Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1906-09-19

was a most fair and lovely lady.
1T is strange" she remarked,
that I have neither seen nor heard
anything of them"
And as the days went on the fact
grew more and more strange. We
neither saw nor heard anything of
them. | could not obtain another
glimpse of the fair, sad face THAT
haunted me. I am not ashamed to
say how much I tried to do SO. I
fingered in the road and watched
from the window, but there was no
sign of it.
Other things struck me as strange
and mysterious. Whoever resided
there-whether the lady I had seen
was alone or not, | could not tell;
but no n ever called. [ eve
once saw friend or guest or visitor
approach that closed door. The post
man never took letters to Mona
House. No one ever crossed the
threshold; it was silent and solitary
as a large tomb.
EARLY in the morning I say the
old servant at work; but look when
l would, whether in the bright,
warm flush of morning or in the
dewy evening, early or late, l could
not see the pale, lovely. face I could
never forget.
Was she maid, widow, Or wife? I
could not tell. I might have lived
a thousand miles from Mona House,
and I should have known just as
much of it as I did then. We Won
dered often whether any one else
lived with the -ady I had seen.
Once again l saw her. 1t was
early in the morning. Unable to
sleep, | had come out into the gar
den to look for some favorite flowers.
She was in her own garden, leaning
against the lattice-work that sepa-
rated our grounds from those of
Mona House. She had gathered a
few flowers, but during her fit Of
musing they had fallen from her
hands.
For full half an hour 1 stood
NLioCl IL NV SlluS IlldC 1SeS,
drinking in the beauty of the pale,
dropping girl, who neither moved
mol stirred. Presently the old wom-
an anne out and touched her gently
on the arm.
Come in, Miss Clarice, and AXE
some breakfast she said. You
look tired to death. A long sleep
will do you as much good as fresh
air"
Slowly and YEARLY the girl fol-
lowed the old servant into the
house.
Why should she be worn and
wan? Why should she be tired or
wearied?" l asked myself. why
should she have watched through the
long hours of night? What shadow
had fallen upon the young life?
What was the mystery hanging over
Mona House?
There was no guilt, shame or
crime. 1 could have doubted my
thing rather than the pale, sad face
upon which the morning sun had
shone SO lovingly.
l asked my mother to make some
advances towards our neighbor. She
tried to do so but her efforts were
all in vain. The lady seemed to
shrink from observation, and only
wished to avoid notice.
At last We began to notice that a
closed carriage stopped once a day
at the door; a gentleman descended
from it, and remained some few
minutes in the house. For a long
time I wondered who he could be;
one day l saw him plainly, and re-
cognized the celebrated physician,
Dr.. James.
The mystery eemed now to be
solved; doubtless the lady was a
great inyalid-thct accounted for
her pale face and utter seclusion
from all society. I told my mother
of my discovery, and she, always
kind of heart, resolved to do some
thing to help ard aid the young
girl who seemed SO utterly friend
less.
The next time she saw the old
housekeeper, my mother stopped her
and inquired after the health of her
mistress.
My mistress is quite WE'LL" re-
piled the woman, taken by surprise
and thrown off her guard.
Il am glad to hear it," said my
mother. Il was afraid, from DR..
James frequent visits, she might be
ILL.,"
Something seemed to come over
the woman, like a start of recollec-
tion.
She is not WE'LL" she stammered.
"but there is nothing serious the
matter"
There Vas a strange hesitation
about the old servant that my
mother could not understand.
Can I be useful to her in any
Way?" she asked again.
mol" replied the woman abrupt
ly; she wants nothing but quiet
My mother saw there was some
thing constrained about her manner;
she noticed, also that she seemed
anxious to end the conversation.
From that time the housekeeper