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"a Perfect Treasure."

"a Perfect Treasure." image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
January
Year
1877
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

One day Frank came home with a look of triumph. " I have a perfect treasure for jou," he said, " in the way of a nurso. Gerald Temple is going to take his family to Europe, and, when he heard what yon wanted, offered to let us have their nurse, whom they will not want." I heard a low sigh. Virginia, Frank's only sister, bad been sitting in a corner of the drawing-room. She rose now and slipped out. " How could you, Frank ?" I said, following her with sad eyes. "I have never heard your sister speak of the Temples since she has lived with us; the very inontion of thaji name bringa back the memory of Gerald's brother, and aü that sad tragedy." "I am sorry," said Frank, "bnt Idid not know she was in the room. Poor Virginia !" "Yes! Poor Virginia!" I said to myself. But once the loveliest little creature I ever knew. ]t is something of a story, but it is an "ower true tale," and I wiil teil it in the shortest way I can: Viiginia and Frank were orphans, and old Mrs. Ohichester, their grandmother, had adopted Virginia almost from in[ fancy. The old lady had very ambitious hopes of making a splendid match for her beantiful grandchüd. But Virginia thought different ; and when she was 17, at the time of my wedding, she and Langley Temple were insane enough to fall desperately in love with each other. Langley was Frank's most intimate friend, and the pair met continually at our house, until Grandma Chichester found it out. After a while Langley was ordered to his ship (he was in the navy) ; but Frank waged war with erandrna until he obtained a viperish consent that the lovers might correspond. Grandma took pains not to let Frank know how Virginia was tormented and . tyrannized over until the poor child con sented to go out into society again ; and there she met and made conquest of the very man whoni grandma had intended for her beauty - Horace Kent. Virginia refused him ; but grandma said, scornfully, ",Tha made no difierence. She would come to her sensea soon," and, to my utter amazement, the preparation of the trousseau went on, and by-and-by we were bidden to the wedding - a quite elegant affair, where Virginia walked and talked as if she was frozen. Frank and I confessed to eaeh other, that night, that the business passed our comprehension, for we had no idea then of f oul play. Kent and Virginia were to sail for Europe within a fortnight of their marriage, and went to Waihington and timore to pass that time. L ft alone one evening in Baltimore, with a severe headacke, Virginia remembered to have seen some aromatic vinegar in her husband's oase. Kent was peculiar in kis careful way of locking up bis longings, and 3he took her own bunch of keys to open the box, when, rather to her surprise, she found the key lelt in the box. Some listles, vague impulse, whioh she never afterward could account for, prompted her to lift the upper tray, although she had found the vinegar al ready. Underneath, to her surprise, she found paper, and was about returning the tray to its place without further examination, when her eyes were caught by the words : " My own Virginia," in a dear, a too well-known handwriting. When Kent came back that night, he found his beautiful young wife senseiess upon her bed, witli two letters crumpled betweon her cold fingers - one, the lasr letter Langley had actually written her ; the other, the bae forgery iu which he asked to be released from his engRgement. Kent was not at all bad. He loved her madly, and you may be sure that his sore puuishraent begaa when, after the physician had got her out of the death-liko swoon, the first words came to Virginia's lips, in that strange, oassionless tone which is far worse than anger, were, "Romember! I will never f orgive you - never ! ' They came back to New York for a single day; but Virginia saw no one but her grand naother. Tho old lady upon her (ieathbed raved of that interview, and vainly impiored hor forgiveness for urging Kent on to his treachery. The newly wedded pair sailed in the ill-fated ship which took fire off the coast of Nova Scotia, and whoso ame still carries terror to many a heart. Virginia was one of the handful of survivors ; her unhappy husband fought for her place