke, bringing with it a sense of di:
/ Sillusion. Even the excitement Of "spii
ing the Woods and fuckers until the
3 were green with envy had lost some q
its charm.
= She said she was going out and Nigh
4 not be back for some time. She wen
I to her room. and put on tho bonnet wit
4 the red flowers. her best mantle an
, kid gloves. She looked in the glass an
l Remarked to herself that the red flower