The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1893-08-03

y 49, ~ -. @s<eA4A0 = POsSE.A
have ever seen
"a inmy life, " said
SS EM. e. Nell Towers
l&9}SEINI,.s "a square
stone house, al
- .osvergrow n
III. NNS With woodbine
that has turned crimson with the first
autumn frosts, and standing Ill alone
IN the leafy wilderness And beauti-
full woman. dressed In white, with the
face ofa young girl and the silver hair
OF an aged crone; sitting on the step,
with her lap full of ferns and MOSES
and autumn leaves. Aud think, Ru-
pert, she must be crazy, for she looked
ut me in the oldest way, without an
swering, when I spoke TO her., y
=. Il dare say, my dear, it's some old
woman out nutting,". said Mr.. Towers,
as he pared one Of the great crimson
checked peaches that were piled in :
basket on the table and Aanked by =
glass pitcher Of cream. = s, -
II shall go, then, and sketch the
place tomorrow, if have time, u. said
Mrs Towers, enthusiastically. II never
regretted anything so much in my life
as that I hadn't my portfolio with me
this afternoon" r., =.
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 off the
lavender-scented tablecloth. The
landlady looked back at her husband.
'1t's Barbara, 'ssaid he.
''Of course it's Barbara" nodded she.
"And who, may l venture to ask, is
Barbara" questioned Mr.. Towers.
superb peaches, these. my dear"
well, sir, everybody hereabouts
knows Barbara, - answered mine host.
':She's been crazy these ten years.
Il thought so,' said Mrs. Towers.
"Poor thing! And why do they let her
wander about at .large?''
''Oh, ma'am. she wouldn't harm a
hy," 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
pinned 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
sane?" e. .s-~-.~-s :
''Oh, bless your heart, ma'am, no.
Ten years ago she was the brightest,
puttiest girl in 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 8 ". ....t. = j..
The landlady drew her chair up to
the table. -
iii make bold to sit down, ma am,
and tell you all about it, said she.
1T made good deal of talk hereabouts
at the time, and it always will as long
as Barbara wanders around the old
powder-magazine in that queer dress,
with the flowers and autumn leaves
and wild berries in her hair
1T is . powder-magazine, then?'
'Oh, yes, ma'am. There Was .
great manufacturing company here
once, but It was ruined in the panic of
1887, and there's not been an ounce of
powder in the place for fifty years.
It's q picturesque old ruin, ma'am, as
You yourself observed, and artists like
to sketch 1t. There used to be picnic
parties there, ma'am, before-but l
declare, I'm getting ahead of my
story"
And, leaning her plump, comfortable
elbows on the table, Mrs NNedderburn
went ON: - t= =
Ten years ago we had the most sue
cessful summer season that ever we
knew; up in the Catskills the houses
were crowded-and some of the young
gentlemen tourists actually camped 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 it grew
into q by-word. And, if coaxing and
flattering could turn girls head, Bar
bara's was in q fair way to be turned.
Not that can accuse her of flirting OF
carrying on-that wasn't EBarbsra'a
way-she just went quietly about her
business and never said nothing to no.
body But I could SEQ that she liked
Mr.. Warden, and Mr.. Warden was just
the one Of the whole tribe and genera.
ton of 'em that could wish she hadn't
liked. You SEQ, ma'am, there's differ.
ence inipeople, and, for oil he made such
fuss over her, could see he was as
cold as . stone aud as hard as adamant.
Things went along smoothly, how
ever, until Miss Arkwright came MP
from New York-Miss Arkwright, with
her 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 Arkwrigh1
was very rich and very fashionable, and
the minute saw her and Mr.: Warden
together, Il knew that poor Barbara
! reign was over. @.
THE idea. Of making sue ID q commo
= ton over q mere servantv says Miss
Arkwright. To be sure she's pretty
but so rs a.china ddllr s.
81 beg your pardon, Miss Ark
wright said I, but Barbara is not I
servant. She'sa neighbor's daughter,
said l, and she kindly does me thu
favor TO help me little ut busy times
bein' I've no daughter Of my own.
4'.And Miss FArkwright put up hel
gold eye-glass and stares at me as II
was. an escaped wild animal.
Really says she. How very grat
flying 70 know!' B.
And or she saupte1s, with her heal
held up IN. the. cir hlks . queenfA
1.-THE very next week she asked Bar
bara togo up to the stone tower witt
her. Barbara didn't want to 20, BID
Miss krkwright had 8 domineering VI!
with her, and the girl could hardly K