The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-10-13

pEON DtIt III thc NAllsblI ut pd4lbu
meetings, picked holes in his sermons
and organized the penny readings,
which he disllked, under his very nose
all this and n good deal more-for
Mrs. Aibatross was woman and not
above feminine arts-put Jasper in
rather n tight place.
He knew that Mrs. Albatross want.
ed to marry him, and there were days
yes, whole days-when he really
thought ne should be obliged to marry
Mrs. Alhatross.
The moment came 1t WIS in the
little sitting room up stairs.
Something had happened. Doctor
Jasper saw that plainly enough.
The lady was flushed and excited,
and he missed the usual confidential
hand squeeze.
II wanted to see you" she said,
and paused. Nothing has come to
your ears, ! suppose?"
The doctor looked inquiringly.
"Well, then, I'm dreadfully troubled,
annoyed beyond measure, put out. OF
course, you know my maid, Susan.
She has been with me ten years, and
Is not a gossip"
"What on earth do you mean? DO
be plain. Surely with me you might
be quite plain" And he moved a lit.
tie nearer, feeling at that moment
curious kind Of attraction which al.
most compelled him to lay his hand
upon her arm and force her to be
quite honest. Don't keep me on ten,
terhooks," he said eagerly. Tell me-"
II WILL" said the lady. II feel I
can tell you anything. 1 don't think
/ have any other friend In the world
at least not like you. No one under.
stands me, no one has helped me as
you have, and we've got to part. ma,
is all"
What on earth?" said Jasper really
shaken and troubled-he had never
seen her grow pale like that, or her
lips culver like that, and she was not
of the crying sort, and she did moi
cry now-"what-whath has Susan beer
saying?"
"Only that It's all over the place
and that she thought at last she ought
to tell me"
You don't mean, you don't mean
He couldn't quite say 1t
Yes I do" she said. And she rose
and walked up and down the room fun
of a sort of angry vexation, mingled
evidently with conflict of passionate
feeling she could neither conceal moi
subdue.
''Sit down." he said.
He had risen. He took her arm
She was positively trembling. He led
her to the sofa by the fire.
81 shall have to leave this place."
she said in q sort of hard voice.
The angry tears came into her eyes
He had never seen her weep. This
was the nearest approach to 1t.
Il know what you are going to say
Don't say it No, you shan't go. You
are useful The people trust you. II
is your sphere. I am the marplot
Why should you go?" said Jasper,
hardly measuring his words. "Why
should either of us go2 Why not stay
@lnu Stdy--Stay tOBetner!
You don't mean it?"
Men at such times are more fools
than knaves.
Yes, yes-I do"
Jasper had taken her hand. The
woman with the iron will, the keen
intellect, the nature self-contained,
which seemed at times as hard as
nails, turned toward him, and in an.
other moment fell crying and laugh
ing hysterically into his arms. A,
that moment, as Ill luck would have
1t, Phemie, hearing unusual sounds,
and thinking some one needed assist.
ance, entered.
"Go and fetch some sal volatile
Your mother is not very WELL"
Indeed, at that moment Mrs. Alba.
tross seemed to have really tainted
away. Whether she tainted or not nc
one will ever know. The doctor him.
self was doubtful.
Jasper never entered the house
again. He went home, packed up his
things, wrote a hurried note in q dis
guised hand to Phemie who on the
following day would be twenty-one
years old, and come into five hundred
pounds a year, which had been left
her, to the disgust Of her mother, by
her fond father-and Jasper went to
bed.
He must have risen early. No one
at his lodgings saw him go out. His
hot water was brought up at eight
o'clock. His boots had not been put
out over night
The servant knocked again at nine
The door was not locked. She enter
ed. She saw boxes packed and la,
beled Left till called for" The bed
was empty.
The station was a mile of. There
were only two passengers by the early
train.
ke