Mliss :: :: University of Virginia Library

Mr. Gray, happily unconscious of what was
transpiring in the usual peaceful home of the
Shaw family, returned in a late Oakland boat
and proceeded at once to his hotel. He had had
hard day and was fatigued in body and mind.
He ate a light supper and a little past midnight
repaired to his room. A cigar and a novel whiled
away an hour, and he was preparing to retire
when a loud rap sounded on the door. A message
had come for him from Miss Shaw. Would
he please come at once.

As Miss Shaw was not a young lady who would
be likely to send such a message without cause
he hastily descended to the street, threw himself
in a coach at the door and gave the driver
the place of his destination.

Lights were gleaming in every window of the
Shaw mansion when his coach stopped at the
door. The front door was open, and Reginia herself
in a loose wrapper, pale and terrified, was
waiting in the hall.

She came forward as he entered, and the look
of horror on her face alarmed even him. The
sight of expected relief often unnerves a system strung
to the highest tension. Men who have faced death
calmly, tremble when the danger is past. It is was so now
with Miss Shaw. As she approached Mr. Gray a trembling
seized her limbs, her head became dizzy, and her
sight dim, and she would have fallen at his feet had
he not caught her in his arms.

The young man carried her to a chair, and placing
her thereon, supported her with his arm—fanning her
with the first thing he could lay his hands on. Something
terrible must have happened to affect her thus,
he thought.

In time she began to revive. “O!” she murmured
“my poor brother, my poor brother.”

“What has happened?” asked Mr. Gray.

It was by question and more or less incoherent replies
that Mr. Gray learned that Robert Shaw was lying
up stairs severely wounded and that Mliss was the
person who had inflicted the wounds. The circumstances
of the affair were still unknown, except that
Robert had come home late, under the influence of
liquor, that through accident or design he had entered
the room where Mliss was sleeping, that the girl, possibly
mistaking him for a robber, had seized a knife
and in the dark inflicted wounds of such a severe nature
that the young man had fainted from loss of
blood.

This was Reginia's interpretation of the affair. A
darker suspicion formed in Mr. Gray's mind than her
words seemed to sanction. Robert was insane in his
cups. Reckless at all times, no law of God or man restrained
him when excited by liquor. Might not his
purpose, on entering the young girl's room, in the
dead hour of night, be more guilty than if he had
been in fact a robber.

“Where is Mliss?” Mr. Gray asked, controlling as
well as possible his rising temper.

“In her room, the door locked and bolted.”

“Will you remain here alone or come with me?”

“Let me go with you.”

They proceeded up stairs. A surgeon was dressing
Robert's wounds. Another physician was with Mrs.
Shaw, who had fallen into violent hysterics.”

Mr. Gray and his companion entered the chamber
in which the wounded man was lying. The surgeon
recognized the former.

“Is he badly hurt?” asked Mr. Gray.

“Not dangerously—if he will follow directions.”

Reginia uttered a sigh of relief. Bob, hearing Mr.
Gray's voice opened his eyes, and made a sign for him
to come nearer.

“It served me right,” he said; “no business in her
room. Full.”

“Keep quiet. When you get well, we'll have a little
talk together.”

“What does he mean by `full?”' asked Reginia.

“He means that he was intoxicated.”

“O!” replied the young girl, receiving this new
addition to her stock of knowledge with her usual
resignation.

“Remain with your brother,” said Mr. Gray. “I
will go to Mliss.”

He knocked at the young girl's door.

“Who's there?” she asked

“Me, Lissy.”

The lock was turned, the bolt drawn and the door
opened. Mliss, dressed as usual, stepped back as he
entered, and stood in the centre of the room regarding
him half doubtingly, half defiantly, as if doubtful how
this new act of lawlessness would be received, but determined
to brave even the consequences of his displeasure.

“What, Lissy. Do you shrink from me?”

The child came up to him and wound her arms
round his neck. She was outwardly calm, but he felt
her heart beat, and her pulse throb.

Calming her with caresses and words of kindness, he
placed her on a chair.

“Am't you going to turn against me now?” she
asked.

“No. Lissy, not now.”

“Why don't you? I give you so much trouble.”

“That's true, Lissy. You give me a good deal of
trouble.”

“I wish I was dead. I wonder what God made me
so for?”

“God made you very well. A dash too much of
pepper, perhaps, but that is a matter of taste.”

Mliss laughed, and, lifting her face, softly rubbed
her cheek against his beard.

“It is you who spoil me,” she whispered. “You
ought to scold me.”

“Perhaps I will by-and-by.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Did you mean to kill Robert?”

“No; I meant to kill Waters.”

“Did you think it was Waters?”