in the boat, and romaining behind himsolf, perifthed with the ship. The agony I of terror, the long night which she spent 1 at the mercy of the wavee, proved too much strain upon her already overburdened frame, and Frank and I were snmmoned by telegraph to her at Halifax, where she lay for days unconscious with a brain f ever. And then, to add to her misery, when recovering she was thrown into a nearly fatal relapso by seeing accidentally that the lecumseh had gone down in the attack on Mobile harbor, with every soul on board. The Teoumseh was Langley's ship. Virginia carne to live with us about two yoais before the commencement of my story. She seemed to f eel a sorrowful remorse aböut her husband, whi ch was not grief, and yet it caat a shadow over herlife. "He was treaoherous and f alse, " she said to me one day, "and he broke my heart ; but what right have I to judge him? Harrie, I toldhim I would never forgive him, and he died thinking himself unforgiven." Of Langley she never spoke. Well, the "perfect treasure " made her appearance. She was a rather young woman, with a pleasant, low voice, and very good manner for one of ker station. 1 was charmed. Certainly this girl seemed determined to please me ; she did her work in a faultless, neat way ; she amused and played with j the twins ; and baby had more qniet nighte than 1 had known him to have i for weeks, So, after a month's trial, 1 1 began to sing Alice's praisesand allowed her full control in her departmcnt, with a good many privileges. Virginia alone, did not seem to lik5 her. Virginia had a cilriourt way of looking at new faces - a searching, penetrating glance, that I always thought had a sort of mesmerism in ït, all the stranger becatise her eyes were eo gentle and soft. Alice never met the look fairly, as I reniembered af terward. It was in the spring of '65. The closing scène of the war Were crowding thick and fast upon each other. Virginia kept her room a good deal. The warm April weather seemed to enérvate her, and she shraük away frota the joy and enthusiaam we all exhibited. ïoor chili ! It wae hard for her to hoar of the soldiers and SailorS whö would be coming home noW, and to feel that for her sbre heart peace would bring no balm. One night Frank had taken a box at the Italian opera in New York. We lived in Brooklyn, and, aa Kellogg was to sing, I begged Virginia to go with us. But she steadily declined. She would stay at home and keep house, sbe said. Now, two of my servants were at a firemen's ball that night, leaving only Alice and the cook at home; so I must say I feit rather more easy about the children when I found that Virginia would not go. Going f rom New York to Brooklyn at night, however, is a long journey, and it was close upon 1 o'clock when we drove up to our door. In the meantime, Virginia, after our depavture, had sat for some time writiDg letters in her own room. The twins were having a noisy romp in the nursery; and, when she looked in to say good-night, Fred fastened himself upon noot, a iartafi fcn o.mme and stav with Auntie; she yielded, andtnen JU red began building card-houses on the sofa until he got tired, when he curled himself in a corner, and in two secónds was fast asleep. Being very nmch interested in her book, Virginia lef t the little f ello w sleep on, thinking that byand-by she would take him up to her room and put him to bed there, as she frequently did. At last she feil asleep herself. She never knew how long she slept, but had a painf ui, nightmare sensation, as if somebody was trying to smother her, and, after struggling with the feeling for some time, she slowly, and with a great effort, opened her eyes. Why ! j what has happened to the room ? The gas must have gone out - it was totally dark, save a flickering gleam fromthe dying fire on the hei-rth; and what a sickening, deadly smell there was ! With a lightning rapidity which is more like instinct than thóught.it suddenly flauhed upon her what the strange smell was - chlt rof orm ! Then, as she caught her frightened breath, and sank back into her chair, a low sound of voices f rom the dining-room reached her ear. The door between the rooms was ajar, and she saw a thiead of light from it; the voice she heard was a man's : "Ye didn't give the young 'ornan too much o' that stuff, did ye ?" it asked, rather anxiously. " I wish I had," returned Alice's low and stealthy voice; "I hate her! she suspect