The Opelousas courier., 1897-10-09
"Certainly," said Bessie; II had

VI dtlN, SIuli, AHCS 81 i AIOi'
Of it than you did. When | scream
out in the night | want them to know
what is the matter, and if they onl,
half hear me, | don't want them t.
turn over and go to sleep, but to start
up and think that's Bessie being car.
ried off by a burglar or ghost"
"You must be very careful not to
let tue family suspect that you think
Of such things" Miss Marvalo said,
gravcly. "It would be a very poor
reqnital Of their courtesy"
"You have no fear, them" Mr.. Al
ford said, addressing her for the first
time that day.
"No!' she answered, quietly look
ing up to meet his eyes for IN in
slant.
I was struck by the expression of
their faces. 1 can only describe it by
saying that i5s@asS once inquirins
and guarded. The Hsa and manner
Of both were quiet and\entle, and
even . little soitened, bnt %hethSs1.
was the se~lf-c9sanol which yesss dis
like with a mantle OF courtesy, which is
all the more scrupulously consjderate
because it has to be considered, or
whether it was that calm mask which
covers deep and troubled love-, I could
not tell. .
That evening at tea Mr.. Afford an
nouncel that he should return to the
city the next day.
Bessie exclaimed, and SO did Frank,
but Miss Marvale said not a word,
only went on with her supper and
never looked mp. [ saw him look at
her and color ut the apparent iadifer-
ence she displayed. But she didn't
eat another mouthful of supper, al
though she trihed with her teaspoon
and broke her cake to crumbs.
After tea she went up stairs to her
room and stayed there an hour. When
she came down we were all out in the
moonlight, walking up and down, Bes-
sic on Mr.. Affords arm, Fred anu I
with our cigars.
"Clara," Bessie called ont, "come
and help me coax Mr.. Afford to stay
another week. Frank says that if he
will stay a week longer we might
shorten our stay a week, and so go all
together"
Clara Maryale s1unterel slowly
down the walk, the moonlight full and
white on her face and dress.
II could not hope to succeed where
you fail" she said, carelessly, pausing
as she met the TWO. "Besides, I don't
see why we should interfere with Mr..
Affords business. Ii he prefers going
Immediately, I should not ask him to
There was an awkward silence for a
moment, then Mr.. Afford proposed
that We should oil retire, since we
we're to see him off at six the next
morning. But I saw that after we
1ad gone up stairs he went out again,
ind from the parlor window I heard
lis step pacing to and fro in the gar
lens. I wondered ii Miss Marvale
it too. It was one o'clock when
le came in and went up to his room.
Then 1 dropped to sleep.
How long I had slept I know not,
nut I was awakened by q loud scream
hat was repeated before I was out of
'ed. There was a confusion Of sounds
8 1 opened our door-Mr. and Miss
larkham were coming out of their
ooms, the man Jacob was looking
rom his and Mr.. Afford, fully dressed,
las standing in the hall.
"What is it?" he asked, for there
as silence.
"Where is h~e?"cried Mr.. Markham, '
down the hall with a light, 1
is gray hair streaming back, his face |
i'll Of alright. "My Goa!"h he cried. a
eeing Miss Marvale's' door open. 1
A. kIF,c1 - -. L
ant, and Frank and I followed them I
ito the room. 6
The sight We saw was one calculated l
justify tlre old mans exclamation. 7
[iss Marvale, in her night dress, with L
hair streamingdown her shoulders a
standing against the opposite wall
the room, her face perfectly white,
IT hands claspel on her bosom and :
sr eyes riveted in q gaze of terror on :
man who, haif-crouching, was slowly :
'proachlng her, moving softly md :.
arily as n cat, watching her every e
otion, ready to intercept any step of .
ght. :,
This man was evidently of tall anl =.
frame, his hair was long, !,
ack and shaggy, and his clothes were -
rags. As he heard our steps in the :
'or be Strengthened himself up, and .,
rnea bis face for a backward glance. :
Ono LOOK WAS nnnnWh Tho