Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-06-07

dA window, in the
-SA tone he uses to
his oxen, on a
subject intimately related to my peace
and welfare, l consider myself justified
in listening"
When she had made this speech Lou
SAKE dropped on the bed, already oc-
cupied by Bertha Lewis and Jeanne
Foster, in an attitude of mock despair.
what has happened?" asked Pris
Armstrong, whose room they were in.
She was at the bureau, where she was
trying to heat a curling iron over the
Pickering flame of a small lamp.
''Some one is coming tonight to
take the corner room, answered Lou.
'She is an invalid-at least, Mr.. Tut
tie said she was coming for the quiet, ;
and nobody but sick person wants to
be quiet, of course"
"Ah!" remarked Pris, after an
ominous pause.
"This MEANS" went on Lou, "that
we must give up our evening kettle
drums IN your room, for when the in
valid goes to bed she will want to 90
to sleep. We must not sing when we
cone home from hay ride, or dance
down the corridor after we have re-
tired for the night. Neither must we
gather here for midnight ghost stories,
because an invalid can hear every
whisper"
SIT is too bad that she should come
here to spoil orr good times!" said
Pris, Indignantly. "Sick people
should stay at home!"
81 know all about the way a person
who has nervous postration behaves,
because my Aunt Kathleen had it,
went on Lou. would you believe it,
girls, she could not bear to see the dog
Wag his tail, and she put her hands to
her ears if he threatened to bark. She
did not like to have any one eat toast,
because the crunchiug affected her
nerves; and if | sat down in front of
her IN a rocking chair, she would beg
me to stop rocking, for the motion
made her so nervous -
Mere atfectation !' exclaimed Pris.
"lf people let such notions take DOS.
session of them, there is no knowing
to what extremes they may be led.
like the nuns in the Middle Ages, who
had a nervous epidemic of barking. l
really think We have a mission work
to perform, girls, in the midst of our
good times"
AUNT Kathleen didn't like clocks.
either" pursued Lou. "Her power
OF hearing them tick was simply super
natural. Her room was at the top of
the house, but she could hear the
clock in the dining-room. She said
she should like to emigrate to the
village IN South America that Darwin
tells about, where there was not a
single clock or watch, but the hours
were guessed at by an old man who
had good idea of time"
"lt is clearly our duty to keep our
nelghbor from developing into
hypochondriac, like'your amiable rel
atlve, said Prls, decisively. "iShe
should not cometo summer hotel for
quiet.. We are here to have a good
time, and not to look after invalids !"
The gong sounded, and the girls
scattered to their rooms Later they
gathered on the piazza to watch the
arrivals.
THAT is she" whispered Lou, as a
roundfaced, dark-eyed young woman
came up the steps.
"But she doesn't look like an in.
valid" demurred Jeanne.
"They never do! Nervous invalids
always look the picture of health" re-
turned Lou. "That is one way YOU
can tell them. Another way is by
their bags, to which they cling as to
dear life. These bags contain little
pellets, or bottle of ca ffee-bromine
or treatise on how to cure nervous
ness, according to the mental endow-
ments or disendowments ofthe owner"
Miss Benton-as the name of the
new guest read simply on the register
retired early, but light cleaning
beneath her door showed that she was
still awake when the girls assembled
In Pris's room to exchange their Cos
sip. Pris had dragged the rocking
chairs from the other apartments in.
to her own chamber, and they began
their discipline of their unwelcome
nelghbor by series of thumps. The
door was left open; small round
clock having wonderful ticking pow
ers was placed in the entry.
If the four girls, after this, could
appear at the breakfast table looking
as fresh as though they had gone to
bed with the sun, such was not the
case with their neighbor; Miss Ben
tons heavy eyes and languid manner
bore witness to disturbed night.
The people in the smaller dining
room, having come early in the sea
son, had fallen into the pleasant in
tlmacy for which even few weeks to.
gether in summer hotel are sutfi-
cient. Miss Benton made no attempt
to join in the merry, desultory chat
ter which was, indeed, skilfully d.
rected by Pris to the end of exclud-
ing her. What had begun in mere
spirit of frolic and passing resent.
ment developed, as the days went on,
into scarcely concealed dislike, the |
reason for which none could have told.
There was certainly no apparent
reason, for Miss Benton was we'll bred
and attractive in appearance.
Even gentle Mrs Forsvthe, who