The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-11-25

ness was OWING to the odd crown
pieces which found their way from
my hands to hers-all out of the
guinea. And there was another
friend who sometimes expressed
all interest in Teecie Rays exist
ence. hiswas that Lady Thornton
whose bounty had indirectly fur
nished me with pocket-money dur
ing my stay at Rutland Hall The
favor of this old lady I had done
my best to win. She was a nice,
comfortable old lady, and I liked
her, 1t happened that she called
one day during Teecie Rays I'M
prisonment, to invite the Rutlands
and their visitors, great and small,
young and old, to party to be
given at her house, few miles dis
tant. / 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. "a bad,
malicious boy! She must get new
crutches before my party
"Of course she must, I said very
heartily.
The old lady threw back Ier
head, raising her fat chin in a
peculiar sort of way, and looking at
me direct through her spectacles.
Indeed" she said. "Prav,
young man, what particular IN
terest do you take in Teecie Ray?"
I smiled. "Oh, Teecie and [
are excellent friends, said
"Teecie and you!" she repeated.
Pray, are you aware that Miss
Ray is eighteen years of age?"
Is she indeed? I know moth
ing about the ages of little girls. :"
''But Teecie is not q little girl,
Mr. Guy Rutland. Teecic Ray. is
woman, / tell you.'
Teecie Ray a woman! I could
not help laughing. What, my lit
tie benefactress, my little mother.
| am afraid l scandalized Lady
Thornton on that occasion by my
utter scorn of her proposition.
Christina Rutland swept into the
room at this crisis, and relieved
me in my difficulty. But often
afterwards during that day, I
laughed when 1 thought of Lady
Thorntons information. Teecie
Ray woman? Preposterous.
One morning, when it wanted
but a week of the party, curious
event occurred. The heads of the
house met i'll consultation on the
matter in the library before break
fast. An extraordinary thing had
arrived from London at Rutland
Hall. The thing was a large
wooden case, directed to Teecie
Ray. On being eagerly opened,
1t was found to contain a pair of
crutches. And such fine pairl
Light and symmetrical and fan
ciful, works of art in their way.
Tortoise-shell stems, with silver
mountings of exquisite workman
ship, capped with dainty little
cushions Of embroidered velvet.
Thunderstricken were the elders
of the house. "Who could have
done this thing?" was on every
lip Who, indeed? Who outside
of Rutland Hall had ever heard of
Teecie Ray? These crutches were
costly affairs. I knew the conclu-
sion they came to, one and all.
They pitched on Sis Harry as the
culprit. 1t was thorn in their side
and [ rubbed my hands in glee.
Having considered the question
in their dismay, they decided that
Teecie should be kept in ignorance
OF her mysterious present. 1t was
not fit for her to use; it would fill
her mind with absurd ideas. And
so, in spite Of the arrival of her
beautiful new crutches, poor Teecie
still sat helpless in the nursery.
The wooden case and its contents
were hidden away, and no word
was spoken of their existence.
l waited q few days to see if the
elders would not relent, but to no
purpose. The bird still pined on
it's perch. No kindly hand seemed
likely to open the cage door and
let it fly. There sat Teecie. dav