Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-09-02
FERN x&&
2 9aCOTTAGE.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
6 A Nd Fern Cottage is leased for two
BY ANNA SHIELDS.


ND Fern Cottage is leased for two
~ years to widow lady, Mrs.
Raynor. She brought good letters from
New York, and supports herself by col
oring fashion plates for magazine
there"
This was the last statement my law
yer made upon the long-winded recital
of the state of my affairs when re-
turned from seven-years' absence to
take up my abode in my own home.
He had by my directions renovated and
put into good order the large, hand
some house that was my inheritance
from father. grandfather and great
grandfather, passing in each generation
through a course of undermining that
still left the stately, old-fashioned walls
and extensive grounds intact. We Hill
tons were very fond of Hilton place
and had ample. means wherewith to
maintain its beauty.
But beside my own home also pos
sessed several houses in the village of
Crawford and one cottage just at the
boundary line of my garden, pretty
place that my mother had christened
Fern Cottage, from the number of rare
ferns that nestled in the little garden
under fanciful miniature grottos and
piles of rock placed there.
It was after twilight on warm April
evening that, passing the cottage, saw
through open windows my new tenant.
She was bending over small table, ap-
parently drawing, while the circle of
light from student lamp fell full upon
her. had fancied vulgar, common
place woman. This was what I saw:
A figure slender and graceful, with
hands as white and perfect as If carved
in marble. A face purely oval, colorless
and fair, with regular features and
shaded by hair of midnight black.
Twice while I looked she lifted her eyes.
large, lustrous and dark, full of sup
pressed pain. face that covered a
heart full of bitter anguish, a brain SEN
s;tive and cultivated.
I am physician. though have prac-
ticed little, preferring to write for the
use of younger students; but I love my
profession, and cannot quite keep its in
stincts quiet when I study new face.
And all these instincts warned me that
here was womanl burning candle al
ready Pickering at both ends.
had quite forgotten that mine was
not strictly honorable position, thus
spying on a solitary woman's privacy,
when an elderly woman, seemingly an
upper servant of better days, came into
the room.
"Will you never cease working?" she
said, fretfully. "When the daylight is
gone, and you cannot sort your colors,
you take up that drawing that is ruin
ing your eyes. Rest, child"
Then the voice knew must belong to
that face, full, rich. melodious, but
freighted with sadness. answered her:
''Resti You know I cannot resti"
"Piay. then. Do anything but strain
your eyes any longer over that fine
work"
The widow rose then. sweeping her
heavy, black draperies across the room
to the piano, where she played. Surely,
! if this was recreation, it was pitiful
mockery. Wailing, minor music full of
sobbing pain. Heavy chords melting
into sad refrains. A master touch, a
rare power In the long, slender fingers
only called out strains of heart
breaking pathos.
A soft rain drove me home, but l
unused long and deeply over my tenant.
called several times. and received cour-
teous welcome. was entertained by
strictly conventional conversation,
heard the piano in some fashionable,
ciety of Mrs. Raynor, gentle, refined
lady, attractive and agreeable-no more.
Knight have accepted this for the real
woman. but had habit of lingering
about my garden, and as the drawing
room of Fern Cottage commanded no
other view, my neighbor seldom closed
the windows as the spring crept into
summer. Paler, more shadowy. with
added sadness in the great dark eyes.
Mrs. Raynor became almost ethereal as
| the warm weather stole something each
day from her strength, and l was not
surprised one morning to see old Susan
coming hastily into my hallway.
"Oh. DR.. Wilton" she said, "she has
tainted over those horrid pictures! Will
you Gomez"
/ / went at once, finding my patient
prostrated at last, and gently submis-
| sive to all my commands but one, the
/ most imperative.
81 must work" she said. "as long as
I can hold brush"
"But you will de- said, bluntly, .'if
you do not take few weeks of entire
rest"
"Diel" she said, quietly, not as if there
was any terror in the thought, but as ii
it was new possibility in some prob
lem of life. mo. / must not die yeti
.'Then you must obey mel" I an.
swered. 81 will send carriage every
afternoon, with careful driver, and
| you must go with Susan for drive
/ You must be outdoors as much as pos
sible. excepting during the heat Of the
day, and then. if possible, Sleep"
j Her dreary smile confirmed my opin.
lon that sleep was a rare visitor at her
pillow, but she did not say so. Indeed
she made no complaint, evidently allow.
ing my visits solely out Of regard fol
Susan.
And to Susan l turned at last fol
counsel. She had come to my house
for some medicine had brought from
Paris an opiate not yet in use in this
country. And pointed to seat. say
ing: Susan, am past so years old
crippled. as you see. seldom leaving my
home except for foreign travel no gos
| sip. If you think you can trust me with
Mrs. Raynor's secret trouble, may bt