Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-05-15
A PRICELESS LOVE
tOriginaL1


nation or, rather yielding just enough
10 make my action crime.
When l was eighteen, my mother
took into her service little maid from
the country. She wore her dresses to
the tops OF her boots, her hair in sin
gle braid down her back. 1t was very
light, and her eyes were a pale blue
She was such a demure little thing and
seemed so lonely sitting by herself in
her room all the long evening-for she
did not appear to relish the society of
the other servants-that | always spoke
TO her kindly when | wished her to do
anything for me, usually softening my
request with a smile. | gave her books
to read, such books as | thought would
interest a simple young girl. She al
ways read them and returned them to
me without any comment in words,
but with such look-I understood just
what 1t meant.
One day she came into the library to
do some busting. 1 was seated in the
great leather covered chair by the win
dow reading. | was to leave for col
lege the next day. She was going about
with her feather duster, giving light
touches here and there, but listlessly.
as II absorbed by something else. Pres
emily said TO her:
You seem distrait this morning,
Janet. What is the matterf"
cha 1iJ not l-upUU yrb s9HiS-
trait" meant. At any rate, she did not
reply, but turned to dust a bronze
statuette SO that her back was toward
me.
Come, little girl, tell me if anything
troubles you"
Still she gave me no answer. l got
up from my chair and went to her to
discover the cause of her silence by
looking into her face. She must have
heard me come up behind her, but she
kept on with her work. | put hand
on each arm and turned her around.
Her eyes were filed with tears.
Poor childv' 1 said
/ bent and kissed her innocent young
lips. Somehow knew that her tears
were for my departure on the NOR
row. Then 1t occurred to me that there
was something in all this that could
only lead to trouble, and, releasing her,
without a word left the library.
When l returned a year later, found
Janet little taller, her dresses length.
ened to the floor, her hair in a knot at
the back Of her head. The year had
brought experience to me, ard l knew
better than before that 1 had trespass-
ed on forbidden ground. 1 greeted her
kindly, but made it plain by my tone
and manner that there was social
gulf between US, watching her to see
If the change affected her. l could not
see that 1t did and felt a sense Of re.
lief.
/ continued to return at vacation
time, once q year, noting Janet's
growth from tie child she had come
TO us to willoWy woman Of nineteen
While she grew tail, she did not grow
robust. Her cheek was pale, and her
step was languid. On my return aft
er being graduated l noticed this es-
pecially and spoke to my mother about
1t, but received no satisfaction as to
the cause.
l went abroad to finish my studies,
and while was away my mother died.
/ wrote directions to close the home
stead, leaving everything as it was till
/ came. 1t was not for two years more
that went back to the old place with
a view to putting it in the market for
sale. My mother had had an elderly
woman in her service who was with
her when she died, and to her 1 went
to gain what satisfaction | could in
talking to her about the last days they
had passed together. l asked her to
go with me to the little cemetery near
by and show me the grave. She did
so, and l was much pleased with the
care that had been given to my moth
er's resting place.
What is that mound up in the cor
nerY' | asked.
That is Janet's grave"
"Janet'sW
Yes. She died soon after your moth
er. When the house was closed, took
her with me. She had been long fail
Ing and lived only q short time, though
long enough to do all this work, of
which you see the result. We must
make haste she would say. He may
come home at any time, and think how
he would feel to fiRd his dear mothers
grave neglected."
Janet deadr
"She would como here every morn
ing, wedding and spading when she
was so weak that could not see how
she was able even to walk here. One
day when she did not return at the ac-
customed time came and saw her sit
ting on that bench. spoke to her, and
she did not answer. She was dead"
was looking at the little mound de-
void Of adornment This girl had spent
two years Of labor, her life slowly go
Ing out the while, that when l return
ed might not find my mothers grave
neglected. During this period / had
never thought once Of one SO devoted.
"Of what disease did she die?" /
asked after some time
OlbNONtItu NunL dICLutuldIly. Suc
guarded her secret carefully and 1 am
sure would not give me permission to
tell you. But l would like you to
know. Janet died Of a hopeless love
for you"
stood without motion for a long
time. was far away IN the library
where / had kissed her.
Tor many years 1 have visited those
two graves every summer. III vain
have resolved to marry and build
home. None Of the women In my So
vial circle has ever given me that pure
affection which / received from Janet.
whose whole soul was mine Though
] am now an old man, am bachelor.
HUMPHREY BARNICKEL.