Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-04-27

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- w.
WAS OBLIGED TO FAN 1T WITH THE
BELLOWS.
was now. perforce. obliged to believe
in. II my heart throbbed somewhat
miserably when I thought of the
wretched fact which. transpiring
| through the revelations Of the night
! had stabbed my heart with most poig
| uant anguish--the fact that. underly-
J ing every other circumstance OF this
unrevealed tragedy. loomed most dis
tant and dreadful before me-the fact
/ that DarracOtt Chester had "A living
! wife-in Justice to myself let me say
| that | resolutely refused to heed my
| own despair, and stitied the insistant
| consideration that sought to dominate
my mind by occupying all my ener-
| gies with preparations for the recep-
| ton Of the woman who was about 10
return to the roof she had disgraced.
Franklin and | had scarcely time TO
carry out Madam'g directions before
we heard the Wheels of the returning
| carriage crunchlrg the gravel / fell
| that mine might lie an embarrassing
presence 10 th" mother and husband
| of the unfortunate girl. and therefore
withdrew from tse hastily prepared
suite set apart for her use, and betook
myself to a task more In harmony
with my feelings md less repugnant
10 that sick undercurrent OF protest
that was pulsing through my being.
Since the masters return | had never
been in the pretty morning room in
which Madam and | had been wont
formerly to take or meals. Franklin
had informed me hat in olden times
IL had been dedicai ID to AIr. Chester's
use, and that be would again occupy
II as a sort Of deD or sanctum. | knew
that the greater portion Of his time was
spent there, and that 1t was his habit
to linger in 1t long after the rest of the
household had retired. Tonight ] re-
solved to take liberty.
Thinking that 1t would be some time
before he would have finished seeing
after the proper establishment of his
wife, and expecting also that he would
be somewhat detained in MadHm's
room when he should 20 to say his
customary goodnight to her, ] dared
to take advantage Of the interval for
the purpose Of invading the den, In
order to see that the fire was burning
cheerfully, and to lay II tray-clOth up
on his centre table. whereon II WAS my
intention TO prepare n modeS. rcpnst
Say what you will. you sentimental
lists, there is nothing that inspires new
hope In discouraged soul, that re-
animates n dropping spirit, Ike the
vision Of a bright woOd-fire and the
sight Of good che~r.
As I live, although hoped and
meant to waylay tn" master In the
hall before he should enter the room,
and solacc that miserable heart sick
ness that ! knew would conquer my
attempts TO subdgc 1t. by extracting
Il brief word or two from his weary
lips, | had no desire. nor did intend,
to allow him TO lind me In possession
OF this apartment. which was 80 pc
culiarly his own. | make this state
ment that no charge of unmaidcnllncss
or boldness may be brought against
me as ! narratc the events which tran
spircd.
! was as quick la the performance
Of my self-impOscd duties IA | could
be, but all things seemed to consplre
against me n the first place, the fire
had burnt almost out and / was oblig-
ed to fan II with the bellows most Wig
orOusly and perastently before / could
II must be n brilliant, joyous flame TO
cnlivcn and inspire; sulky. unwilling
fire Is worse than none. Then | was n
stranger to the buffers pantry and
store room, and some inmates were
wasted In the search for the various
articles / required. ! have great faith
I'm the virtue Of hot drink and |
knew enough of masculine nature 20
feel convinced that neither tea nor
coffee would 40 comfort II as would n
more ardent beverage. Hot Scotch
was the sOlacc OF my brothcr-in-law's
iits Of depression and bcthought me
to afford the object of my present
mlnistrations the opportunity OF ap-
plying the sninc balm to his spirits.
I had no difficulty In discovering
casc-bottlc OF whIskey. lemons ana
sugar. but alcohol with which to In
fame the spirit lamp found In the
pantry wns nowhere forthcoming. In
vain I searched all Franklin's pre-
serves, growing nervous and cross as
I felt the precious time wearing Itself
away. At Inst | dared delay no long.
cr and sudden inspiration came TO
me- which | fastened to carry into
effect
I returned To- the dining room and,
possessing myself OF the poker, knelt
down upon the hearth and drew for.
ward little bed OF glowing bits OF
charcoal. ! had filed the small sauce
pan belonging to the useless lamp with
water. and | now proceeded 10 heat
this by holding It over the hot cmbers.
With my eyes rOnmiug alternately from
my task to the door. aud ears stretched
to their utmost to detect the sound of
uHt,pnutbfrs, az Tn4futnnu f,r 4 q,
! could hear such travcrzlug the floor
of the ccholng hall In time TO escape
from the room before they should
enter. | knelt M my task. urging the
water to boil with all the lmpctnosity
Of womHns impatient soul If long.
Ing had had effect upon my purpose
the steam would have risen ns the pan
touched the cOnla. But. nlaa, n ig the
watched kettle that does not boil and
10 this Occasion proved Az for the
hundrcth time | lifted the cover from
the little vessel and pcercd nnxiously
within. 10 try to discover some indl
cntionE of the desired sccthnR Of the
water, | heard II muilcd sound. aud
there came upon me TINT incxplicnblr
consciousness or another presence IN
the room, not yet discovered
Ny eyes sped to the door. Vacancy
there. ! huff rose. ncryously spilllng
some Of the water from the pan upon
my hand ns | did 10. The wntcr was
hot, If not boiling. and n stlHed cry
escaped me. ! quickly placed the pan
upon the hearth. and with that nat
ural impulse which we share with the
brutcs, and which Is probably n trait
inherited from u common ancestor,
raised my hand and applied TO II the
simple Balvc which instinct directs u8
to resort to Upon such occnsIons-I
held the injured place to my mouth.
"Whut IL this, Miss LOthrop9-y0u
have burnt yOurself'
II wns well indeed that the pan was
no longer In my grasp. so startled
was by the snlutntlon that. with
out doubt, I should have done myself
gricvous injury with the stcaming con
tents Turning quickly in the direc-
don opposite the door upon which |
had concentrated my attention, | saw.
hurricdly advancing towards me. th.
intruder whose advent | had beer
drcnding. Then I remembered that
there wns another entrance to the
room rarely used, and quite forgotten