The Ekalaka eagle., 1915-07-16

What took Rosanna into the shrub
berry walk = asked.
Her own Madness" says Pene,n].n.
II can call it nothing else Sl~ ~us
bent on speaking to Mr.. Frankii, this
morning. come what might OF it. I
did my best to stop her. You saw that.
If l could only have got her away be-
fore she heard those dreadful words
''There, there l said. "Don't lose
your head. l can't call to mind that
anything happened to alarm Rosanna."
Nothing to alarm her, father. But
Mr.. Franklin said he took no interest
whatever in her, and, oh, he said it in
such cruel voice!'
"He said 1t to stop the sergeant's
mouth" l answered.
II told her that" says Penelope.
"But, you see, father. though Mr.
Franklin isn't to blame he's been NOR
tifying and disappointing her for
weeks and weeks past, and now this
comes on the top Of it all! She has no
right of course, to expect him to take
any interest in her. She frightened
me, father, when Mr.. Franklin said
those words They seemed to turn her
into stone. A sudden quiet came over
her, and she has gone about her work
| ever since like a woman in a dream"
| had promised Mr.. Franklin to
speak to Rosanna, and this seemed the
| fittest time for keeping my word.
We found the girl sweeping the cor
ridor outside the bedrooms, pale and
composed and neat as ever in her mod
est print dress. l noticed a curious
dimness and dullness in her eyes-not
as if she had been crying, but as If
she had been looking at something too
long. Possibly it was misty some
thing raised by her own thoughts.
There was certainly no object about
her to look at which she had not seen
already hundreds on hundreds Of
times.
"Cheer up, Rosanna!' I said. "You
mustn't fret over your own fancies. I
have got something to say to you from
Mr.. Franklin"
I thereupon put the matter in the
right view before her in the friendl1est
and most comforting words I could
find.
"Mr. Franklin is very kind and con-
siderate. Please to thank him. That
was all the answer she made me.
My daughter had already noticed that
Rosanna went about her work like a
woman in a dream. I now added to
this observation that she also listened
and spoke like a woman in dream. l
doubted If her mind was in fit con-
dition to take in what had said.
"Are you quite sure, Rosanna, that
you understand me?" l asked.
"Quite sure"
"She echoed me not like living wo
man. but like creature moved by ma
chinery. She went on sweeping all the
time. took away the broom as gen
tly and as kindly as I could.
"Come, come, my GIRL" said. "Th1s
is not like yourself. You have got
something on your mind. I'm your
friend, and I'll stand your friend. even
If YOU have done wrong. Make clean
breast Of it, Rosanna-make clean
breast Of it"'
The time had been when my speak
ing to her in that way would have
brought the tears into her eyes. I could
see no change in them now.
"Yes." she said, "I'll make a clean
breast of it,
"To my lady?" asked.
"No."
ITO Mr.. Franklin"
eyes: to Mr.. Franklin"
hardly knew what to say to that
She was in no condition to understand
the caution against speaking to him in
private which Mr.. Franklin had di
rected me to give her. Feeling my
way little by little, only told her Mr.
Franklin had gone out for walk.
"1t doesn't matter" she answered
~ shan't trouble Mr.. Franklin today"
"Why not speak to my lady?' said
"The way to relieve your mind is tt
speak to the merciful and Christian
mistress who has always been kind te
you.'
She looked at ME for moment witt
grave and steady attention as If SHE
was fixing what said in her mind
uen size lOOk lue uIOoH oul VI LILY
hands and moved off with it slowly {
little way down the corridor.
"No." she said. going on with hel
sweeping and speaking to herself; &c.
know a better way Of relieving my
mind than that"
"What Is it,"
"Please to let me go on with my
work"
Penelope followed her and offered tt
help her.
She answered: "No. I want to dt
my work. Thank you Penelope" Sh'
looked around at me. THANK you, Mr.
Betteredge."
There was no moving her. Their
was nothing more to he said. signe,
to Penelope to come away with me
} We left her, as we had found hel
sweeping the corridor like woman il