The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1870-09-03


some bereaved wild animal might ut
ter.
"Oh, my papal my papal'
And CARL Oxford went silently away,
feeling that solitude was best for the
poor little tortured heart.
''I don't know what on earth I'm to
do with heri"
Truly it was rather Q perplexing ques
ton for the young widowsr of two-and-
thirty.
sI can't take her with me to Malta,
she's too little. 1 can't send her to Or
ford Hall, to moulder away with an ante
diluvian housekeeper and half q dozen
sleepy servants. can't deposit her in
bank vault with my title, deeds and
Indian bondsi How on earth can
dispose of horf What do people g n
orally do with girls ten years oldf-
Ethelp'
"Siri"
She came to his side like an obedient
kitten.
"Whatwould you like to do with your
self for the next two or three years7"
"If you please, sir, 7 should like to go
to schooll''
CARL oxford brought his hand down
on his knee with aresounding energy.
"The very thingl Why didH't it oc-
cur to me before? Yes, Ethel, you shall
go to schoolr'
And by the very first train in the
next morning, Colonel Oxford was speed
ing away into the "rural districts to in
auire into the relative merits of French
seminaries and English establishments
The little black eyed girl had been 9
sore weight on his mental system, anc
it was no small relief to be able, some
two weeks afterwards, to deliver he
formally into the keeping of Madame d.
La Vanier.
"Good-bye, Ethel2n he said, STOPPING
to kiss her. "Be good girl, anc
study all you can"
But Ethel turned her swarthy cheek
away.
'I don't like to kiss big, tall men lik
your'
"a very wise combustion, ifyou'll onl,
adhere to it through life?" said CARL
with little grimaees
| And so ward and guardian parted 70
eight long years.
The blue June heaven was spreadin
its serene canopy over the thousan
spires OF the great city; and Carll Oh
ford, walking up and down the hote
parlor, almost chafed at being shut u
in the metropolis at such season a
this.
81 ought to be at Oxford Hall, !" Re sol
loqhized. "It must be lovely there no'
the lawn all silvered over with daisies
the honeysuckles filling the air wit
spice, and the little trout stream, wit
it shadowed pools aud rustic bridge.
wonder if this strange feeling is home
sickness? Ethel is there, too-my littl
swarthy ward, with her tangled CURL
and big black eyesl Well, I suppos
the diet OF boarding-school couldn't las
for ever. But how she must astonishe
Q the old housekeeper; with her independ
ent ways, and her odd, original notions
Yes, must go to Oxford, but not befor
have laid my fate at Esther Howard
feetl My beautiful, dark-eyed queer
Even so have always fancied her royt
Jewish namesake to look upon-hai
purple black, and rippled like moonligl
tides; eyes like melting wells of liqui
darkness, and cheeks where the crimso
r glow burns like rosesi Esther woul
be kind to my poor forlorn little Ethe
know; and am resolved to ask he
to be the lady of Orfordr'
, CARL threw his cigar ont OF The win
e dow; he had found an object in life 4
: last-an object so all oDsorbing, tina
? everything else seemed merely second
b aryl Colonel CARL Oxford was decided
, ly in love.
Miss Howard was trihing prettil
. over basket of fvividly-colored Germa
9 woods, in Mrs. D'Orsay' parlor, on ths
q golden June morning, while ever an
anon she paused to look dreamily out {
the window, and murniur the half-fol
gotten words of some old balled.
: "Absorbed in feveries again, Bssiel
laughed Mrs. D'Orsay, as She came t
l the window to place her canary in th
Q sunshine. "a silver penny for you
thoughts"
J Essie Howard's color deepened
little. "To tell you the truth, Mr.
D'orsays I was thinking just theh--
l "Whether Colonel Oxford would cal
understand, my love perfectly. There
no further need for speculation on th
Q sui ject, for there is his knock now.-
I Upon my word, he's the most attentiv
cavalier know of"
8 And Mrs. D'Orsay slipped laughingl
A out of the room as Colonel Oxford enter
ed it.
she means to propose, I'm sure,
:, said the little lady to herself with no
i of her sunny head. "He looks just ex
$ actly as MIR: D'Orsay did when III
5 oventful question was trembling on hi
i lips. wonder what Essie will say I
e him. Ahai / fancy 1 could give
shrewd guess.
Miss Essie did not say "no."
"Then you will let me take you ava
to the old Hall with me, dearest Essie!
Carll said tenderly priSoninr the so