The Van Buren press., 1893-08-12

.i&% ~ III lA ~ 'Ns- !.
that has turned crimson with the first
autumn frosts, and standing all alone
in the leafy wilderness. And beauti-
full wom6iH dlesed id white, with the
face Of = Wu6H e1rlsand thcssilver hair
Of an aged crone, sitting on the step,
with her lap full OF ferns and mosses
and autumn leaves. And think, Ru-
pert, she must be crazy, for she looked
.at me n the oddest way, without an
@wc1inR, when l spoke 70 her."
II darc eAy, my dear, it's some old
woman out nuttine,' said Mr.. Towers,
1s he pared one of the great crimson
checked peaches that were piled in a
basket ON the table and fianked by a
glass pitcher of cream.
II shall 20, then. and sketch the
p1nee zfe-mQgzRw. 4 have time. said
Msq Toster4 e1tha asiastically. 'fpever
veksktted anything so much in my life
~ that l hadn't my portfolio with me
this afternoon
The landlord, who had Just brought
IN . big log of moss-fringed wood for
the open fire, looked at the landlady,
who was brushing crumbs OF the
lavendcr-scented tablecloth. The
lnndlady looked back at her husband.
ssIt's Barbara" said he.
esOf course it's Barbara" nodded she.
''And who, may venture to ask, is
Barbara?' questioned Mr.. Towers.
s.Sufcfb rpdc1es, tlBse, my dear" ~
e sir, everybody hereabouts
knows Bafbara, |" answered mine host.
s.She's been crazy these ten years.
Il thought So" said Mrs. Towers.
sPoor thing! And why do they let her
wander about ut large?'
''Oh. ma'am, she wouldn't harm o
n.y." interposed Mrs. wedderburn: land
she can't breathe free inside of four
walls, can't Barbara They did put
her into the asylum one while. but she
pined herself to death there. She
wouldn't ha' lived six months, the doc
tor said. IL they hadn't took her out
again"
Then she has not always been in
sAOh. bless your heart, massrn. no
Ten years ago she was the brightest
puttiest girl I'm all the country. She
used to come here summers, when the
house was full of boarders, and help
around Everyone liked Barbara"
''But what was it that destroyed the
poor things mental balance?" urged
Mrs. Towers
The landlady drew her chair up to
the table.
"I'll make bold to sit down, ma'am,
and tell you all about it," said she.
ut made q good deal OF talk hereabouts
IT the time, and it always will as long
as Barbara wanders around the old
powdermagazine in that queer dress.
with the flowers and autumn leaves
and wild berries in her hair"
ut is q Powder-magazine. then?"
'sOh, yes. ma'am- There was a
great manufacturing company here
once, but ii was rsined in the panic of
1857. and there's not been an ounce of
powder in the place for fifty years
Its . picturesque old ruin, ma a'am, as
you yourself observed, and artists like
TO sketch it. There used to be picnic
parties there, ma am, bcfore-but l
q frlapAs I'm getting r ahead, of my
And, leaning her plump, comfortable
elbows on the table, Mrs Wedderburn
went ON: tst*
Ten. years ago we had the most sue
eessial summer season that ever We
knew; up in the Catsxills the houses
were crowded-and some of the young
gentlemen tourists actually canlped out
In the barn o. nights. And Barbara
was here helping me-the rose of the
Catskills. one Of my young gentlemen
guests called her, and somehow II grew
into a by-word And. il coaxing and
fiattering could turn girls head, Bar
bara's ,.sSs in = fair way TO be turned
Not that can accuse her of flirting Or
carrying pn-that wasn't Barbara's
way-she just went quietly about her
business and never said nothing to no.
body. But could see that she liked
llr Warden, and Mr.. Warden was just
the one Of the whole tribe and genera
zsien OF iem that could wish she hadn't
liked. You see, ma am. there's differ
ence in people. and. for all he made such
fuss over her. could see he was as
cold as stone and as hard as ada ant
Things went along smoothly, how
ever, until Miss Arkwright came up
from New York-Miss Arkwright, with
l1er trailing silk dresses and diamond
rings and hair built up in curls and
puffs and frizzes. Some folks like that
style; I don't But Miss Arkwright
WAS very rich and very fashionable. and
the lninnteI saw her and Mr.. Warden
together. knew that poor Barbara S
reign was over.
:. The idea Of making such commo-
tion over mere servantr SAYS Miss
Arkwright To be sure she's pretty,
but 10 IS ) china dollp 81 aEsa, st
81 beg your pardon, Miss Ark
Wright, said l, but barbara is not q
servant She's neighbor's daughter,
SAX. -'snd she kindly .lees me the
favor 70 helIs ma a little sf hnsv times.
bein' I've no daughter of my own
And Miss AFkwright pat up he,
gold eye=glass aud stares at me as if !
was an escaped wild animal.
Reallyr says she. How very graf.
flying TO know
'.And Ell she sannters, with her head
hsld up in the air like queens