The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1898-12-22
A STRONG WOMAN.


little man, very meek and acquiescept
and no match for my asnt. My aunt
took all possible care of him; had half
the doctors In town to- prescribe for him,
made him take all their prescriptions
and dosed him with physio enough to
cure a whole hospital. All in vain.
My aunt took on nightly for the
death Of her poor dear husband. Per
haps she felt some oompunction at hav-
ing given him too much physio and
nursed him into the grave. At any rate
che did all that widow could do to
honor his memory.
She spared no expense in either the
quantity or quality Of her mourning
weeds. She wore miniature of him
sbout her neck AZ large as little sun
dial, and che had full length portrait
Of him always hanging in her bedcham-
ber. All the world extolled her conduct
20 the skies.
It was not long after this that she
went TO take up her residence in an old
country seat in Derbyshire, which had
long been in the care Of merely stew
ard and housekeeper. The house stood
in lonely, wild part Of the country,
among the gray Derbyshire hills, with
Q murderer hanging In chains on bleak
height In full view.
The servants from town were half
frightened out Of their wits at the idea
Of living In such dismal pagan look
ing place, especially when they got to-
gether In the servants hall In the even
ing and compared notes on all the hob
goblin stories they had picked up in the
course of the day. My aunt herself SEEM
cd to be struck with the lonely appear
ance Of the house. Before she went to
bed, therefore, she examined we'll the
fastenings Of the doors and windows,
looked up the plate with her own hands
and carried the keys, together with a
little box of money and jewels to her
own room, for she always saw to all
things herself.
Having put the keys under her pillow
and dismissed her maid, she sat for a
little while looking at her face in the
glass, first Oh one side then on the 9th
en-, as ladies are apt to do when they
would ascertain whether they have been
In good looks-for country squire OF
the neighborhood, with whom she had
hirted when girl had called that day
20 welcome her to the country.
All of sudden she thought she heard
something move behind her. She looked
hastily round, but there was nothing to
be seen. Nothing but the grimly paint
cd portrait Of her poor dear man which
had been hung against the wall
She gave heavy sigh to his memory,
which she was accustomed to do when
ever she spoke Of him In company. Her
sigh was re-echoed, or answered by q
long drawn breath. She looked around
again, but no one was to be seen.
She ascribed these sounds to the wind
oozing through the ratholes Of the old
mansion and proceeded leisurely to pu,
her hair In papers, when. all at once,
she thought she perceived one Of the
eyes Of the portrait move, her back be-
ing toward the portrait, but her eyes
fixed on Its reflection in the glass. Tt
assure herself Of the fact she put one
hand to her forehead as il rubbing it.
peeped through her fingers and moved
the candle with the other hand Tht
light of the taper cleaned on the eye
and was reflected from it. She was SURF
1t moved.
My aunt became instantly calm ant
collected. She went on adjusting hel
dress. She even hummed an air and die
not make single false note. She casual
iy overturned dressing box; took ,
candle and picked up the articles on
by one from the floor, pursued rolling
pincushion that was making the best o
its way under the bed; then opened tn
door, looked for an instant into the cor
ridor az II in doubt whether to 90 an,
then walked quietly out.
Her hastily levied army presented
formidable force. The steward had
rusty blunderbuss, the ooaohman load
cd whip, the footman pair Of hors
pistols, the cook huge chopping knife
and the butler bottle in each hand
My aunt led the way with q redho
poker. and In my opinion she was tn
most formidable Of the party.
The picture was pulled down an
from a recess behind 1t in which ha
formerly stood clock, they haule
forth round shouldered. black bearde
varlet, with knife as long as my arm
but trembling all over like an aspen leaf
The vagabond was loose, idle fel
low Of the neighborhood, who had ono
been o servant In the house and ha
been employed to assist in arranging
for the reception Of his mistress II
confessed that he had contrived thi
hiding place for his nefarious purposes
and had borrowed an eye from the po,
trait by way Of accommodating hole
She ordered the fellow to be draw
through the horse pond, TO cleans
away all offenses. and then to be we
rubbed down with an oaken towel
London News.