The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1894-01-11

SclI. CIRCUMSTANCES.
The fact was that Mrs Jack was fad
ing and languishing day by day in
way which would have panied and
made anxious any loving friends who
should have been at hand to watch hor;
but there was none such at Beck's
Heath. She passed hours alone in the
little wood, whittier she carried her
shawl and her book and her needle
work nearly evry morning. The leaves
had turned brown and yellow, and
solitary copper beech showed it's burn
ished leaves among the scar foliage OF
the rest. Mrs. Jack would remain
there, as / say, for hours, and when she
returned to the house she would not
have read a page or sewed a stitch.
There she would sit at the foot Of a
tree, with her hands clasped before
her and her eyes looking out vaguely
through the overwhelming gaps in the
foliage over the misty autumn land
scape. She did not accompany Popsy
in her daily wanderings about the
farm. The child had made friends
with all the people in the place, and
was safe enough. Her mother began
to feel the mere daily washing and
dressing of Popsy n severe fatigue.
II am growing strangely weak"
thought Mrs. Jack to herself. Il Won
der why? l used to be as strong as
horse"
But here she was much mistaken.
Hers had never been a robust frame,
and such strength as she had was en-
tirely nervous. Now that she had been
undermined by fretting; for, in truth,
Mrs. Jack was very unhappy. She
shed many tears in the silent hours of
the night, when the child was sleeping
soundly beside her, and she saw many
sad visions in the waking hours of the
day, when she sat solitary in the little
wood. By the time she had been three
weeks at Becks Heath, it seemed to
her as if she had been there half her
lifetime. And yet she would not go
back to COdlingtOn. More and more
she shrank from seeing the place and
the people in it.
Nobody cares for me; they all for
get me; No one comes near me-" said
she, fretfully. Which was a little I'M
just for not only had Rebecca visited
her, as we know, but Mr.. Mills had
taken rare holiday one day, and had
walked out the twelve miles from Cod
lington to Beck's Heath, to see-his
cousins, the farmer and his wife,
he said; and the worthy couple were
much obliged, and yet more surprised,
at the unwOnted attention. AS to Bar
ney, she could not walk twelve miles,
neither could she afford to pay for fly;
but she had been promised a drive out
to Beck's Heath by a friendly trades
man, who owned a gig and a stout
,Io AoI TO
to tell her that she would come and see
her at the very earliest opportunity.
So who else was there Of whose neglect
to complain? Mrs, Jack had never ex-
pected that the visiting acquaintance,
who had nearly dropped her before she
left CodlingtOn, would take the trouble
to go out to Beck's Heath in order to
call upon her.
Mr.. Mills walk was rewarded by
about three minutes conversation with
Mrs. Jack and Popsy, to the latter of
whom he was the bearer of parcel of
cakes from Mrs. Petherick; but the re-
suit of his account Of Mrs. Jacks alter
ed looks and tagging spirits-for the
farmer and his wife had told him that
she mOped a great deal-was to bring
Miss Barnasconi out to Beck's Heath
the very next day.
Mrs. Jack was very grateful for her
kind friends visit; but, even from her,
she seemed to shrink little, in shy,
silent way, which was the very anti
pode of her old buOyant, frank, fearless
manner. But, when Barney observed
that she was looking pale and ques-
toned her about her health, Mrs. Jack
persisted in declaring that she was
quite well-only a little weak-and that
she needed nothing but rest and quiet.
REST and quiet!' exclaimed Barney
to herself, sitting behind the stout pony
on her way h0meward. REST and
quiet with O vengeance! A long rest
and very perfect quiet it'll be if we
don't look after her She is as thin as
a whipping-post, and as white as hep
pocket handkerchief Something must
be done. She is just one Of those wo-
men who give way all of a sudden,
and slip through your fingers like
ray Of moonshine, if you'll let EN-"
Upon this reflection Barney took a
resolution.
The following day Miss Barnasconis
card was carried into Mrs. Lilly. with
a request that the lady might be allow
ed to say a few words to her at once.
Mrs Lilly examined the card attentive
ly through her double eye-glass, and
gave permission for the person to
come in,' in a tone which considerably
influenced the servants manner i'll ush-
ering Barney into the drawing-room.
But very little Barney cared for that.
Her appearance caused Mrs. Lilly to
open her bead-like eyes to their utter
most, and fix them on her visitor with
a stony gaze which made her look more
like a wax doll than usual. The two
women were oddly cOntrasted, both in
appearance and manner.
Barney had arrayed herself in her
best for the occasion. She wore blue
and chocolate color and yellow silk
handkerchief round her neck, and the
bonnet with white ribbons and roses,
out Of which confusion of bright tints
her dark, black-browed face asserted
itself strongly. 1t was as If one had
dressed up the weatherbrowned fig
ure head of a ship in gauzy draperies
and garlandS.
Mrs Lillys pink and white counte-
nance was framed in smooth bandeaux
of shining black wig. The black velvet
band duly marked the termination of
her waXen forehead. She wore black
satin gown, and a lace collar and cap,
and a heavy gold chain to which was
attached her eyeglass. And her slow
soto voce utterances were as different
as could well be imagined from Bar
ney's abrupt speeches, delivered in
: bass voice from the chest.
Good morning, maam," said Bar
ney, cutting short all ceremonies and
plunging into the middle of her subject.
I've come to speak to you very seri-
ously about Mrs. Jack"
"About-Mrs.-"
About your sons widow, Mrs. Jack
Lilly. She's very ILL"
whats the matterY' asked Mrs. Lii
Iy, startled out of her dignity for the
moment. How do you know? When
did you see herr"
II saw her yesterday. She is not in
immediate danger, If you mean that.
She hasn't got cholera, or smallpox, or
typhus, but she just wasting and PIN