Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-01-12


after midnight in country house de-
cided that only person insensible to
all sight and sound could be expected to
remain asleep under such circumstances
and that I would seem perfectly justisa
fled III the eyes of these young people
themselves for opening my door and
taking peep down the corridor So
without further ado 7 drew my bed aside
and glanced out
h All was perfectly dark and silent in
the great house. The only light visible
came from the candle burning in the
room behind me, and as for sound it
was almost too still-it was the still
ness of intent rather than that of natural
repose.
This was so unexpected that for an
instant / stood baffied and wondering.
Then my nose went up, and / laughed
quietly to myself. l could see nothing
\ and / could hear nothing, hut Amelia
Butterworth, like most of her kind,
boasts of more than two senses, and hap
PLY there was something to smell. A
quickly blown out candle leaves wit.
ness behind it to sensitive nostrils like
mine, and this witness assured me that
the darkness was deceptive. Some one
had just passed the head of my corridor
with light, and because the light was
extinguished it did not follow that tho
person who had held it was far away
Indeed, l thought that now heard
palpitating breath.
"Humph," cried out loud, but as il
in unconscious communion with myself,
"it is not often have so vivid dream
was sure that heard steps in the hall
I'm afraid I'm growing nervous"
! Nothing moved. No one answered
me.
Miss Knollysr" called firmly.
No reply.
"Lucetta, dear!'
thought this appeal would 60 unan-
swered also, but when I raised my
voice for the third time sudden rush
ing sound took place down tho corridor,
and Lucetta s excited figure, fully dress
ed, appeared in the faint circle of light
caused by my now rapidly waning can
die.
Miss Butterworth, what is the mat
tori" she asked, making as if she would
draw me into my room, proceeding
which / took good care she should not
succeed in, however. Giving glance
at her dress, which was the same she
had worn at the supper table, laugh
ingly said:
"Isn't that question should rather
ask you? 1t is . o'clock by my watch,
and you, for all your very evident deli
cacy and fatigue, are still up. What
does it mean, my dear? Have put you
out so completely by my coming that
none Of you can sleep?"
Her eyes, which had fallen before
mine, quickly looked up.
II am sorry" she began, flushing
and trying to take peep into my room,
possibly to see if had been to bed my
self. eve did not mean to disturb
you, but-but-- Oh, Miss Butterworth,
pray excuse our makeshifts and our
poverty. We wished to fix up another
room for you and were ashamed to have
you see how little we had to do it with,
so we were moving some things out of
our own room tonight, and"--
Here her voice broke, and she burst
into an almost uncomfortable food of
tears.
Don't" she murmured, don't"
as, quite thoroughly ashamed, began
to utter some excuses. ~ shall be all
right in q moment / am used to hui
Mutations. Only" and her whole body
seemed to join in the plea, it trem-
bled so, "do not pray, speak quite SO
loud. My brother is more sensitive than
even Loreen and myself about these
things and if he should hear
Here q suppressed oath from way
down the hall assured me that he did
hear, but gave no sign of my recogni-
ton of this fact, and Lucetta added
quickly: "He would not forgive us for
our carelessness in waking you. He is
rough sometimes but SO good at heart,
SO good"
This, with the other small matter !
had just mentioned, caused in me q
slight reaction. He good? / did not be-
lieve it. Yet her eyes showed no waver-
ing when looked at her fixedly, and
feeling that had perhaps been doing
injustice to them all and that all / had
seen which was odd and difficult to ex-
plain in their conduct was, as she evil
IDENTIFY meant to intimate, due to their
efforts to make sudden guest COM
Portable amid their poverty, / put the
best face could on the matter and gave
the poor, pitiful, pleading face kiss.
/ was startled to feel how cold her fore
head was and, more and more concerned,
loaded her down with such assurances Of
appreciation as came to my lips and sent
her back to her own room with the adj
vice that she would trouble herself no
more about fixing up any other room
for me; that / had emptied my trunk
out here and did not propose to move
again for the few days intended to re-
main with them. "Only," said /, as
her whole face showed relief, 1--WE will
go to the locksmith tomorrow and get a
key, and you shall see that after tonight
have cup of tea brought to my room
Just before retire am no good with
out my cup of tea, my dear. What
Keeps other people awake makes me
sleep"
"Oh, you shall have thatp' she cried,
with an eagerness that was almost I'M