Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1913-02-20
En- VII.
FROM OVER THE WAITER

FROM OVER THE WATER.
'To all you ladies now on land,
We men at sea indite;
But first would make your under.
stand,
How hard it is to write"
After lingering longer than any one
expected, Mrs. Ivert died suddenly at
last, at the beginning of September,
without the return Of consciousness
for which Phyllida had looked and
IOnged. She could not control herself
at this first grief, the greatest she
at the moment that could ever befall
her. After writing a few lines to
Mrs. Allen, she sat covering over the
kitchen fire, resisting all Hrs. Ma
keys efforts to rouse and comfort her,
refusing to eat or go out, or see any
one, repeating to all the good woman's
attempts at consolation, 81 never told
her, and now | never can" with bursts
of hysterical sObs that were half
temper, provoked poor child, almost
against her will by the long strain of
anxiety and nursing.
Even Mrs. Aliens letters, full of
sympathy and wise advice, irritated
her, and she thrust them petulantly
aside, feeling all the time ashamed of
herself, and longing for some one to
make her good again." as the chill
dren say. Her grandfather simply let
her alone, and Mrs. Makey's patience
was nearly exhausted, when one after
noon who should walk in without
warning but Mrs Allen herself.
The surprise brought on the flood of
tears Phyllida had been needing for
some days to relieve her wearied
brain, and when she had recovered
from them, her friend administered a
scolding that Mrs. Makey thought
very cruel and tried in vain to check,
after pouring out her grievances over
missys unreasOnableness But Phyl-
Hda's reason was reawakened, and
agreed with Mrs. Aliens grave re-
grana6E a OF Fns an GuT 10 ner 0 oWn neah
to say nothing Of higher claims, and
of the unnecessary anxiety she had
caused by leaving her letters unan-
swered, bringing the writer home a
month before her appointed time to
help and comfort her. Sure as Phyl-
Ida had been of Mrs. Aliens affection,
it seemed incredible that she should
have left friends and business and
pleasure for her sake, when she had
been too much absorbed in her griefs
even to wish for her as it were, and
there was nothing she would not have
done for Mrs. Allen to prove her
gratitude.
Within an hour she had Obediently
eaten a good meal, and found herself
in the sociable on her way to spend
the night at South Court, an event she
had only contemplated hitherto as a
vague possibility too delightful to
come true. She ran up and down the
house, helping to unpack and arrange
the things that were in disorder owing
to Mrs. Aliens hurried return, de-
lighted to see Luckhurst again, and
hear her caustic remarks on the men
and things she had met in her trav-
els. She was almost shocked once to
hear herself laughing in the revival
of her spirits, but they sobered down
when she found herself alone with
Mrs. Allen after tea in the drawing
room by the freight, sitting on her
favorite low stool at her side, leaning
against her knee. Then she talked,
as she could have done to no one else,
of the past sad weeks and her doubts
and fears for the future; how moody
and restless her grandfather had be-
come since the death of his patron,
Mr.. Pitt; how she had gathered from
various sources that his affairs were
by no means prosperous; how he
came home later and later at night,
spending more and more time at the
Leather Bottel with doubtful compan-
ions.
Mrs. Allen did not refute her fears
she had good reason to know they
were too we'll founded-but she babe
the girl go on steadily with her duties,
and remember that a home and a
heart were always open to her at
South Court.
And now, my little Ida" she went
on, partly to check the girls passion
ate expressions of gratitude, ''can you
not tell me what it is you SO much
regret not having told your mother
whilst you were together"
ooh yes!" cried Phyllida; ST should
like to do so, please, directly"
And she entered into a history of
her refusal Of John Curd.
ct heard that the young man had
married his mothers maid, and was
somewhat surprised" said Mrs. Allen,
when she had finished. 81 hope, Phyl-
ida, you did not lead him on with
false hopes, and then drive him to
take this step in disdain, for that is a
great fault and one have seen ter
ribly punished"