The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-04-28

door as usual one ofthe girls did, and said,
with a rather significant gesture, that Mad
anne wished to speak with her in the
parlor. .......... ..--
"Any letters for me, Miss Niblett Z"
gasped poor Anne.
"9es-no-it was not for you-for
Madame she'll tell y,u.
A foreboding chill struckAnne's heart
she grew pale as death, she rather stag
gered than walked into the parlor and the
presence Of Madame Sarl,aine. That la
dy sat very stiffly in her chair, very grave
ly eyeing the poor girl: her expression
was of mingled pity and Indignation
She was sorry for Anne's bereavement;
bu. she had discovered her sons attach
ment, and was furiously enraged at the
presumptous apprentice. She began in
curiously undecided tone; 81 am sorry to
tell you Miss Hatton, that your mother
is dead, poor woman! There is the let
ter: you can read the particulars. And
now, had it been at any other time,
should have been seriously displeased: l
don't know how should have punished
you-an impertinent upstart to make
love to my son! dare say you thought
you had it all your own way, Miss !
Prettily you forgot your station and minei
But don't mean to scold you now YOU
have trouble of your own: though must
say it looks very much like a judgement
on your audacity. Now go away and let
me hear no more of it. You must see
that no young person so destitute of pro-
priety, so forward and presuming rs YOU
have been, can be fit to remain in nv es-
tablishment. You can depart on Satur-
day, when all the dresses are finished and
sent home. don't wish 70 be severe;
see you are in trouble"
She might have expatiatcd for ever :;
Anne heard nothing but that her mother
was dead ; the bursting of her loves day
dream was unhcedcd at the moment.-
She moved mechanically from the room,
and went to the work-room the girls
started forward at her entrance. ooh
Miss Hattonw cried one, "show me how
to put on this ruchc."
"Oh, Miss Hatton," cried another,
should these flower stalks lie upward or
downward 7"
"But, good gracious y exclaimed two
or three together, show ill she look Is
her mother really dead y
dead !" screamed Anne, at that word,
and she burst into hystcrical laughing,
that presently put the whole room into
confusion. Before night Anne was in n
delirious fever, and in her wild rawlings
mingling the name of Adolphe with her
callings for her dead mother. For some
days she lay in great danger, but her
youth triumphed for the time, and she re.
covered.
Alas for mans constancy! Adolphe
had had good rating from his mother
for his folly, in caring for designing chit
like that Anne Hatton and he had re-
licved himself by burst of passion, and a
defiance of his mamma, his disinterested
affection died natural death His
fickleness was caught by the beauty OF
the season, high-born .tiuncec, who came
out very frequently to arrange about
her wedding parcpharnalia. When Anne
Hatton returned after her illness to get
her trunk, her boodlcss face and sunken
eyes impressed him with horror instead Of
love. She had lost the beauty which had
Won his light vows, and the selfish man
saw no charm in her patient and uncom-
planning sorrow. So have all Annc's ear
ly hopes been cut of in the bud: she is re-
turning to the home OF childhood with a
sad heart, and there is none to welcome
her as Of old. To-day she comes for her
little savings, to defray the expenses other
journey to Evcsham. Her eyes fill as
she looks round the place. The last time
she came here, it was to draw out sover-
eIgn TO buy new gown, to go with
Adolphe to the play. THEN, all was
brightness nOp, the very faces OF
the fat-cheeked boys, who copy all the
entries into the led gers, seem altered to
her; the clerks look grim; the atmos.
phere is hot and sckening. She draws
down; her black veil, and with unsteady
step hurries o"..,' to the sunny, noisy street.
tn NOV she will be among the quiet
fields: can they .-"store to her her young
gladness, so soon decpair::c"d' Can she
live upon the memory of past hapr.-nessi
As she sits, vainly striving to earn a scan
W livelihood, by making Sunday gowns
for the farmers wives and daughters, will
not the gaudy splendors of London come
back on herr The luxurious residence of
the nobility-the fair, languid features of
of those stately damsels, whose forms she
has so often robed-the glitter of the
streets, the thunder Of the equipages, the
Sunday lounges with Adolphe in the
park-will not these uneasy memories
fling feverish excitement into the mono
tony Of her existence, and poison her dear
ly-purchssed tranquility ,
But we have forgotten our own busi-
ness, and the clerk is calling on us most
impatiently, "Rcally, we can't wait lon
ger: office shut at two; it only wants eight
minutesl'
And their dinners-the pork pies, the
mutton chops-we are keeping the poor
hungry creatures from one great pleasure
oi their humdrum lives. We present our.
slves at the desk, sign the receipt, pocket
.l IL 4 n. IN - n