Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-04-27
IN TWENTY YEARS.

INTwENTY YEARS.
"And &c YOU really think there is
nothing serious in Margaret's naugh-
| tiness, my dear sir,,' said fashion
ably dressed, lady of five aud forty
summers 10 a gentleman fifteen
yers her junior, who stood behind
the open library window, regarding
her with an amused smile.
Nothing at all serious my dear,
Mrs. Gray, said the gentleman quiet
"And Whist do you think l had
| better do with heri"
'Send her TO me il you like" was
! the negligent answer.
The lady's anxious face cleared
and frightened at once.
''WOuld you really take her?'
eff il win give you pleasure l will
be happy to do So"
"Oh, ii will be such a weight on
my mind, Mr.. Strong. L cannot tell
/ you what / have suffered from the
| girls peculiar ways sincel came in
to this house to live. Fond as l was
of Judge Gray, doubt IL 1 ever
could have made up my mind to
| take him had known as much of his
| only child as / know now. And,
since her fathers death, she has run
wild-positively wild, Mr. Strong.
| have not the slightest control over
| her. In fact she sets every one At
defiance, and"
"Yes, my dear madam" said Mr..
| Strong, bowling politely, as If he
thought she had completed her sent
! ence. 81 can easily. understand IL
| all. But send her to me and we will
see what can be done. have had
some wild natures in my time
Good afternoon, madam"
With these words a human desu-
ty was decided.
The next day saw Margaret, the
only daughter and heiress Of the
late Judge Gray, sitting quietly at
desk in the village academy among
a group of girls who eyed her over
their school books as stealthily and
| euriously as if she had been newly
| imported Kangaroo.
First, because with her clear,
| bright brunette complexion, her
large, dark eyes, and her curling,
brown hair, she was by far the
handsomest girl in the whole school.
| Secondly, because she was an
heires.
Thirdly and lastly, because they
had heard many a tale of her naugh-
ty and caprieious temper, and were
in daily and hourly expectation of a
strife for the mastery between her
and their grave and handsome teach
er, whose authority no one within
those walls would ever dream OF
disputing, it would be she.
But much to the wonder and very
possibly to the disappointment, OF
the school girls, no such outbreak
had occurred. Margaret, perched
in the library gallery at home
among her well-belOved books, had
: heard her step-mother's accusation
and the teachers laughing reply
Neither of the speakers had been o.
ware of her presence, and she did
: not make il manifest by word, oI
look, or sign. But when they were
gone she clenched her little white
hand, vowed passionately to herself
: that she would surprise them both
and make her step-mother appeal
TO others the harsh, cenrorious, an
unjust woman she herself in hel
own secret heart, had always beeI
| willing TO believe her
Accordingly, when informed o.
the existing arrangements, she ut
tered no word of opposition, mucf
: to the astonishment of Mrs. Gray
: who could scarcely believe her owl
ewes when she saw Margaret obe
: diently leave the house each morn
: ing with her satchel of books swing
ing from her arm. Mr.. Strong wa
also puzzled. His deep blue eye
often met those brown ones with
|. look of wondering inquiry tina
a made Margaret long to laugh. Blu
: the one asked no question; tn
r other answered none. And so tn
/ days went on, and Margaret passes
|. her first examination triumphantly
= and was proclaimed the best an
: most promising scholar in the schoo
She ought, therefore, to have bee
happy. But it was with very sa
face that she went up into the fam
liar hall, Just at dusk, on the eveH
Z; ing Of the great examination day, I
II collect her books, and take one las
, secret look at place which sh
'e would never again see tenanted z
le it had been tentanted of late-th
- masters chair. - -
al There it stood upon the raise
le nlatform, empty and desolate. II
~ stately figure that filed il ike
.e throne was absent; and yet, to b,
lc dreaming eye, present and plain
as ever, She saw the high, viii
sc brow, and the curls OF sunny brow
d hair, and the deep blue eyes, al
ns the beautiful ehiseled lips that clio
lle ed so firmly in spite of their.beaut
y She heard the deep, sweet tones
4 that beloved voice-belOved! y
= started at the thought.
he ooh! !my dear master - she sa
- aloud, and burying her head in h
IA hands, she sank down upon the EN-
ty chair and wept.
A step crossed the hall hastily,
nv arm was thrown around her wal
= that voice, all hurried and agitat
Ia was speaking in her very ear.
res aMy pupil. Oh, if l were your
er- er or YOU old; if 1 were richer
he YOU poorer, l would dare to S
- Margaret and do my best to tu
-HS this girlish liking into woma
love! But l am poor man, darlll
ted and am fifteen years older Il
CO. YOU. Remember me in after da
md and say to yourself that these W.
ec- the barriers that rose between us
mes Nv darling, nothing else shol
No keep me from you if l were "
1us equal those two things. Heaven bl
bv vou dear, i dare not kiss your Il
lis You will keep them for the n
inc YOU love add marry one day whe
',.12 am far away. But your hand
di- He raised il to his lips, and a
sm. tear fell with the long lingering k
Iich and seemed to burn in the s.
,rn- white flesh.
has Before she could speak or s
,ich him, he hurried from the ro'
xis- The pleasant "summer term
ded over" and the handsome stat
to "master" was gone TO return
more.
rsal And twenty years passed by.
re- To Margaret they seemed to bi
des- little of trial or change.
the She still dwelt in her old no
ern- though her fashionable mother
.ary long since left il to share the n
con sion of a merchant prince on f
ere Avenue.
lout Margaret felt no desire 20 SNARE
peo- splendOr of which the late wi'
was so inordinately proud.
dear old homestead was grand
m. good enough for her, and all
dearer, if the truth must be
the since that jarring presence was
u fkrv.a ,urf