The Forrest City times., 1893-12-08

rooms struck against Mrs. Skinner's cheek with dull chill.
 "Shall let in the sun. ma 'am?' said Hannah.
 Mrs. Skinner did not seem to hear.
 ''So they want the top floor, too, these new tenants?' she said.
 "Yes ma'am," said Hannah, who was in some wise E.anager of her mistress affairs as well.
 ''Then every thing must be moved out"
 "If 1 could do anything" "Nothing" was the answer
 And Mrs. Skinner slowly ascended the stairs, while Hannah in silence sat and kept watch at the foot.
 Back into the past again walked the stately old woman in black. Slowly did she unlock the door and move into the large, old, filtered room.
 For the first time in thirty-fve years she looked upon the objects there. Her eyes, in the dim light in the musty silence which at her entrance had broken into a succession of small, low, strange sounds, glanced from one to the other-for the first time: for the first time since the day when the trag- edy of her life had come to her.
 The bones of the past were stirred, indeed, now And she had hated them; she had shut them away; she had tried to forget them, to let them lie in their graves! A wronged woman such as she was-what else could she do? Suddenly she started up. Her eyes, accustomed pow to the ob scurity of the room, saw them both 1 the two portraits she had placed side 1 by side before she locked the door, with 1 her own hand, never except by her own hand to be opened, thirtyfve years be- fore There they were as she had placed them the day she had left the house, the house of her husband who had wronged her. Egbert Hamilton Skinner, the hand somest of all his family, there he was. l His blue eyes, his smooth face, his l laughing, treacherous, debonair mouth. The widow looked at them all. l And then the face of Martha, his cousin An. yes, she had been fair too, Martha, with her innocent face and her 1 lips that were like ripe roses, and all | white neck. And as treacherous, as | false as he.
 We'll had she placed them side by side and locked the door upon them-lock- ing them out as she had locked the man and woman who had wronged her out of her life forever. When Hannah, the hours passing without sound from above, crept fear fully up the stairs and to the open door, she uttered low cry. On the floor, in the heavy gloom of the room, lay her | mistress senseless. In her hand she held faded paper.
 Hannah, lifting the unconscious head, looked about her in the gathering. deepening darkness A tall, quaint, piece of furniture, with many drawers, had been opened. One of the drawers stood out with a scattered confusion of papers,
 l The green shutters were open now in the old white-pilastered house in Vest chester county. The doctor went in and out every day. He shook his head; he looked at the old maidservant gruffly, suspiciously.
 There are infallible indications of a mental shock"
 'I know nothing" was the old wom- ans cool answer. The doctor. with an impatient click of the tongue, went rapidly down the white Tagging and back to his gig at the gate Hannah. immovable in every feature as always. went back to her mistress side.
 You told him?" the white lips would frame
 No Mrs. Skinner. You know | wouldn't" was the only answer l One day the invalid looked up. Hannah"
 |. Hannah crossed the room and stood by the bed.
 Eve been thinking, thinking great deal" the once strong, peremptory | tones said ''You know what l mean?" Hannah nodded. five been thinking that perhaps you | knew"
 A swift change went over the old woman's face. 70, Mrs. Skinner, don't ask me-" "I shall ask you" Strength seemed | to have returned to the doctors patient Forcibly she raised herself on one arm. Imperiously she stretched out the still handsome hand in the old firm. commanding gesture. Tell me every thing you know" ''Then-none of it was true. Miss l Martha never cared-never, never. It | was some one else. But she knew you would not have liked it, ma'am, for | she was poor and not much in the way 1 Nf fa and Sipoa Micu Martbo l;ya1