Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-25
g Gapital STORY.
[FRoM FRAzER's MAGAZINE.
LITTLE MISS DEANE.

Little Miss DEANE.
III.
oCecLusIoN.
When we reached the house, paused
moment In the hall, and then followed Lau-
| rette up stairs. was disturbed and per-
picked. Why could she not have given him
his answer at once2 what did her agitation
| mean? Alas had not been right? Was
| not Edward Finley standing like the memory
of a pledge between her and the man she
| might have chosen
HLaurette," 1 said, coming up to her in
| the passage. She had her hand upon the
handle Of her door, and her face was turned
away from me, as she answered in low
voice, "You will tell Kim, Miss Ford"
"What am to tell him ?" / asked rather
cruelty but / did not understand her, and
longed for some assurance that my fears
had been grouudless.
| She made no answer, but opened her door,
and l followed her into the room, and sat
down upon the sofa, waiting anxiously
whilst she walked to the dressing-table, and
stood before the glass taking off her hat and
smoothing back her hair as if all was as
usual with her but | could see that her
hands were trembling. Notwithstanding
| her usual courtesy, she took no furiher notice
of me SO after time l repeated my
question.
"You are to tell him that am engaged to
Edward Finley, of course" she said i'm
patiently, still standing with her back to me,
| and stamping her foot upon the floor. "Why
do you ask, Miss Ford you know what
meant you 20 say"
"Why cannot you speak to him yourself ?"
| said, uneasily shifting my ground, and
81 oh, r..txId zf IN l
| courage and went on more boldly. :. Do
| not deceive yourself in this matter, Laurette.
| 1t is an important step that you are taking.
Are you sure of yourself? know nothing,
| of course, but before / heard OF your cousin
I sometimes fancied that you liked Charlie
ton. Are you certain that you know your
own mind p
al am quite certain that / mean to marry
| my cousin Edward, said Laurette, and now
she spoke with steady distinctness, and
turned to look me full in the face. You
had no right to imagine anything else; What
have done, that you should think would
| be false to him I"
| Then l could only murmur apologies. l
had been wrong. of course, and 1t was nat
nral she should feel angry but IN spite OF it
| all the misgivIpgs could not be easily re-
| pressed. I wonder, had she given me her
tul confidence. In any case, j could do no
more, and l left the room, penitent, but. yet
with an uncertain, ,wavering misgiving which
could not be rid OF.
| In the evening, when Mr.. Dean was in his
study and Laurette had gone to bed, gave
her message. Charleton was sitting in the
arm. chair opposite to me with a book in his
hand. He laid it down, aud listened with
out any afIectation of indifference, as some
| what timidly told my story; yet he was
not so much cast down as had expected.
$50 she is engaged, poor child, he said
| And then he leant forward with u sigh, and
looked into the fire as if wrapped in medita-
tion. 1 had expected some outbreak OF
feeling. some show OF disappointment; and
in spite of my timidity think should have
liked it better than his compassionate tone
in speaking of her.
"What Kind of person is, this cousin? is
he sure TO remain true to her?" he asked
after pause.
He had seemed to me all along entirely to
| ignore Laurettes fortune, and although l
did not for moment accuse him OF inter-
ested motives, l was little vexed by the
cool manner in which he put it aside; so
answered, rather dryly, that had no rea-
son to suspect Mr.. Finley of unfaithfulness,
and in this case he certainly had no induce
ment to IL.
My tone was provoking, l know, and
meant it to be so but he took no notice oi
it. The grave look of compassion did not
pass from his face, and he walked to the
other end of the room and came back again
| before he answered.
'sYou do not understand inc, Miss Ford,
he said, ''yet surely you must already have
had misgivings. Tomorrow everything
must be known. Mr.. Deane has failed;
fear very little will be saved from his credi,
tors"
| 7 1a.,4 .t.;.1- +l,,t T ,oo1;,od IL for tha first
moment; it seemed SO strange and ineXpli-
cable We had always regarded Mr.. Dcane
as so certainly prosperous, and now ruiz
seemed to have come upon him uniwares
felt stunned aud bewildered, and for the
moment could say nothing.
t'Laurette, of course, knows nothing o.
this, he continued after pause. ''Pool
child, she will be thrown once more upor
the world; wish that she could have made
her home with me-"
sYou knew this, and therefore you spoke
10 her; then it was not because you had
fallen in love with her? ?"
stNo, think not, he said; ''but wished
to marry her, and should not have wished
1t unless were very fond her.
He smiled, as he said it, a bright, kindly
smile, aud l did not disbelieve him, though
/ still felt angry. 1t might be generous ant
disinterested, but what right had he to CONT
to her with such a question, implying love
which he did not feel? Perhaps was un
necessarily romantic; but was glad tina
Laurette had refused him, and it seemed tt
me that he would have done her an injury
had he married her out OF atfectiunate pity.
What an independent little creature Lau
rette was She was in no need of such {
sacrifice How distinctly and steadily sh,
had given her answer! l remembered 1t now
with satisfaction. No, Charleten had mt
, need to pity her her mind had been made
l.up before she saw him she had always beer
secure from him, and was happy in hel
security.
l went into the hall to bolt the door afte
Charleton, for il was late, and the servants
had gone to bed; and then took my can
die and began to mount the stairs, holding
. my dress close around me, and treadin.
. softly, that might not disturb Mir. Deane
: | for had to pass his door. Then it occurred
/ to me that Laurette, If she were still awake
t might like to know that Charleton had re
3 ceiyed her message. AS paused for mo
ment at the head of the stairs, it seemed tt
, me that something white fled fast before MI
i along the dark passage. 1t might be tina
I Laurette had been watching for the soun'
! of his departure. As the thought crosse'
$ ridor, and seeing Laurette's door ajar,pushe
= it softly open.
She was standing by the window as if sh
had just turned from it, and she was hidin
a her face against the wall. The little whit
d figure looked very desolate, standing ther
+. in the cold moonlight, and | was about t
IS cxclaim, when sort of sob broke from hel
4 and the low, wailing cry. 80, it is SO hare
y cannot no, cannot"
Il Somehow felt like traitor, listening
e words was not meant to hear, looking o
at trouble in which knew she would IL
me have no part, and at the meaning {
which l hardly dared to guess; so sli
noselessly out of the room without bein
:, observed by Laurette, who, poor child, ws
h quite absorbed in her own trouble and
= was only when / found myself in the pa
ce sage that felt some courage return, and b
ne gan to be afraid of my past cowardice.
t. l returned, and this time knocked at th
?. door to attract attention. Laurette WI
no standing just as had left her, but she turnt
10 as pushed open the door, and looked vii
il displeasure at my intrusion.
9 1 thought you had gone to bed, Mi
ed Ford she said unite in her usual voice. Q