Year: 1864

! ~ ~ ttC~GiiGc taOh II IL ~. Leon
ards at the time of my last visit She had
been i'll, poor thing, and they had gioen
her six weess change of air at the sea side.
| She was quite beyond suspicion, Tor if
signs and tokens were to be worth any
thing, there wSs not one OF their house
| hold so attached to them rs was Jane"


1t seems that she was the housemaid,
upper houscmaid you might say, as there
was younger girl under her She bad
come with high recommendations from o
lady in Suffolk. and from the first moment
of her entering the house had taken to
them uncommonly. They, too, had been
much pleased with her, and circumstances
had so turned out as to afford them eppor-
tunity of being kind to her Her health
had failed, and they had nursed her, and
eventually sent her down to St. Leonards
where she had recovered strength


but not her cheerfulness," added Mrs.
Tompkins, Il never saw a girl more
changed in this respect She has been
wonderfully depressed for some time now,
though | never was more struck by it than
Immediately after her return from St
Leonards. | think you may put her out
Of the question so far as this matter is con
cerned besides, | am sorry to say that
she has given me warning, and what's
more, she obstinately refuses to tel! me
why"


l un.ccrcd to talk to her, and in
Tompkins absence as an old family
friend, bring her to reason If | could 1t
was just possible, too, that she might know
something about the threatened danger
and have better grounds for her apprehen
sion than we supposed So this was the
point Of our in estieations at which We
tried our first hat Jane was to be sent
up 20 me, and in order that | might have
iaic field for my inquisitorial functions,
the rest were to get out the way


Up she came, a good looking girl as you
would wish to see, neatly dressed, clean
and proper in her person, staid in her de-
meanor As l looked carefully into her
face, | perceived marks of the nervous ag-
itation for which l had been disposed to
give her credit. Not being physiogno-
mist or Psychologist, | could not exactly
define what the symptoms were, but by
the instinct Of human sympathy felt that
she was q soul in trouble


Come in, Jane" | began, "and shut
the door She obeyed, and advancing
some couple steps, stood looking at me,


"Jauc,' / said, you know that | am a
very old friend of the family, and can talk
about their concerns almost as if it were
your master himself have come unex-
pectedly to pay them visit, and find them
in some trouble; among other matters !
find that you have determined to leave
them, and at once Is it SOP


1t was so.


Now then, you must tell me why you
want to 20 in such q hurry"


No answer was forthcoming to this
challenge, and her mouth was rcsolutely
screwed up to the expression that no an
swer shop7d be Forthcoming. Not one
word of explanation could elicit. Accor-
ding TO her version nothing had gone
wrong, and nobody had given her ofense,
everybody had been most kind TO her, and
she would do anything to serve them.-
This she asserted with suf'used eyes


and YET, my good girl, you threw them
all into tantrums by taking yourself of in
this mysterious way, without word ex-
planatory Of your moti-es. Do you think,
Jane, this is proper return for their kind
ness q


She WINGED a little at this, and the tears
began to flow, and she was still more
moved as proceeded to dwell on the fact
that the family were in trouble, and in
loneliness


All was useless She must 20, and she
would 30, and "a happy thing she nut
tered. it wou be for them when she was
gone.


OF course the girl could 20 if she willed
it, and certainly she had right to keep
her secret, If such wer> her dete. mination.
But l had begun to feel deep interest in
the case and somehow had worked myself
into the con iction that it was of impor-
tance that | should succeed in making her
unfo d her mystery She was, besides
worth saving for her own sake. But what
more could do2 What force Of spasion
remained in reserve ? Meme that could
call into requisition,. but it appeared that
there was a more powerful agent than my
self Little Minnie, who had been sent
off to play IN the schoo -room, burst in
upon our tete-a-.etc.


The child was crying abundantlv. and
smoke with all the inconsiderate vehemence
ofchildhood Somebody had told her that
their favorite was going, and hither on the
moment she had rushed. Children are
generally pretty eager, and have but slight
consideration for obstacles, but think |
never saw such a desperate for the ns9-
ment as poor little Minnie.


s.Jane, YOU shall not go, sobbed she
ont promise me this minute. promise.
/ 1t was evident that the child pleading


- f,- from, ineffective | thought at the