Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-09-27

wardrobes and places for people to
hide. 1 burned the gas all night and
1 had dreadful dreams" She bowed
her head over the flowers and sighed
again. "Roses make me think of
funerals; do they you?"
81 am sorry l troubled you with
them" Oliver said, stifiy.
'Now you are cross, and you've got
that little wrinkle on your forehead"
She looked at him thoughtfully.
"When you are smiling think you are
the kindest friend in the world. l
guess I am cross myself. Doyou know,
dreamed Henri came into that room
last night. The bathroom had lit
tie window looking into the room, and
I dreamed he looked through this at
me and made dreadful faces. He used
to frighten me that way once"-she
blushed and hung her head then, and
was silent a moment-'when we were
first married, you know. He'd wake
me up by staring at me-testing the
power of the eye, he called it. l was
afraid, anyway, because my mother
had just died, and l had never seen a
dead person before l can see her yet
in her coffin, so dreadfully waxen and
strange. Henri swore once over the
Bible that if he died first he would
come back and haunt me. After that
dream l couldn't sleep, but lay shiver-
ing with fear until daylight. I must
go away from here to-day. Another
hight in that room would frighten me
to death"
She trembled so at the thought, Oil
yer felt his task doubly difficult.
Don't you think" he asked, gently,
''that those fears are very childish?"
"Of course" she said, brie1y,'I know
I am not sensible; you, Aunt Hannah
and Dr. John call me frivolous; yet 1
have tried to do right. / came here on
my way to save your good name, and
get scolded. tried to go home once, the
time was so sick; and even Aunt Han
nah said l was brave then. When my
horse ran away in Maine | held on,
and that red-headed young man said
was game"
She looked at him wickedly out of
the corner of her eye. A little smile
curved her pretty mouth as she saw the
wrinkle on his forehead.
Il wish that you could be serious for
little while" Oliver muttered 81
want to talk to you about something
that concerns your future-something
that has happened"
Oliver hesitated now; how could he
tell her? She listened with her eyes
on the carpet, doleful expression on
her face. He went off on a new tack.
In an easy conversational tone he
asked:
''Would you not like to live in
France?"
mo" she said. promptly; Il should
hate it,"
"Why?"
"Because-because," answered Mrs.
Minny, picking viciously at one of her
roses, scattering the petals on the
floor: from Henri's descriptions his
relations must be horrid. Then he or
they think America queer and not
nice: everything is France. | should
be mad a hundred times day. The
English up in the park used to say:
This blarsted country, you know un-
til ! felt like saying: why don't you
go back to England and stay there"
To the De Rcstauds | should be the un-
pleasant foreigner our poor son mar
ried; in my own country | am myself,
an American. think it is very mean
of you to talk about my going to
France; and if that is the serious thing
you needn't talk any more. If you are
going to be horrid think I shall go
out and take my dog for n walk"
How sweet she was in her willful-
ness. Oliver forgot his errand, looking
at the lovely childish face with its
pouting mouth and rebellious eyes.
81 think you are cruel to my poor
rose" he said, softly
"You are cruel to me-"
"Minny," he drew nearer and took in
his firm warm clasp her little hand, 81
must tell you something
that win shock and grieve you. Try
and be brave"
"Not the little baby?" she cried, pit
eously. "He is not dead?"
"No, no; but some one is dead-one
that you feared, almost hated, and now
must forgive and try to think kindly
of-the man whose name you bear"
She gave frightened cry and hid
her face against his sleeve. He could
feel her tremble and quiver, but she
made no sound. What must he do?
Would she faint? How did women act,
anyway? He put his arm around the
covering figure and tried to look into
her face. She was CHASTITY pale,
in her eyes curious frightened look.
"My dream, Mr.. Oliver" she cried,
shuddering. ooh, he will keep his