The age-herald., 1900-02-04

quite at the other end of the house, emerg- ing from heavily curtained doorway. He seemed strangely embarrassed and asked sharply if there anything I wanted, and how long had been following him.
 Ignoring his insolence, I replied with as much dignity as l could summons, while my lips trembled and my heart felt like bursting with a miserable sense of lone Illness, that I had but just come and was looking for some one to show me my room.
 Well, then, ye must just turn back and go tine whole length of the house, for your room is on the same corridor as Mrs. Bell ville's'' and with that he condescended to guide me to my door.
 Al dinner that night there was only Mir Raymond, the nephew to whom Mrs. Bell vile had alluded, and myself; and we were waited upon by the grim old servant, W'no glared a me so sullenly as he passed the dishes that MT. Raymond felt the necess- ity of apologizlng for him.
 "I hope you won't mind Brooks ill humor. He Is very old servant and seems to feel privileged to vent his tempers when
 and where and upon whom he pleases I
 thing he's a mistake, but Mrs. Bellville re-
 fuses to see hts faults. What do you think of my aunts condition, Miss Beauchamp?" he concluded, abruptly.
 "She seems depressed and ill., I replied. , "She never rallied from the shock of her husbands death, which happened a year ago while he was performing some experi y. and more morbid and disprited every day. Her love for her husband amounted to idolatry, and all her interest in life seemed to go out with him. He was very learn ed man, and she was almost much ab- sorbed in his pursuits as he himself was They were constantly together in his lab oratory in the east wing. Indeed for some time after his death, she continued to sit there, every day allowing no one to enter except old Brooks, who keeps tine place in order. But for some reason she sudden ly gave this up, and has not been inside
 the room for months, keeping the keys herself and absolutely refusing to have 1t disturbed I have told you all this, Miss
 Beauchamp, that you will be better able to cope with my aunt's peculiarities.
 I also learned that MT. Raymond was
 manager and part owner of some iron
 works at Brompton, and had come to live
 with his aunt, after her Husbands death,
 hoping to relieve her loneliness In the
 dra wing-room,. after dinner, he showed me
 a portrait of MT. Bellville, which he said
 was a remarkable hkeness-a handsome
 man, with delicate, sensitive features and
 look of splendid intelligence about the brow, though the lower part of the face was somewhat weak.
 That night being unable to sleep, l lay and listened to the fierce batter of rain upon the window panes, and the cry Of the wind as it rushed through the bare maple trees. Suddenly the soft closing of a door on the other side of the corridor made me start. There followed the faint rustic of draperies and some one crept stealthily
 past my door. For a time I listened, for
 some further sound, and listening, fell
 asleep.
 My life as Mrs. Bellviles companion was monotonous in the extreme. I used to look forward to the doctors visits with longing; and to my not infrequent tete-a- tete dinners and evenings with MT. Ray
 mond with positive delight. From the first felt that it would require more than my presence and effort to rouse Mrs. Bellviiie from her unhappy condition; but con- scientiously did my best There were days when she refused to leave her bed at all, but lay staring at the ceiling. or reading in the volume which I had seen on the evening of my arrival and which was en- titled, "The Mystery of Life" by whom l know not
 I had been in the house about two months when one night, having gone to my room nervous and distressed over the days petty annoyances and trials, and finding sleep out of the question put on my dress ing gown and slippers and threw myself into an easy chair, determined to read my self into a Quieter frame of mind.
 I must have half fallen asleep, for it was with violent start that heard Mrs. Bell ville's door open and close softly. Who could be coming from her room at that hour of the night? I sprang to my feet and
 going to the 0OOT lOOkeu uOWH ieuS, dim hall. A womans figure was disappear ing around corner. There was something familiar yet unfamiliar, in the firm easy carriage. But I could have sworn to the poise of the head and the wavy masses of white hair. It was Mrs. Bellville. But where could she be going? I had left her in bed, too languid to stir. Without moments hesitation, I followed her. Saw her unlock the door into the east wing speak for itself Since the beginning of our
 with key she took from her pocket, and enter. I reached the door and paused with
 beating heart. What if she had gone mad!--a misfortune that seemed quite with
 in the bounds of possibility. With sudden resolution, I laid hold of the door knob. The door yeilded and found myself in narrow passage. The cold air was charged with a powerful aromantic odor- subtle and penetrating The hall itself was dark. but bright light gleamed through the partially open door at the end As i slow ly approached heard Mrs Bellville say. 'Here am at last. darling. It has been dull. dreary day without you"
 A mans voice replied:
 'It cannot have been so dull for you as it has been for me love. An! how I have
 wished for your coming. Night and day,