Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-03-25

| quick ears of the grandmother.
| "Sally-what dreadful time you have
beenv' said Mrs. Eastbell.
Il have been talking to Tom"
| "You will have years to talk to him
1 may be only with you few more days.
It's awfully firing, this up and down
stairs business. Not half as comfortable
as at st. Oswald's after all. wish that
| had never left the place."
! "You are tired tonight, and despon-
| dent. that's ALL Will you try and rest
now?"
REST in this house, Sallyw cried the
| old lady ironically, there isn't much
chance of that, with people tearing up
! and down stairs at all hours, and the
| servants banging shutters and locking
doors as if we were in prison. Somebody
| came into my room last night, blunder-
| ing, but could not find out who it was"
Into your room? asked Sarah, very
| anxiously now, where was Hartley?"
II packed her off two days ago. She
snorted in her sleep like horse. I want
| rest, child, not the noise of a steam en-
gine in my ears"
"You are too old to rest alone-you
cannot lock your door even," said Sarah.
II must come back as in the old days,
grandmamma, if you send Hartley away.
Why shouldn't have my little crib in one
corner of this great room, as when you
and 1 were sharing life together in St.
Oswald's p
you're mighty anxious about me-"
said Mrs. Eastbell fretfully, "and yet
you have founced yourself off for three
days, and without rhyme or reason"
Il was anxious about Reuben Culwick
Il could not rest longer without seeing
him. He is very poor, grandmother,
said Sarah; ''he has been very unlucky
in life. I found him in a back room in
Drury Lane-a half-starved, haggard-
looking man, borne down by the disap-
pointments Of his slife. This was Reu-
ben Culwick-in whose house we are
who was once our friend when we were
poor and low-who saved me when had
not power to help myself. This is the
man forever foremost in my thoughts
Why should 1 hide it from myself or
your
She buried her head in the bedclothes,
| and the shriveled hand stole forth and
rested on the flowing mass of raven hair
there.
Don't go on so, SALLY won't forget
him. 1 promised long ago that I would
never forget Reuben Culwick, didn't L?
III keep my word. As soon as ever
am strong enough the will we talked
about shall be prepared"
Sarah passed from the room, and stood
rejecting on the sheep's-skin mat out
side the door. A woman passing in the
distance attracted her attention. and
seemed to shape her motives, for she
beckoned to her cautiously, and even went
a few steps toward her.
"You should not have left your mistress
whilst was away" Sarah said reproach-
fully; "she is too old to be left. Watch
this room till 1 return, and see that no
one disturbs my grandmother by passing
noisily along the corridor"
Sarah left Miss Hartley to marvel
little at the instructions which she had
received, and went thoughtfully down.
stairs, pausing now and then to consider
the new position of affairs. She passed
into the garden. She was hot and fever
ish, and the night was close. In the cool
fresh air she might be able to shape out
better, clearer course, if the current of
events should turn against her and her
project for Toms departure from Sedge
Hill. She had grown very much afraid
of him, of late days; she had lost every
atom of confidence; and the man whom
he had brought into the house had been
well-known character in Potter's Court,
for whom the police had made inquiries
during her short stay there.
She had left the house some hundred
yards when footsteps on the gravel path
arrested her attention, and checked her
further progress. They were coming
slowly toward her-and she shrank at
once into the shadow of the trees, with
the instinct to be unperceived and watch
full. Trouble had come thickly in her
way, and she must fight against it as best
she might.
There were two persons advancing in
her direction-who could they be, at that
hour of the night, but Thomas Eastbell
and Peterson, plotting together against
the peace of Sedge Hill? They were soon
close upon her; they could have heard
her loud breathing had they listened; but
they were deep in conversation, and un-
mindful of a watcher. The path was
broad and white, and their figures were
easily distinguishable, striking at Sarah
Eastbell's heart with a new surprise and
an awful sense of treachery. They were
those of Captain Peterson and Mary
Holland!-the former talking in a low
and energetic manner; the other listening
with her gaze directed to the ground, and
with her hands clasped on the bosom of
her dress. There was light gauze scarf
on Mary Hollands head, and the ends
fluttered in the night breeze as she pass
ed by. There was not a word which
Sarah could catch att was a new phase
of mystery for which she was not pre-
pared, which seemed to place her very
much alone in the world after the dis
covery.
When they were in advance of her,
Sarah stole from her hiding place and
proceeded in their direction, keeping to
the shadow of the trees. She paused
before entering upon the broad and open
space Of ground in front of the house
where they were standing, and where
Captain Peterson was still debating with
the silent woman still looking on the
ground. She watched them separate
without a glance toward each other, the
man entering the picture gallery through
the bay-window, and Mary Holland pro-