Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-05-30

knew she would save me, SO didn't cry any more.
The other girls stood and looked without sympathy.
but with cold, blue noses and wet feet Mabel Blossom
told later, with her lips that they all thought
Maudie and ought to have waited till got indoors
TO talk about my marriage. But Maudie comforted me
much that pretty soon felt better and got up. We
all crept to the convent balcony and climbed through
what left of the ivy, and got the hall and reached
rooms-and not soul heard us 1t was too good
to be true don't suppose the Sisters. would ever
have known anything about it if Ktte James hadn't
had Mysteries in her room just Maudie left
her there alone Sister Edna heard the hystericscvery
story came out. We we're all visited in our rooms.
and given baths and rubbings and hot drinks, and
looked at with sad reproachfu eyes But the Sisters
didn't say much that night it was too late.
If the reader will let me, will draw a veil over
the tragic happenings that followed the next day.
could describe them but don't like write about sad
had the time Of all, think for Sister lrmngarde
told she had depended us to influence for
good at St. GATHERINGS, and that had both failed
her, and she feared she could never trust us again
You can. imagine, how we felt We cried till we
sick NIaude had to go to the inirnary, |
didn't; cried just as much, but have a stronger
constitution Besides, know that suffering is good
for my art. and that always comforts me, right away
Sometimes it comforts me much that | can't keep
suffering; then my emotions are strange and pulling
Even can hardly describe them: Mabel Blossom was
sent to Mother Ernesa. and didn't see her for hours
When she finally into the study hall, late in the
afternoon her eyes red. and she buried her
self in her books as real authors say and didn't speak
to anybody.
But what worried most of all the memory Of
that dreadful voice When ghost has talked to you.
interests you go around aterward with sinking feelings
in your stomach, and you can't sleep nights. All the
the infrn,ary. like Maude Finally Mabel and I we're
the only girls not the sck-list kittie James
nervous she had to have one Of the nrmarians sleep
in the same with her. Kittie said it dread
full wake night and be thinking of beautiful peace
full things, like box from home, and then suddenly
turn and look into the heshless sockets of ghost
who was grinding the words Frederick Manson"
between his bony jaws. OF course that gave
Mysteries, right off.
he rhode 70 tall an he r,;o
the ghost think about them, stopped
talking; but thoughts worked harder than ever
they always do when you not allowed to talk
about things. At last the nuns put their heads to-
gether, and sent for every girl and talked to her
alone. When that happens each girlish heart gives
Three days after Halloween. the girls in the in.
Urinary were told to get up and dress for supper.
The said something interesting going to
happen in the refectory, and should miss
it. The girls pale and wan. and when the sup
per bell rang we ali went to the refecory together
with a slow gait, like a band of mnims stepping
heavenward. 1t is not amusing in the refectory.
We not allowed to talk while we are eating:
unless there's sardncs We the interesting
thing couldn't be food, because know exactly
what the food is going to be- Monday night cold
lamb and bread and butter and prunes and milk;
rud 'd hss AND M b ss
reader. We have simple, nourshng meals as our
prospectus says, and plenty of them; but notice
my father groans He is general in the army too,
and you know what privatons they have or course
we get lots of boxes from home and they contain
the cakes and pickles and olives and jam that growing
girls require.
We sat down without zest, and got ready to put
food into ourselves absentmndedly the way you put
Goals on the fire. and was just wondering whether
we having little peaches or big apricots when
&c that f girls stsf. tao
l might
A big canvas was stretched the whole width OF
the refcctory, against the south wall On that
vas. in black crayon sketches, was the whole story
of our Halloween visit to the haunted church we
first picture showed US climbing down the ivy. In
the second running across the fields. In the
third were at the ruins and Mabel was calling
down to the ghost. The fourth showed Mabel faint
ing, and in the fifth we were dragging her across
the fields on her face and holding her eet which
ture showed me calling TO the ghost with Shakes
peare under my arm ! don't think that was very
good for didn't have shakespeare under my arm
the ground and Maude comforting me. and there was
balloon thing coming cut OF Maudies mouth.
saying, "Doan you cry, honey amt gwine let you
After that came our return up the ivy, with the
ivy all hanging in shreds and patches like shoe
strings. In the OF every picture was per-
fecy Mortified little moon, looking down on us with
eyes almost big as his face. and his expression
Maude, in picture. But the last two sketches
the that drew and held our unbelieving
eyes. In the first Mabel Blossom was giving a dollar
to Jonas our old head gardener In the other-the
last OF al-Jon down in the church cellar
reading list OF by the light OF a tallow dip
and shouting Frederick Manson up at mel The
little had thrown his head back and was shout,
ing too, and the little stars were crowdng around
TO listen
;, Then indeed, we knew all The ghost was old
e Jonas and Mabel Blossom had hired him to be
. ghost Was this perhdy' do pause for
reply l. know too we'll what it would be But we
. had revenge; for after all, the ghost had fright
/ ened Mabel even than he did Jonas
changed his voice dreadully that Mabel thought
. the ghost had destroyed him and taken his place a.
d punishment for her. She told us so aterward a:
{ soon as we would let her tell anything At frs
z we wouldn't
!. After we had looked at the pictures. and nobod,
4 had said anything because nobody allowed to
Mabel got up from her place at the table and made
, a speech. She said she wanted to ask pardon
y She had played very silly Joke, and was sorry
\ She hoped we would forgive her She would try &c
e do better Her face very red. Then she sa
down and Sister Italia said grace and all begar
to eat, casting and anon disappearing looks
< Mabel Blossom But felt much NOR,
5 cheerful.
t 1t was long long time before heard who
made the drawings. That secret was kept locked il