The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-12-25

70 Oil Of which she listened with perfect creda-
Mtg expressing her sympathy an I went alcng
oy N aApressiye nod Of the head or = shreeAa
swift glance, Then she gave me her wise Attls
| believe, ponderfnk on my case.ai sH 20
AS the days passed, and my relations became
more and more involved in their winter gal
cites, found myself more and more thrown
upon my own resources for amusement. Oc-
casi0nally was included In an invitation, and
accepted It,; but In general preferred indulg-
ing my fancy for keeping aloof from those who
were little charmed with my company A sys-
tenn Of the most unblushing bribery had won
for me warm welcome from the savage tribes
In the nursery. Many and many an evening
the frosty dusk, with Teecie Ray limping by
my side, and talking her grave simple little
talk. l had always some fresh puzzle to pro-
pose to her, and she was always ready to knit
her smooth brows over its solution. Once she
stopped short and struck her little crutches on
the snow.
You ought to go away from here and work, u
she cried. 80, If Icould!'' 4 It
A certain Sir Harry arrived at Rutland Hall
will not trouble myself to think Of his second
name; 1t Is not worth remembering. He was
= 0eaIthy bachelor of high family, and his
movements were watched with interest by the
lady of the house. This Sir Harry had fancy
for smoking his cigar in the hedged lane, and
on more than one occasion he encountered my
little benefactress limp:ng on her solitary way
and stared at the pretty fresh face under heI
old black hat till it blushed with uncomfort-
able brilliance. Teecie changed her track like
hunted hare, but Sir Hafry scented her out,
mcnts. The matter reached Mrs. Rutland's
ears, and she vented her chagrn on the de-
fenceless little girl. l know not what sorry
accusations and reproaches she bestowed upon
her during n long private lecture; but that eve
ming when, at the children's tea hour entered
the nursery door with new ball in my hand
for Jack, 1.-THE youngest and least Objectionable
of the band) I saw Teecie Rays face griey-
ously clouded for the first time. twas flushed
and swollen with passionate crying. 90 MOI
intend to commit to paper certain remarkS
which made SOtfo UOce on beholdlnS tnlS dlS-
figurement.
"Come, come Teecie,' said, while Nurse
was busy quelling a disturbance which had
arisen because " Cousin Guy" had not brought
something to every one else rs well as Jack
where is all your philosophy, little mother !
You need never preach to me again, II you SET
| Teecie said never 4 word. but stared on into
the fire. This wound had cut deem. Sir Harry
and Mrs. Rutland, of Rutland Hall, at that
moment / should have dearly loved 10 knock
yonr two good for nothing heads together
"Teecie,'' said, "you have one friend, at
any rate, even if he be not very grand one ~
| She gave one of her quaint expressive little
mods. Translated, it meant: =" understand
! all that but I cannot talk Just now" By land
I by, however, she frightened up, and went to
the table to claim her share of tea and thick
bread and butter, and began to mend 4 bow
belonging to Tom. Tom was one of the leaders
of the unrnly tribes, a regular savage chief
stain.
Ere two DAYS more had passed felt strongly
inclined 10 exercise the horsewhip on this young
gentleman shoulders. Tom, one fine morn
ing, was seized with an impish insOira ton to
play trick upon Teecie. Stealing her crutches,
he walked about the nursery mimicking her
poor little limp, and then marching Off with
them, needless of her entreaties to have them
restored, carried them in triumph out of doors,
and smashed them in pieces with Il Ratchet.
Teecie sat helpless in the din and riot Of that
ill conditioned nursery. Bright bracing days
came and found her Il prisoner, looking with
longing eyes through the window panes out
over the beautiful country lanes. Tom saw
her patience with the most audaciOus inCiifer-
ence. But why talk about Tom? / could not
help believing, nor 10 l ever intend to help be-
llevlng, that older heads than TOMS plotted
the cruel caging OF that bonnie bird.
The bird dropped on its perch; but who
cared? Nurse vowed it was q shame, and
showed more kindness than usual to the pri-
soner, but will not venture to decide how
much of this tenderness was owing to the odd
crown pieces which found their way from my
hand to hers-all out of the guinea, of course?
yes, all out of the guinea. And there was
another friend who sometimes expressed an
interest in Teecie Rays existence. This was
that Lady Thornton, whose bounty had indi
rectly furnished me with pocket money during
my stay at Rutland Hall. The favor of this
old lady had done my best to win. She was
Il nice, comfortable old lady, and l liked her.
1t happened that she called one day during
Teecie Rays Imprisonment to invite the Rut-
lands and their sitors, great and small, young
and old, to 4 party to be given at her house. a
few miles distant I CHANGED to be alone in
the drawing room when she arrived, and
seized the opportunity to tell her the story of
Teecie's crutches.
ga bad boy ~ she said. ga bad, malicious
boy! She must get new clutches before my
party
"Of course she must said very heartily
The old lady threw back her head, raising
looking at me direct through her spectacles
''Indeed!'' she said. g Pray, Young man.
Ray?''
I smiled. ooh, Teecie and are excellent
friends said.
"Teecie and you,' she repeated. "Prav.
are you aware that Miss Ray is eighteen years
Us she, indeed? know nothing about the
ages of little girls
But Teecie is not a little girl, Mr.. Guy
Rutland. Teecie Ray is Il woman, tell
your
Teecie Ray woman! I could not help
laughing. What my little benefactress, my
little mother! am afraid scandalized Lady
of her proposition. Christina Rutland swept
into the room 1T this crisis, and relieved me in
my difficulty. But often afterwards during
that day laughed when I thought of.Lady
ThOrntOn's information. Teecie Raw q WO-
man? Preposterous
One morning, when it wanted but 4 week of
the party, curious event occurred The
heads of the House met in consultation on the
extraordinary Thing had arrived from London
at Rutland Hall. The Thing was a large
wooden case, directed to Teecie Ray. On being
eagerly opened, it was found to contain a pair
OF crutches.
And such a pair of crutches! Light and
symmetrical, and fanciful, works of art in
their way. Tortoise-shell stems, with silver
mountlngs OF exquisite workmanship, capped
with dainty little cushions of embroidered
velvet Thunder.stricken We're the elders of
the house. "Who could have done this |
thing?' was Oh every lip Who, indeed?
Who outside of Rutland Hall had ever heard |
OF Ieecie Ray? These clutches We're costly |
affairs. l knew the conclusion they came to, |
one a. d all. They pitched on Sir Harry as the /
cniprit. 1t was thorn in their side, and |
rubbed my hands in glee.
Having considered the question in their dis |
may, they decided that Teecie should be kept |
III ignorance of her mysterious present. 1t was |
not Mt for her to use it wou1d fill her mind |
with absurd ideas. And SO, in spite of the ar |
rival OF her beautiful new crutches poor Tee |
Gle still sat helpless in the nursery. The wooden
case and its contents We're hidden away, and
no word was spoken of their existence.
waited few days to see if the elders would |