s me." "Ha! ha!" gurgled the man, "she must ha' been mighty oncivil to ye; ye usually gets on the rigkt side of 'em. Is that 'ere pitcher silver or píate?" " Píate; the silver is up-stairs." Virginia shook when she heard the venom of that low voice. "She was Mr. Langley's lady-love un til her oíd grandma stopped it.' "And what was Mr. Langley to you, my girl ? " said the raan. " Hush ! you'll wake the child, and I do not want to do him any harm. Mr. Langley " - the woman's voice softened "never said a dozen words tome in his life; but look yon, Vincent, I fairly worshiped him." " That'a right; teil me all, as I'm yer husband that is to be," said the other, with a coarse laugh. " Mrs. K.ent has sple-jdid jewels, too. I just picked the lock to look at them. You can take as many of those as you like. Come!" As spon as the sound of their footsteps died away, Virginia snatched the deadly handkerchief off her head, and staggered to her feet, though dizzily. She was a very spiiited girl, and deteimined that the pair should not escape. But what could she do ? It was in vain to think of gettinct the cook to alarm their neigh bors at the corner, for the nezt lot was vacant, and sho must cross the hall and go past the stairs to find her. There would. be no use in throwing up the window and screaming; the house was on Clinton avenue, quite far out, and the policeman on that beat did not. come past very often. Virginia wrung her hands, when a sleepymurmur of "Auntie!" startled her. In a second her resolvo was taken, and she was on her knees by Fred, kissiüg hita and whispcring in hi ear. " Fred, my darling, Auntia is going to do something fuiiDy. You reraember how pa jumped you down from the balcony on Christmas day to run after the monkey? I am going to jump you down. Don 't speak a word now. Acthke a man. There, now ! " Fred was just 4 years oíd, but a great boy for his age, and he always obeyed Virginia implicitly : so he mbbed his eyes wide open, aud was carried to the window. The balcony, outsido, was not far from the grcund. As Virginia looked out carefully, sho sa w, underthe giisüght ,it the corner, a tall figure with the gleam of brasa buttons. "Fred," she whispeied rapidly, " run to that policeman, añd teil him to come right bere to Auntio ; then go to Mr. Motley's, at the corner, and ring the beü with ali your might - it is low, nnd yon can reaoh it- and teil George and Harry Motley that Aunt Virginia says there is a thief in the house. Don't be afraidj Fred ; be a man like papa !" Over, gently, over the low railing ; and then, with a good shake of his small person, Fied's fat little legs trotted swiftly off toward the polieeman. Directly, under the balcony, a voice said, softly : " What is wanted, ma'am ! Can you open the front door for me 1" " I cannot," she panted ; " there are burglars in the house, and I should be heard. Can you get up here, somehow ? Has the ñttle boy gone to the neighbor's ?" There wns no answer to her question ; but the policeman easily folio wed her suggestion, and climbed up over the balcony. "Wait!" whispered Virginia, laying her cold hand on the policeman's arm, as he made a Inotlon to go forward. " They are up stairs Ín my room, looking for my jewels. If you will stand l just behind that door, I will creep up the back stairs and reconnoiter ; if the woman comes to answer the bell, seize her. There is only one man J if I want help I will cali, ftnd theh ybii wül rush up the front stairs." " Are you not afraid ?" asked the policeman with some surprise ; but Virginia was gone before he had finished Is remark. When she reached the stairs, she found by the sounds that the man had evidently gone iñto the closet, which stood on the other Side öf the back stairs, and that how she was between the two--for she could hear Alice walking around in the bed room. Quick as a flash the litttle figure glided upstairs, slipping off her boots on the lowest step 5 there was no light in the hall, eicept that afforded by the burglar's lantern, for the gas was turn down low, and the lantern set inside the closet door. The door opened outward, and the key was in it; a spring, a sudden bang, and then the click of tho key in Virginia'suervous fingers. as she turned it in the lock. A tremendous curse carne f rom the captured thief, as she leaned breathlesslyjagainst the door. The same moment the gaslight behind her was suddenly turned on her, and Alice confronted Virginia. "You here, madam? Well, you and I are quits, anyhow. Open that door, or 111 send a bullet through your head ! You didn't think of my having a revolver, did you?'1 "No," said Virginia, looldng in the girl's furious eye with her peculiarly calm smile. " Help ! Pólice !" "You may split your pretty throat calling," said Alice, seizing her savagely by the arm. " No one will come ; the cook is drugged, and you are at our mercy. Give me the key !" 