Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1894-09-21
Mrs. Northup' $ Ledger
By AUGUSTA HARMED

rdith's whole body was trembling
4 t-om fright and exertion. Her legs felt
90 weak to give her support, and she
st,,mbled along, painting breathlessly,
,ntil she reached the lower part of the
,nnn within sound of the laughter and
shouts of the players on the tennis court
i over the wall. She took off her hat and
.raved it, but they did not see her. She
oried ont family, but her voice seemed
unified and lost in her throat.
nOh. come, comet Helpl There is
woman diving up in the woodsl Come
cnick. or it will be too late"
Young Harold Ashley had just sent
h;s hall ont of bounds, and was search
inc for it near the low boundary wall
when he saw this apparitiOn of young
Girl her face pale as ashes, with great,
wide. frightened eyes and parted lips,
her hair, which the tree boughs had torn
loose from its fastenings as she passed
rnder them with the insensible woman
in her arms, floating in a dark cloud
down her back. Harry leaped over the
wall, crying to the fellows who were at
nlay to follow him, and his sister came
running after them, leaving the young
invalid lady alone on the reclining chair,
for even the big dog had scampered off
at the heels of his master.
Now that help was at hand Edith sud
denly felt strength flow back into her
trembling limbs and courage come into
her heart. She set off with Harry Ash
lev in advance of the others after she had
given him an mixing of the situation.
al don't know who she is; l am a
stranger in Littletield. found her near
the brook, lying under a great pine tree.
She was then in commissions, but made
me understand she had been poisoned by
eating toadstools.
They found the old woman just where
Edith had left her under the oak, still
unconscious, and looking the image of
death. Miss Ashley bent over the thin
worn old frame with plying tenderness.
81 do believe, Harry, said she, sit is old
-Ceestina Rivers. She always has been
queer and poetical, and little wrong, |
fear, in the head. She must have strayed
off in the woods and perhaps lost her
way"
Two VI IHo young HIGn Hou IlltuS a
support with their arms to carry the sick
woman down to the Ashley house, while
o third set off on run for the doctor
Edith, who had now twisted up her
yagrant locks and put on her hat, pro-
posed to go and look for the old lady's
belongings she had been forced to leave
BY the brook, and Harry Ashley and his
lster followed her through the thicket
ut was awfully plucky of you," said
Harry, giving the young girl beside him
an open look of admiration, "to bring the
old lady out of the woods"
"She is very light" responded Edith,
"and am young and strong l should
not have felt her weight on open ground"
81 remember all about old Celestina
Rivers now" said Fanny Ashley. 'She's
a clergyman's daughter and comes of a
good family but has lived alone many
years. know the ladies of the benev-
olent society tried to get her to enter the
Old Ladies' home, but she is very queer
and obstinate. | remember hearing her
called the literary Miss Rivers when |
was little girl. She wrote a great
many verses to the moon and stars, but
ldon't suppose people ever cared to buy
herpoetry"
Edith's face flushed slightly. Itseemed
she had helped to rescue literary sister,
and instantly she thought of her own
old age, and seemed to see herself a
creature of vain dreams, living alone
with her cat like poor old Celestina.
They had come to the pine tree by the
brook, and Edith picked up the MS. vol
ume with kind of lingering tender
ness. She meant to keep possession of
1t, and restore the precious relic to its
owner if she should recover without al
lowing profane eyes to scan poor old
Celestinas verses.
Hello" said Harry, as he came across
the luncheon basket and picked it up.
Here are two soda crackers. fear the
Old lady must have eaten the toadstools
Tor nourishment."
mo one ever goes hungry here in Lit
tlefield," said Miss Ashley with cheerful
confidence "Such thing was never
known"
People may not die absolutely of
munger" returned Harry, "but suspect
There are cases of slow and genteel
starvation, and it looks as if the poetess
was one of them"
CHAPTER Ill