Year: 1876

At tie extreme end of the main street,
in quiet New England town, there
was low, rambling stone house. A
portion of it was overrun so with vines
that some of the windows were quite
hidden. There was allaround it a small
space of ground thickly planted with
trees. Miss Jane Crimme lived in the
house, and had lived there for many
years. Before, her mother had lived
there also a long time, and when the old
lady became an invalid and bed ridden,
her daughter took her place at the head
of the house, and so strongly did Miss
Jane resemble her mother, that when
the latter passed away, things went
on exactly as ever, and it seemed as if
the old lady and her daughter had been
merged into one person, so that people
called her Mrs Jane or Mrs. Gimme.


Miss Jane was far from being home
ly person; through the traces of time
and suffering might easily be seen the
remains of past beauty, but hardened
and so sorrow stricken, that great fear
fell on the little maid, Elizabeth, when
ever she appeared.


Elizabeth was the maid-of work,
and living defiance to those rules
which arrange certain harmony be-
tween people and their names. Having
been taken from some asylum or charity
school, and being much astonished at
everything differing from her past asso-
Citations, her face had acquired chronic
look of utter amazement, somewhat
lightened by pair of perfectly round,
large black eyes. Her general appear
ance was rather remarkable, too, on ac-
count of the evident unrestrained exer-
else of her own taste in matters of dress,
which was not altogether above criti-
cism. Her favorite post was at win
dow commanding something of view
intervals, during the entire day, she
was to be seen leaning her chin on her
two hands, and her elbows on the win
dow ledge, with the prominent portions
of her face pressed flat against the
glass, which practice had not improved
the regularity or form of her features.
At the least noise she vanished as though
the earth had swallowed her, the fact be-
ing that she dropped herself on the
floor and crawled to the scene of her
duties, as though the window alone was
to be feared by allowing her to be seen.


Miss Crimme was really kind and gen.
tie, but Elizabeth could never quite
accustom herself to the tall figure, and
severe, sad face of her mistress.


Miss Crimme's mother had first come
to the town many years before, quite
alone. Her popularity of attending ex-
clusively to her own affairs, and leaving
those of her neighbors alone, had at
first, naturally, of course, excited curl
osity and suspicion, but as years passed
on, and nothing occurred to feed the one
or keep alive the other, they died out,
and the old lady was spoken of with re-
spect and left entirely to herself Even
the arrival of her daughter, of whose
existence many were ignorant, some
years after her removal to the town,
caused but little remark.


Miss Jane was then ahandsome woman
of about twenty three. 1t was said she
came from abroad indeed, several
stories were set afoat, but soon were
forgotten for some more interesting
subject of gossip. She was quiet in her
manner, and very retiring and reticent,
rs it under a restraint, at first, but this
soon grew to habit. Shortly after her
coming, her mother was taken i'll, and
from that time never left her room ex-
cept to be carried to her last resting
place.


From the time of her mothers illness
Miss Crimme assumed the head of the
house, and, as 1 once before said, seem
ed 50 like her mother in her ways and
appearance, that she was called Mrs.
Crimme, and the old lady herself was
forgotten some time before she passed
away.


Elizabeth was seated, one afternoon,
ON the back of chair at the kitchen
window, greatly absorbed in the occa.
sional passing by of pedestrian, when
violent knock at the door caused her
to drop instantly on the floor. She re.
mained there some moments, entirely
forgetful of her duty to open the door.
At a second knock she tremblingly went
to the door. This she carefully secured
with chain, to prevent it's being open
ed more than about four inches, and
opening it, and placing as much of her.
self as was possible in the opening, she
said "Please come in, ma'am I" utter
ly unconscious of the impossibility oi
any compliance with her request.


1t was the postman.


Elizabeth never remembered having
seen the postman at the house before
and was consequently greatly alarmed
as well as amazed.


GA letter for Mrs. Crimme."


And he left in the hands of the
trembling and still terrified maid {
small note with the postmark of the city
on it, and sealed with black.


1t was some minutes before she suffi
ciently recovered to close the door
Then she carefully wiped off the lette
on both aides With hex apron, snd fold