The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-25

0 little divided between her master g chimney
piece and her master. ST take tea," Mr.. Wild
ing went on; "and I Inn perhaps rather nervous
and Adgety about drinking it within % certain
time after it is made. II my tea stands too
He hesitated, on hin side, and left the sentence
unfinished. II he had not been engaged In dis
cussing o subject Of such paramount interest to
himself as his breakfast, Mrs. Goldstrsw might
have fancied that his attention was beginning to
wander at the very outset Of the interview.
"n your tea stands too long, SIR" said the
housekseper, politely taking up her masters lost
thread.
"n my tea stands too long," repeated the
wine merchant, mechanically, his mind getting
and further away from his breakfast,
and his eyes fixing themselves more and more
inquiringly on his housekeeper's face. III my
tea-' Dear, dear me, Mrs. Goldstrawl what 10
the manner and tone Of voice that you remind
me Off It strikes me even more strongly to-day
than IL did when 7 saw you yesterday. Whist
can 1t be 2"
"What can It bel" repeated Mrs. Goldstraw.
She said the words, evidently thinking. while
che spoke them, Of something else. The wine
merchant, still looking Of her inqui,insly, OBJ
served that her eyes wandered coward the chin
nsy.piece once more. They fixed on the portrait
Of his mother, which hung there, and looked at
It with that slight contraction Of the brow which
accompanies o scarcely conscious ofort OF MON,
DRY. Mr.. Winding remarked:
"My late dear mother, Whsn she was ave-and-
twenty"
Mira. Goldstraw thsnked him With Q movement
Of the hesd for being Ut the pains TO explain the
picture, and said With Q clear brow, that it was
tho portrait Of . very beautiful lady.
Mr.. Winding, falling back into his former per-
plexity, tried once moro to recover that lost re-
collection, associated 90 closely. and yet 90 nm
disooverably, with his new housekeeper's voice
and manner.
"Excusem ssking you . question which has
nothing 70 do with me or my breakfast, he said.
"Msy I inquire u you have ever occupied any
other situation than tho situation Of house
keeper :"
40 yes, str. Ibsgan life % one OF the nurses
ct the Founding"
9 why, that's itl" cried the wine merchant.
pushing back his chsir. ,"By heavenl Their
manner is the manner you remind mo OFF,
In an sstonished look at him, Mrs. Goldstraw
changed color, checked herself, turned her eyes
upon tho ground, snd sat still and silent.
ssyGhat Is the matter Z" ssked Mr.. Wlding.
aDo I understand that you we're In the Found
ling, sirf
20 aCertainly. I am not ashamed ia own it."
"Under the name you now bear I"
cylinder the name OF Walter Wildiag."
".Lnd the lady, Mr.. doIdst.aw stopped
short with o look OF the portrait which was now
Enthusiastically o look Of alarm.
"You mean my MOTHER" interrupted Mr..
Wilding.
"Your-mother," repeated the housekeeper, q
little constrainedly, removed you from the
F~oundlingi At what age, sir"
. CAT between eleven and twelve years old. It's
Quite Q romantic adventure, Mrs. Goldstraw."
he told the story Of the lady having spoken
to him while he sat at dinner wlsh the other
boys IN the founding. and Of al Chat had fol-
lowed, in his innocently communicative way.
"My poor mother could never have discovered
me" he added, IF she had not met with one OF
the matrons who pitied her. The matron con-
sented to touch the boy whose naIoe was Wal
ter Wilding,' as she went round the dinner
tsbles,land so my mother discovered me again,
after having parted from me as IN infant ct the
Founding DOORS"
At those words Mrs. Goldstraw's hand, resting
on the table, dropped helplesslY into her lap.
She sat, looking ct her new master, with Q face
that had turned deadly pale, and with eyes that
expressed an unuttersble dismsy.
"What does this mean 2" asked The wine mer-
chant. "stop u he cried. els there some
thing else In tho past time which ought to as
sociate with you remember MY mother tell
ing me Of another person at the Founding, to
whose kindness she owed o debt Of gratitude.
When she first parted with me, as an infant. one
of the nurses informed her ofthe name that had
been given to me In the institution. You were
that nurse :"
"Goa forgive me, eir,-I was that nurse?"
"dod forgive you r
"We had better get back, cir III I may make
- \ - vnr 5utian IN Tho hnraa "