Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-10-27

iho iucu VI inahluB Sucn COmmO-
ton over mere servantp says Miss
Arkwright. TO be sure she's pretty,
but so is n china doll
"I beg your pardon. Miss Ark
wright, said |, but Barbara is not a ser
want She's neighbours daughter,
said |, and she kindly does me the ia
vor to help me little at busy times.
bein' I've no daughter of my own
"And Miss Arkwright put up her
gold eye glass and staros at me as if |
was an escaped wild animal
" Really says she. How very
gratifying to know !!
"And off she saunters, with her head
held up in the air like queens.
"The very next week she asked Bur.
bara to go up to tho stone tower with
her. Barbara didn't want to 90. but
Miss Arkwright had domineering way
with her, and the girl could hardly re-
fuse.
+" Theresa picnic going up there to-
morrow, says Barbara,
:" Il know it, says Miss Arkwright,
but don't want to see the place 10 a
crowd. And you've nothing else to do,
Barbara Dale
$50 Barbara went, all ia now white
dress with blue ribbons. for | think she
half hoped to see Mr.. Warden up thore,
being as he spent deal of time sketch
ing around the stone tower. Ho was an
artist by profession, was Mr.. Warden.
But he wasn't there on this partic-
ular afternoon. And once Miss Ark
wright got Barbara up there like
mouse in trap, she commenced her
wicked taunts, telling her how unmaid-
emily she was how bold it was to 40.
copt Mr.. Wardon's compliments how
little no meant by EN-, and all that sort
of thing, until the poor girl was fairly
stung to the quick.
"She was sitting on the doorstep of
the tower. Barbara was, and Miss Ark
wright was inside, leaning against tho
narrow easement, 80 the sun shouldn't
touch her roseleaf complexion, when
Barbara started up.
How dare you talk so to mo 2 says
she. What right have you to insult me 2
When you know that Percy Warden
loves me =
He loves me +! said Miss Arkwright,
stripping wild rose of its leaves and
tiinging them down on tho grass below.
'And-lsten, Barbara D4le--he returns
to New York tonight, to ask my father
Tor my hand in marriage And alone
of all his friends am going to the train
to see him off. Now, Barbara, you
know all. | have neither pity nor com
passion for you. Your own boldness
and folly have brought this upon you.
and you deserve to suffer 7
You arc going to tho train TO bid
him Godspeed ? said Barbara, slowly.
No, Miss Arkwright you are not. The
last face Percy Warden shall see ia tho
Catskilla shall be that of tho girl he has
triaed with and deceived
"And Barbara closed the hugo oak
door and shot the outside bolt across its
rustcd fastenings with a strength that
was almost superhuman.
Girl, shrieked tho heiress, how
dare you serve me such trick as this 7
Open the door at once !
Not until | have hidden Percy
Warden adieu,' said Barbara, with u
hooking laugh. And away she sped
down the heights, Needless Of Miss Ak
wrights cries aud entreaties.
"You may wonder, ma'am, how |
know all this. Barbara herself told ms
told mo before the mists clouded her
poor brain forevcr-and she told il in
such way that | could fairly hear and
see everything for myself
But both girls had fingered longer
up on tho mountain-sido than they had
any idea Of. Before Barbara could
reach the little depot-the cars were
then new thing in our part of tho
country tho train was moving Of, and
Percy Warden's face at one Of tho win
dows was all that she could see. In her
blind haste. Barbaras foot caught 10 tho
steel rail, the iron cowcatcher flung her
on one side and she fell with her fore
head against the freight-platlorm. All
tho depot hands supposed she was klIlel,
but she wasn't.
They carried hor back TO the hotel
carried her insensiblc and bleeding from
tho temples. Aud that night one of
those tompests Of rain aud storm set ia
that we sometimes have in mid-August
IA tempest that lasted three days. No
one could stir out, and all that time
Barbara lay at deaths door, unconscious
and silent
"But in tho thunder and lightning
and driving rain Of tho third night sense
and reason came back TO poor Barbara,
and she started up among hor pillows.
"'Where is Miss Arkwrigbt 2 said
she
"'She's not at the hotel, dear says
|, soothingly And Wedderburn thinks
she must have made up her mind at tho
last minute TO go doyn to New York
with Mr.. Warden
"1 know where she u.s. said Bar
bara, with shudder. She Is up at the
powder house.
1--WE thought she was dreaming, un-
Ill she told US all.
Three days and thrco nights ] she
walled out. oh, go, some ono, and SEQ
after her =
"And ia all the storm my husband
and two men climbed the steep noun
tain sides with lanterns and approached
the powder house. And Of all ecrie
places, my husband says tho powder
house, in thunderstorm at midnight.
is the eoriest
Well, maam, they opened the door,
and there lay Miss Arkwright on tho
floor, dead, her teeth nearly meeting 10
her own arm aud her face all distorted
by some horrible spasms Whether she
died in convulson or starved 10 death
no one knew and no one ever will know.
"And all the time my husband aud
the mon were gone Barbara was telling
l Al AZ