Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-06-20

after midnight in a country house de
cided that only person insensible t.
all sight and sound could be expected tt
remain asleep under such circumstance
and that I would seem perfectly JUST
fed in the eyes of these young peopi
themselves for opening my door ant
taking peep down the corridor s.
without further ado drew my bed asid
and glanced out.
All was perfectly dark and silent il
the great house. The only light visible
came from the candle burning in thu
room behind me- and as for sound i
was almost too still-it was the still
ness of intent rather than that of natura
repose.
This was so unexpected that for al
instant l stood batfled and wondering.
Then my nose went up, and l laughed
quietly to myself l could see nothing
and l could hear nothing, but 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 a light, and because the light was
extinguished it did not follow that the
person who had held it was far away
Indeed, thought that now heard a
palpitating breath.
"Humph, F." cried out loud, but as if
in unconscious communion with myself,
sit 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' I called firmly.
No reply.
"Lucetta, dear!"
thought this appeal would go unan-
swered also, but when I raised my
voice for the third time sudden rush
ing sound took place down the 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
teri" she asked, making as if she would
draw me into my room, a proceeding
which 1 took good care she should not
succeed in, however Giving a glance
at her dress, which was the same she
had worn at the supper table, l laugh
ingly said:
"Isn' that question l 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 1--WE 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 flood Of
tears
Don't" she murmured, don't"
Is, quite thoroughly ashamed, / began
10 utter some excuses II shall be all !
right in a moment am used to hu-
Mutations. Only" and her whole body
seemed to join in the plea, it trem-
oled SO, "do not, pray, speak quite so
oud. My brother is more sensitive than
wen Loreen and myself about these
hings, and if he should hear
Here suppressed oath from way
Town the hall assured me that he did
lear, but gave no sign of my recogni
ion of this fact, and Lucetta added
luickly: He would not forgive us for
,ur carelessness in waking you. He is
ough sometimes, but so good at heart,
% good.
This, with the other small matter
lad just mentioned, caused in me a
light reaction. He good? l did not be-
ieve it. Yet her eyes showed no waver-
ng when l looked at her fixedly, and
ceiling that | had perhaps been doing
Injustice to them all and that all had
cen which was odd and difficult to ex-
lain in their conduct was, as she evil
entity meant to intimate due to their
forts to make a sudden guest COM
ortable amid their poverty, l put the
est face / could Oh the matter and gave
be poor, pitiful, pleading face kiss.
was startled to feel how cold her fore
cad was and, more and more concerned,
1aded her down with such assurances of
ppreciation as came to my lips and sent !
er back to her own room with the adj
ice that she would trouble herself no
lore about fixing up any other room .
or me; that l had emptied my trunk ,
ut here and did not propose to move ,
gain for the few days intended to re- ,,
lain with them. "Only," said 1, as
er whole face showed relief, I'VE will ,
0 to the locksmith tomorrow and get a !,
ey, and you shall see that after tonight .
have cup Of tea brought to my room
list before l retire. l am no good with ,
1T my cup of tea, my dear. What !
eeps other people awake makes me !
eep." ,
"Oh, you shall have thatr' she cried, 9
it'll an eagerness that was almost I'M :
,tural, and then slipping from my !,
asp she uttered another hasty apology !,
r having reused me from my sleep >
I'd ran hastily back. :