Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-03-11

6Oo tuoII way " tu0 JWO Suuuy TOO1uS.
Their occupant was no longer ILL., o.
the contrary. she grew better, her stel
more alert. A year after the sale of thu
house she had grown perfectly erec
again.
GOOD heavens!'' declared Caroline
"That's not surprising, with her sunny
rooms. I am simply wasting away OF
the north side.
No one any longer asked Mile. Lisbetf
about her health, but she seemed to takt
pleasure in giving spontaneous informa
tion regarding it.
"See how well I walk! Ism t it really
miracle? That which exhausted me
was the care Of my housed Now, have
less fatigue, and I must do you the JUS
tice to say that you keep it in beautiful
order for me!''
eff you think it is for you that we d.
itp' retorted Nine. Joseph one day.
That evening, at table, the young wo
man said to NJ. Planchon:
"Well. you see, father-in-law, the
worthy woman has outwitted you, after
all! She'll live for 15 years, you see
You will have paid her 80, francs
for house which, at best, is only worth
$4,000 And, when say 800 francs
really ought to add $4,000, for, with
the interest, it will be $4,000"
The poor man grew pale. That he
Planchon, should have been outwitted
He only muttered in reply:
"Don't trust too much to appear.
ancesP'
The dinner ended sadly in disheart.
ened silence.
The following morning at daybreab
the Planchons were wakened by groans.
The husband sprang out Of bed.
"It's death rattle!" he cried.
His wife stared at him.
"Can it be that that poor Mile. Lis
BETH
81 will go and see.' -
He left the room. Presently his voice
rang out:
"Oh, my poor sister, my poor sister y
In fact, Nine. Letellier was dying.
At midday she was dead.
Mile. Lisbeth offered her humble serv-
ices, which they dared not refuse, and
it was she who fetched the holy water.
All the family, however, watched hel
coming and going with sort of dull
rancor-an unacknowledged danger.
The day of the funeral Planchon said
to his wife:
"The fact is, if my poor sister had
had sunny room she probably would
not have departed this life SO soon
Frankly, now, death might better have
taken a useless person, who has no one
to love her. +"
From this day on itwa an open war.
They hated her, this creature whom
death had forgotten to remove, and who
had robbed Mime. Letellier of her last
rays of sunlight
Her most implacable enemy was Nine.
Joseph. She expressed herself about this
thief Of life and sunlight with all the
freedom and ardor Of youth. She called
her by turns the refractory skeleton, or
the fugitive from the pomps of death.
Three years after the death of Nine.
Letellier, Mile. Lisbeth was more valiant
than ever.
"There is 6, 400 francs that have
paid her ~ said Planchon one evening.
''That we may mold away Oh the
north sidel'' WAS the shrill voiced re-
sponse of Nine. Planchon, who was just
going up to bed.
Then, furious at having to go into her
icehouse, as she called it, she gave the
70
in echo to the noise her foot had made,
q low groan resounded at the bottom OF
the stairs
It was Joseph, who was taken i'll for
the third time within the month. They
gathered about him, and the swoon last
ed only short time, but next day when
he got up. he felt shattered.
He did hot regain his strength. Con-
sumption, which had threatened him for
some time, developed itself very dis
tinctly. In vain they nursed him, gave
him everything to strengthen him. he
failed from day to day.
In seeing her son fade away thus,
Caroline could not control the feelings
of rebellion which took possession OF her.
At the sight of the old maid, now so
thoroughly restored to health, she sighed
"God is not justr'
"He has mistaken the door" mur-
INJURED Joseph one evening.
Then he breathed his last.
When, on the following morning,
Mile. Lisbeth entered the death cham
ber, carrying the holy water. Mme
Planchon rose up convulsively, crying
in strident tones:
"Ah, leave us alone with our family r
M. Ancelin, who was standing at the
door, added gravely: :.
s'This is not the moment, mademol-
selle!''
Mile. Lisbeth Manduit did not show
herself again until the funeral.
The poor mother was utterly broken.
The blow which she had received had
been so severe that she rapidly lost her
strength.
eff only she had the sunlight r
growled Planchon, as he looked despair
ingly toward the two south rooms.
This growing, however, did not Keep
the poor woman from dying, ana tnaI
precisely on the evening of the payment
of the fifth installment.
Mile. Lisbeth did not offer her serv-
ices this time, but the day after the bur-
ial they found on the tomb wreath,
bearing this inscription:
"God reunites those who love each
other. !"
Two years passed without incident.
Mile. Lisbeth did not grow any older.
Planchon, on the contrary, was breaking,
and the Ancelins languished, while
their daughter dropped.
The hatred of the four survivors Oh
the family was given free rein. For q
trife-nothing but the opening OF a door
Mime. Joseph would cry out IN the