The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-11-13


Mrs Slater about preparing that room for
you; but. as my brother wants to have
some alterations made with the fiues in the
front of the house, she thought it would
save trouble But, indeed, Billy went
on, seeing that the Footballs and the
conversation had made sufficient impress
sion, Il ought to apologize for keeping you
up SO long, listening to my nonsense, when,
| dare say, you are tired with your journey
Mrs. Slater opening the door as she
heard the housekeeper' shutting tread in
the hall-''please be so kind as to show
Miss Allan to her room.
Could the poor, frightened governess
have witnessed the grotesque fandango ex-
ecuted by her promising pupil the instant
the door closed, she would have been edi-
fed, if not relieved.
An hour slowly passed. Little did Mr.
Annesley, by the library fire, deeply buried
in retrospection of the past, dream of the
antics in which his wild sister was engaged
The knowledge would certainly have
shaken his glowing hopes of her reforma-
ton.
Up in the old west garret, illumined
only by the weird moonlight which, falling
through the cobwebbed windows, traced
quaint arabesques on the floor, Billy was
at work-upsetting chests, dragging chairs,
squeaking and gibbering at the knot-holes
in the floor, and, in short, going through
the whole routine of the most accomplished
ghost. Her bursts of eerie laughter, as
she stumbled over an old spinning wheel,
or when her flowing hair was caught by the
great punches of thyme and mauoram
hanging from the rafters, only heightened
the effect.
Suddenly the wailing and rapping ceased
Then stealthy footstep descended the
stairs, and glided along the passage-now
advancing, now receding, until it finally
halted opposite Miss Allan's door, and a
faint, ghostly ''tap, tap, sounded upon
the panel But when that prosecuted
lady, sitting up in bed, drenched with cold
perspiration, having found voice to speak,
saw the door slowly open, there appeared
only Billy, calm and gentle, bearing a
fowEng- apiece and brace of pistols.
81 am very sorry to disturb you, Miss
Allan, she said, deprecating ly, 'but,
after our conversation down stairs, thought
you might feel safer if you had arms in
your room. These are seven-shooters, y
she continued, smiling sweetly, as she
placed the reyolvers on table by the bed
side. II wonder if these will be enough
Don't hesitate to say so, if you are doubt
full, Miss Allan Rolf has bowie knife,
and there an old sword down in the hall. .
dear Miss Annesley?'' exclaimed the
now thoroughly frightened lady, unheeding
the war-like preparations; do not leave
me Do stay and sleep here
ssIn this room Moses in Egypt [
wouldn' sleep here for king ransom
Then you must take me with you
said Miss Allan. II really cannot pass
the night alonel would die with terrorf'
''Well, come along, then, answered
Billy her politeness dropping, like mercury
before storm, at the prospect of having
her own little bijou Of room invaded.
II dare say some other arrangement can
be made tomorrow.
II don't think it will be necessary,
replied the governess, with decision which
convinced Billy that her stratagem had
been effectual, and prepared her for the
announcement next day, at post time, that
Miss Allan had been urgently recalled to
her home.
Rolf witnessed her departure with dis
may; but as one swallow does not make a
summer. nor does one failure constitute a
defeat, he was not long in procuring a
second guardian for his sister $ ideas
Number two, nervous widow-lady, was
easily vanquished on the morning following
her arrival, by Billy appearing dutifully at
her bedside with huge bowl of cayenne
pepper tea.
''It's on account of the malaria, Billy
explained. ''That low marsh-land south
of us is never safe, even in winter. We
are obliged to use every precaution.
Poor Mrs. Dale had gone through one
season of chills and fever, and nothing could
induce her to remain in tainted neighbor-
hood.
Her departure was followed by several
weeks of freedom, spent in mad carnival
of sleighing and skating, but too bright in
their glad enfranchisement, Billy knew, to
last. She often wondered whether her
brother suspected her agency in his unfor-
tunate efforts to provide her with an in
structor. He never intimated such thing;
but that he was not so totally ignorant she
was pretty well convinced, when, at last,
after a succession of advertisements and
mysterious letters, he announced the COM
ing of another.
"Number three is said to be the charm,
he remarked adding, in tone not quite
like any she had ever heard him use before,
remember, Billy, it must be in this case.
Boarding school is the alternative
"Why, she ism any larger than | am
myself p exclaimed Billy, the next day,
as, from her post of observation at high
oriel- window, she witnessed little lady,
wrapped in travelling shawl of shepherd s
plaid, take her brother hand and descend
from the carriage.
Not much larger, certainly nor appar-
emily, great deal older, was the young
girl who entered with the easy composure
of true lady but if Billy, misled by the
almost childish appearance of the new gov
erness, thought to gain an easy victory, she
was vastly mistaken.
There was quiet dignity about the little
lady, compensating for her lack of years,
Joined to a sweetness of manner well calcu-
lated to disarm the most bitter enmity.
Vainly did Billy resort to her old devices,
or to new ones suggested by her almost
Machiavelian ingenuity. There was some
thing in those calm gray eyes which seemed
to have sounded the depths of all human
misery and human fear, that warned her
that the attempt was useless. Besides, her
gentle, graceful manner, and pretty, flower
ike face, came nearer than anything before
to winning Billy heart. She found her
self, almost unconsciously, initiating certain
little actions and beautifully modulated in
fections of the voice.
So weeks passed by. The SHOWS of
February were dripping away from the
earth. and the rows of velvet-like wall flow
ers in the sunny south windows were filling