'Til trouble you for that pistol!" said a stern voice behind Virginia, as a quici, üirnug mui jcim, _-- „ .. away froin Alice. Alice, with a shriek, feil on the floor, for sne realized all at once. But Virginia, gasping "Ah, my God!" gazed as if turned to stone, for it was Langley Temple tnat she saw. "Virginia, don't be terrified," he said; " it is my very self, no ghost. Take my hand, love ; see, it is flesh and lood, like your own, dear." He had ler in his arms. The door-bell was inging furiously, but he would have let he neighbors pull the wire till it broke before he would have left her in that umb, shocked state. As he touched ler she trembled violently ; then the ight came back to her eyes, and, with a ob of joy, Virginia flung herself on thí jreast of him whom she had mourned as dead. The Motleys had time to think that Virginia was murdered before the pair opened the door. Very much surprised were they to see, instead of the policeman they expected to find, a very (all, handsome young man, a stranger, ia uddress navy uniform. Fred, now that his part of the fun was over, begaa to roar, and Virginia tok him up in her arms, while the three gentlemen, assisted by the real Simon-Pnre policeman, a brawny son of Erin, opened the closet and secured the prisoner. Within the next fifteen minutes the óther servants had returned - for the burglary took place before 11 o'clock - and Alice, having recovered f rom her swoon, waa ried to tho station-house. I don't know how Langley and Virginia was occupied till my return ; but when Frank thiust his latch-key into the door, Virginia flew out of the library, and tried, with a few incoherent sentences, to prepare me for seeing something. The eonsequcnce waf, that, whcn I pushed the door open in a very bewildered frame of mind, and saw Langley smiling at me, I was terrified almost out of my senses, and camo near fainting. To the best of my recollecüon, the household sat up nearly all night, though flnally, after I had heard the whole story, been speechleas over Virginia's bravery, and hugged Pred - novv asleep in the 'arm-chiir - Frank dragged me off to bed. I don't know that Langley and Virgiuia sat there till morniug, but cor tainly the first persons I saw upon coming down to breakfast were themselves, on the identical sofa where I had lef t them. Langley's story is too long a oue to be told here. Suffice it to say that being on deck when the Tecumseli sunk, he had been able to strike out from the sinking ship, and, nnder cover of the smoke and roar of battlo, to swim ashore. There, however, he was taken prisoner. and kept in close confinement for some months, ñnally raaking his escape. Coming direct to Frank for inteUigenoe bofore presenting himself to his family, he had stopped to light a cigar under i the gaslight, whore Virginia had taken him for a policeman. He had known her instantly, and probably only her fright and agitation prevented her from recognizing his voice, which, as he misehievously told her, he did not disguise in the least. Alice and her accomplice tv ere identified by the pólice as old offenders. The woman had carried ou a sjstematic pilfering at the Temples', and was an accomplished hypocrite. To my intense gratitication tho pair were sentenced for a full term in Sing Sing. Langley and Virginia were marriod very oon af ter. Frank gavo away the lovely little bride, whoso fair girlish bloam had come back to her, and who, under the influente of love, soemed a diñerent woman from the pale, sad creature who had moved so quietly about tho house. They idolize each other, and I think have quite iorgiveu Grandma Chichester and poor Horace Kent. Fred has always been a great pet with his aunt for bis bravcry on tlio nigbt of tbe attempted burglary. Between Fred's boasting and my sly teasing, poor Frank will never be allowed to forgec bis inetrumontality in introducing me to sucb. "a perfect treasure."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus