The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-02-20

N n nj !Mll town of NJ. They
1T HtMN were not poor, for
.| they owned the
|. II farm on which
they lived, and
mother had money invested in other
ways. l earned my living in town, be-
ing a bookkeeper in one of the large
stores.
Mother was very strange woman.
She did not care anything whatever
about her daughters. She had three OF
them, two married daughters and my
self. She always said I would never
get chance to get married, ana al
though it seemed rather unkind OF her
to say so, perhaps she was right. she
always scolded terribly if did not visit
her once month, and she was very
cross if I came oftener.
Well, one warm August I had gone
out to stop a week, and although mo-
theirs household was never happy
one, still 1 had enjoyed my visit quite
we'll for a. couple of days.: Mother kept
a girl, half companion and half servant,
whom hated as she was always inso-
lent and snappish with me- She was
always telling mother tales about me
and getting me into trouble. She was
rather handsome girl, and had many
lovers. I verify believe that girl could
bewitch people. She had my poor old
mother, completely in her power. I
knew that she was working to get mo-
ther to leave her all her money in
stead of leaving it to me. Whenever 1
spoke to mother about this girl and her
influence, as I very seldom did, as 1t
did no good, mother would say, "Now,
that is enough, quite enough; I won't
hear another word, so don't speak it.
Anyone who will, without any cause
whatever, say things about Tilly, will
do anything on earth, so don't say an
other word" After that what could 1
do but remain as quiet as lamb, or
sheep, which I often thought both my
brother and resembled.
My brother was a very quiet man,
twenty-seven years Old, two years older
than 1, and / often thought him in love
with lilly, although he was so quiet
he never made sign. I knew she did
not care anything about him.: One Of
her lovers was man Of about forty
years who was very respectable and
we'll off. 1t always seemed strange to
me as we'll as others why this man
cared for Tilly, they were so very I'M
like; but then supposed him be-
witched, as the others seemed to be.
She did not encourage this man to take
her out driving or anything Of that
kind. but liked to have him come and
chat to her If she had no one else
around.
I had come out on Monday, and on
this Wednesday was sitting sewing
in our coy sitting room while mother
dozed on the lounge beside me. lilly
was in the kitchen making some cake
and pies for a picnic we were going to
attend on the following day. had
been sewing away and mother had been
sleeping for some time, when 1t struck
me that the house seemed unusually
quiet. lilly always made such noise
at her work rushing from one thing
to another as though she were going
to tear down the house, 80 that when
the house was quiet we noticed it.
was just thinking of going out to see
If the things in the oven yere all right,
when I heard step come into the
kitchen. I listened to hsar the stove
door open with it's usual bang, but in
stead l heard the person 90 out again.
After waiting short time went
out to see how things were getting on.
The pie crust was on tho bake board
on the kitchen table and beside it lay
one of the sharp kitchen knives covered
with blood. That struck me as some
thing rather strange. Still I thought
Tilly had been killing a chicken, per-