Connecticut western news., 1898-03-10

| she just went off then and there ana | left the paint pots and things without | saying another word.
 | Dr. Jasper's visits became more ire quent Mrs. Albatross was constantly
 seen about the village with him. They
 met in cottages She was devoted, SC | she said, to nursing the sick. It was certainly new development. She was | never seen with her daughter, nor was
 Jasper, but he saw her daughter oftener | than she knew. Still it seemed less and
 less possible to do without Mrs. Alba. tross. Her ability, her cooked foods and | port wine for leases" her influence with the squire, who disliked and 1 obeyed her; with the parson, whose | good will was important to the doctor | and who was afraid of Mrs. Albatross, for she browbeat him in the chair at parish meetings, picked holes in his sermons and organized the penny read ings, which he disliked, under his very
 nose-all this and good deal more for Mrs. Albatross was woman and l not above feminine arts-put Jasper in I rather tight place. He knew that Mrs Albatross wanted l to marry him, and there were days | yes, whole days-when he really thought | he should be obliged to marry Mrs. Al l batross. The moment came. It was in the lit | tie sitting room up stairs. l l. h. saw that plainly enough. The lady was flushed and excited, ! and he missed the usual confidential I hand squeeze.
 "I-I wanted to see you, she said and paused Nothing has come to your
 ears, suppose?"
 The doctor looked inquiringly. Well, then, Pm dreadfully troubled, annoyed beyond measure, put out Ot course, you know my maid, Susan. She | has been with me ten years and is not l gossip"-
 "What on earth do you mean? Do be plain. Surely with me you might be quite plain" And he moved a little nearer, feeling at that moment a curious kind of attraction which almost com ! pelled him to lay his hand upon her
 arm and force her to be quite honest Don't keep me on tenterhooks, he said eagerly "Tell mep' ''I will. said the lady. "I feel
 can tell you anything l don't think l have any other friend in the world-at least, not like you. No one understands me, no one has helped me as you have. ! and we've got to part. That is all''- What on earth," said Jasper, really shaken and troubled-he had never seen 1 her grow pale like that or her lips | culver like that, and she was not of | the crying sort, and she did not cry now =" what-what has Susan been say
 ing?''
 "Only that it's all over the place, and that she thought at last she ought | to tell mel
 "You don't t mean, you don t mean"- l He couldn't quite say it. "Yes, do," she said And she rose | and walked up and down the room full I of sort of angry vexation, mingled evidently with conflict of passionate feeling she could neither conceal nor subdue.
 ''Sit down" he said. He had risen. l He took her arm. She was positively trembling. He led her to the sofa by l the fire
 II shall have to leave this place, 9 she said in a sort of hard voice. The
 angry tears came into her eyes. He had
 never seen her weep This was the
 nearest approach to it
 ''I know what you are going to say. | Don't say it. No, you shan't go. You
 are useful. The people trust you. It is | your sphere l am the marplot. !"
 Why should you go?" said Jasper,
 hardly measuring bis words. Why I should either of us go? Why not stay | and stay-stay together?"
 "You don't mean it?" Men at such
 times are more fools than knaves. "Yes, yes-I-do.
 Jasper had taken her hand. The wo-
 man with the iron will, the keen intel.
 lect, the nature self contained, which
 seemed at times as hard as nails, turned toward him and in another moment fell
 crying and laughing hysterically into his arms At that moment, as i'll luck | would have it, Phemie, hearing unusual
 sounds and thinking some one needed
 assistance, entered
 "Go and fetch some sal volatile. Your
 mother is not very well. Indeed, al
 that moment Mrs. Albatross seemed tt have really tainted away. Whether she | tainted or not no one will ever know.
 The doctor himself was doubtful | Jasper never entered the house again
 He went home, packed up his things
 wrote hurried note in a disguised
 hand to Phemie, who on the following
 day would be 2l years old and come
 into e500 year, which had been lef
 her. to the disgust of her mother, by
 her fond father-and Jasper went tC
 bed
 He must have risen early No one a
 his lodgings saw him go out. His ho
 water was brought up at o'clock. Hi
 boots had not been put out over night
 The servant knocked again at g. Th'
 door was not locked. She entered. Sh'
 saw boxes packed and labeled Lief
 till called for. '' The bed was empty.
 The station was a mile of Ther,
 were only two passengers by the earl,
 train.
 When Mrs. Albatross came down tt
 breakfast she inquired for Phemie
 Phemie was gone.-Sketch.