The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-05-15
A TERRIBLE FRIGHT.

! "How does fright affect you? It a
ways makes me cold all over, and shi,
, cry, like water down ones back, 70
know"
Fright? questioned one of those a6
dressed. "Oh, if I'm frightened,
scream right straight out, nothing ca
. stop mel just YELL"
You just dol" eorroborated anotl,e
OF the pretty conclave round the fire
with laugh. Il never heard any
thing like it; when that tramp we me
yesterday in the avenue at dusk SUD
denly addressed us, you made the wei
kin ring, and pinched my arm blacl
and blue, until I made you understand
the wretched creature had only asked
his way"
| There was the usual desultory cha
and exchange of condolences, between
mouthfuls of muffin, concerning alarms
past, present and future, when hand
some woman with mischievous eyes
who had not hitherto spoken, ex.
claimed: Were none of you girls ever
struck dumb with fright?"
What question:" they chorused.
"Why, Mrs. Treherne, were you ever
taken like that?"
| "On one memorable OCCASION" was
the reply, while comical expression
settled about the corners of mouth
which Venus herself might have en-
We'd for its outlines, II lost the entire
faculty of speech during fully ten min
utes. I was struck dumb, and only
found my tongue too late to be of any
use."
The speaker looked across at her
hostess. She was met by an amused air
of incredulity. 'Let us hear the story,
Kitty. 1 can't believe in your being
frightened; but unbosom yourself,
dear. I intend keeping you until the
men come in to introduce my brother,
SO you've plenty of time" Amid muir
murs of excited anticipation Mrs. Ire
herne began:
1T was an evening like this-darL
and dreary, with thick, white fog.
But I'd better go back to the beginning.
or you won't understand. We were
living in Highfordshire during the last
years of my husbands lifetime, and my
dream was to become an artist. I'm
sorry to say it has never been realized.
There was even at that time school
Of painting near us at Treeleigh, and l
soon found lady al fist willing to teach |
Inc the rudiments. n drawback to COM
plete happiness in my newly-adopted
was the distance between our |
house and this woman's studio, for Mr.. |
Treherne, much as he dislikcd my
painting craze, as he called 1t, objected
to my being alone about the roads still
more; and 1 must admit they were I'M
commonly dark at times. 1 may add
also"-and the droll look crept up to her
,yes-"he had two special bugbears
These were the artists and the models.
He declared they were all scamps,
md that, if l escaped from the arti-
ices of the one, should sooner or later
'e garotted by the other. The male sex
lie more particularly referred to, but
must confess he had no very high
pinion of the women either.
Therefore, much as he hated his /:
orses being out at night, he insisted
n sending the carriage for me in all
veathers, land l firmly believe the coach
nan had orders to give receipt for my
erson every evening. +,
Whether the presence of cookbook
1g young fellow who used to go about
nth one Of the artists, and whose, no
oubt, well-intentioned glances my
usband had surprised in church, con-
'ibuted at all to this frame of mind,
never knew. But had my suspicious,
though, as a matter of fact, never so I
luch as spoke to the man, or heard his G
anne.
"One day in the winter, I had been a
orking in the life class till after five t
I'd owing to dense fog the carriage i
as late. I suppose ought to have b
aited for it, but the tempter in the
APE of a girl friend persuaded me to b
Ike tea in her rooms. Nor am quite n
ear if directions were left at the stu. l
o to enable the carriage to find me. n
Il dare say you imagine the party \
cluded men. II you do, you are "
rong. Whatever Mr.. Trehernc s,
ought, morals were very strict, can q
II you. in Treeleigh. q
I'VE were half a dozen girl students. h
whom one played divinely on the CT
lilo, and it must have been quite az n
ur later before l started, my body m
ard not having turned up, to trudge s.
me in the mud alone. al
II have said the roads could be very
rk, but never knew them so bad MS nj
ey were on this particular evening. Al