The Press., 1894-03-29

Victorine, "but 1 can be content. l know that am doing my duty. Any communication between our two fam flies becomes impossible. Of course we cannot blame one man for the deeds of another, but no matter-it is over. Sis ters must stand by each other. Besides, fancy father and son quarreling for one ladyl Monstrous-hideou
 s.Indeed it would be- Victorine, said.
 Even now feel as if l had heard the voice of serpent, said Victorine, indicating with tragic gesture an em- broidered representation of Adam and Eve, the apple tree and a boa constric- tor with simpering human counten- ance, which being the work of an es- teemed ancestress had place of honor over the high mantelpiece. "The dis parity of years would make it hideous. even did you not suffer. ''
 "Oh, never mind me, Victorine, cried ''If you can get over your trials and believe me as utterly innocent of any intention to-
 "Why, what do you mean, Persis?' uueried Victorine. You make me feel afraid that you are feverish. Won't you take hot bath and go fairly to bed and let me read you to sleep?"
 "It is l who should pet you, Victo- rine," said. But 1 yielded. 1 also imbibed some 'yarb tea'' presented in fine china bowl by Aunt Emily, and 1 can still remember how drowsed away and awakened at intervals to hear scraps of verses from volume en- titled, "Verses of Love and Sorrow" which Victorine read dramatically, with appropriate gestures. also remember being wide awake all night and steal ing down into the parlor to pace the carpet in pair of knitted slippers and wonder if should get over being mis- erable.
 Now and then heard a soft little sob from Victorines room, and once l heard from the garret a low groan and a murmured, "Oh gorra mighty" as if sleep had been murdered for Emily as well as for "her ladies. '
 The moonlight was white upon the landscape when later I returned to my room. I looked through the floating lace that yelled my window panes upon the house over the way. A light shone within an upper room. A tall, slender shadow kept passing and requesting, finging itself darkly upon the white shade. That was surely Harry figure His father was larger, stouter. Upon the footpath that ran before our gate saw another form. Was it ghost or burglar?
 It paused beside the gate and looked at our upper windows. It was MT. Summers, in travelling cap and ulster. As I watched him, he clasped his hands to his head, and with tragic gesture of 1 despair stalked away. Certainly we were all bewitched. Emily evidently held the same opinion.
 Reckon my ladies has had spells carst onto 'em," she said next day. "Use to have good manners. Don have none now. Airly dis mawnin I an my Miss Vict 'rine was gwine to de chick | en house to fetch eggs, an long comes Mars Summers.
 'Mawnin, Miss Cawlton, he says. Miss Vict 'rine jess duck her head, kin 'er cool and keerless.
 l May be permitted to make a statement, madam?' he say. ...
 " No, sar, she say. 'Quite onpossi- ble.'
 " Madam he say, it are of de ut mos importance. She kin'er draw herself up stiff, like a guy pos'.
 "'I mus decline havin any more communication betwix' our alls fami- lies, she say, mighty naughty. How she kin speak so to folks she have had to supper can't steddy out! Then he say: " You air unkind, and she say, Good mornin, sah, and he go one way an she go todder. an plum shamed. Oar, now!
 "Den what you reckon, Miss Persis she jess got out of sight, she done gone cry, Miss Vict 'rine do.'