Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-05

privations and by the burden of extra
tasks, rebelled in her heart against the
tyrant, although she urged her young
sister to submission and obedience.
There came a day-a bright summer
day-when the punishment lesson was
heavier than usual, although Kat til
leen's offence had been of the Slightest
kind.
kathleen O'Hara has an obstinate
temper, and it must be conquered"
said the Reverend Mother, when she
was told of a blotted exercire or a
little outbreak of temper.
Today Kathleen had a headache.
She was flushed and feverish, overcome
by the midsummer heat. Just a year
had gone since Bridget's death, and
it seemed to both girls as if that year
had been the longest in their lives
the longest and most unhappy. The
child made a feeble effort to write the
German exercise which had been given
to her as punishment task; but soon
gave up altogether, and sat crying,
with the book open before her, and
the sun pouring its fierce light upon
her flushed, tear-stained face.
This was taken for rank contumacy,
and when the Reverend Mother came
upon her round of inspection from a
superior class, she ordered Kathleen
off to a room at the top Of the house,
a bare garnet under the thin hot roof,
which was used Only for solitary con-
firement in very bad cases. It was
the blackhole Of the convent.
Kathleen was marched up to this
place of durance vile, and kept there
till evening prayers, with the refresh
ment of a slice Of black bread-such
bread DIS the cOachmen give their
horse in that cOuntry-and a cup Of
water. In the cool eventide she was
let out of her prison, which had been
like an 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 kneIt by her sisters bed, and
kissed and comforted her; but the child
was broken-hearted She said she
would die in that miserable house
|
could not learn, and then she was pun
ished for not learning them. She had
been frightened in that dreadful room.
She had heard things awful things
running about behind the walls,
squeaking and screaming. She thought
the were demons.
''They were rats, darling" said Rose,
,SsiT nd sbo'
never, never be put in that room again,
if you will be brave, and trust me-"
Rose shuddered at the thought of
that sitting garnet, under the burning
roof, and tn rats running about be-
hind the wainscot. She had heard Of
children being eaten alive by rats.
Shall we steal out of the house
tomorrow morning as soon as it is
light, and go away and live by our
selves sOmewhere?" she asked, in q
whisper.
1t was an hour after d-time; the
other children were al snoring on their
hard little holsters. There was no one
to overhear the sisters as they whis-
| pered and plotted. 1t was no new
| ii.
been meditating upon it for a long
time, ever since the new rule had be-
gun and had made Kathleen unhappy.
She had never forgotten those words
of Miss Fitzpatrick'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 be-
| loved of her heart, was despair. Rose
made up her mind that there should
be no such parting. Why should they
not work and live together? Rose felt
herself strong and brave, and able to
work for both. She had wasted no
opportunity that the convent afforded
her. She had learnt all that her teach
ers had given her to learn, and now
fe,t herself able to teach as she had
been taught If Miss Fitzpatrick were
| left free to plan their lives, she and
her sister would be parted; but if she
took their fate into her own hands,
they could spend their lives together
prosper or fail together; and, in her
young hopefulness, it seemed to her
that failure was hardly possible.
She whispered the plan to Kathleen
They were to get up at daybreak-at
the first glimmer of ight-dress them
! selves, and creep out of the dormitory
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 the heavy
bolts noiselessly. The garden was
guarded by high walls, except in one
weak point which the girls knew well.
An older wall, only eight feet high
a ponderous old wall, with heavy but
tresses Of crumbling brick-divided the
western side Of the garden from an
extensive orchard sloping down to the
river.
This wall had been scaled by many
pears, and it would be no obstacle to
the sisters escape. Rose would take
change of linen in a little bundle, and
her fortune Of fifteen gold pieces,
Biddy's legacy, in her pocket; and with
this stock of worldly wealth they
would make their way to Paris, that
wonderful, beautiful city, of which
they had heard so much from some of
their schOolfellows the daughters Of
Partisan tradesmen, who had been sent
to the Belgian convent for cheapneSs.
Are we going to walk all the way?"
asked Kathleen.
Not all the way, darling. We can