“Yes. I awoke to find some one bending over me.
I had been dreaming of her, and Dr. Fox and Waters,
and that they were trying to get me away from you.”

“Then you thought the person bending over you
was Waters?”

“I hadn't time to think. The idea flashed into my
mind. He put his arms round me, and I thought he
was going to carry me off. I always sleep with a knife
under my pillow, and I got it and stabbed till he let
me go.”

“When did you discover that it was Robert?”

“When he spoke. Then the gas was lighted, people
came, and I locked the door.”

“How did you know that you did not kill Robert?”

“I knew by your face when you opened the
door.”

“Can you always read faces so well?”

“I can always read yours.”

“You are a dangerous girl, Lissy. What shall I do
with you!

“Send me to prison.”

“Do you want to go to prison?”

“I want to go away from here, and I don't want to
trouble you any more.”

“My darling child, what should I do without
you?”

“Love some one else.”

“Are you willing!”

“If you want to.”

“Who can I love; can you tell me?”

“Love Regie.”

“Dou you love Regie?”

“Yes; and she loves you. Strange, isn't it?”

“Strange that she should love me.”

“Strange that I should love her when she loves you.
I didn't love Clytie.'

“No. not much.”

Mliss laughed, and by way of punishment for past
offenses, pulled his beard.

“Why do you wish to leave here, Lissy?”

“Because.”

“That is no reason.”

“Because I do.”

“Is that a reason?”

“I wan't to go where you'll never see me again.”

“What have I done to offend you?”

“Nothing. It is those mean people who talk.”

“Who talks, Lissy?”

“Dr. Fox, Mrs. Shaw, and a lot of them.”

“What do they say?”

“I won't tell you.”

“I know what they say.”

“I'll bet you don't.”

“Musn't bet, Lissy. In this case you would lose.”

“Tell me what they say.”

“They say you are too old to live under the care
of a young guardian.”

Mliss looked up into his eyes as if she would read
therein the rest of his thought.

“I have known they would say so, Mliss. That is
why I come so seldom to see you. That is why I want
you to remain here with Miss Shaw, who is a true.
hearted, noble girl.”

“Yes;” said Mliss. “I'd die for Regie. But Mrs.
Shaw is mean, and Dr. Fox is mean. He was here
to-day talking about you.”

“Did you hear what he said?”

“I heard a part. They asked Regie some questions
that she wouldn't answer. Then they tried to make
her. I couldn't stand that. I rushed in and told Dr.
Fox that he was a meddling old fool.”

“Did you, Mliss?” and the wicked man laughed.

“Wasn't I right?”

“You told the truth at all events. To-morrow I
shall tell him the same in different language.”

“Will you?” asked Mliss, her eyes snapping.

“As surely as I can find him. Now, Lissy, you
must go to bed. I will see you to-morrow.”

Unterrified by Dr. Fox's warning, the girl raised
her lips for a kiss.

“Before I go,” said Mr. Gray, “I want you to
make me one promise.”

“Well.”

“Promise me that you will never, under any circumstances,
run away without letting me know where you
go?”

Mliss was silent.

“Promise me.”

“I may want to some time.”

“That is why I want your promise.”

“You will be rid of me then.”

“I don't want to be rid of you.”

“Upon your word?”

“Upon my word.”

“Well, then, I promise. May I go in to see Bob?”

“Yes, if you wish to.”

They passed into the room where Bob was lying.
The surgeon was still in attendance, and Regie was
seated by the bedside. Mliss, nothing daunted,
walked up to the bedside and leaned over, looking into
the young man's face.

“Bob,” she said, “I'm sorry I didn't know it was
you.”

“It wasn't me, Mliss.”

“Who was it?”

“Whisky.”

They all laughed at this characteristic reply. Mliss
bent low over the bed.

“Bob,” she said, “you have asked me a hundred
times to kiss you, and I never would.”

“That's true, Mliss.”

“Well, do you want I should kiss you now.”

“Yes.”

She bent lower and kissed his lips.

“There, be a good boy and get well, and don't let
Dr. Fox know it.”

Reginia overjoyed at this happy denouement caught
Mliss in her arms. The surgeon retired and Mr.
Gray approached to say good night.

“If you kiss me,” said Mliss, “you must kiss
Regie, too.”

Regie blushed scarlet. She drew back a little, and
sent one swift glance up to his eyes. The young
man met the glance, took her hand, drew her gently
towards him, passed his arm around her waist, as
the resistance he met was not of a positive character,
but rather put forth as if intended to be overcome,
and her dewy lips very tempting, he pressed them
softly.

“Bless you, my children,” said Mliss, with mock
gravity, and they separated for that night.