The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-03-26
our old acquaintance, Howard

"Nhy don't the servant bring
Up the chocolatc??' pursued Mrs.
Tracy, elcy&tins her eyebrows.
, Shall | ring and inquire? p
: "No, it isn't worth while. II
We had only remained in la belle
; Paris, where The servants under.
stood their business.
Then you preferred Paris as a
: residence p said Leigh.
20, by all means, but Frank
never conld be contentcd there.
1t is the most absurd whim OF his.
returning to American"
You forget, Leonore,' said
Frank, somewhat gravelv, "that
America is orr home!'
Mrs. Tracy tossed her head and
;ooIl refuge in q bottle Of smelling
: salts. Her husband turned care
less!y to Leigh and resumed the
: conversation that her petuiance
had disturbed.
II haven't asked yet whether
MY old acquaintances. tic WAL
tons, are living or dead. You
/ haven't forgotten my penchant
for the beautiful baby?''
"Oh the Waitons disappeared
long ago from the current OF New
York life. He failed or something
blew his brains out, ] believe.
She died Of a broken heart. La
I Belle was sent. | understood, to
al orphan asylum. where she has
already sprouted up into = gawky.
rcl-hairci woman"
Tracy was Silent q moment CON
tcmplating upon the sad facility
with which people ship from the
cares and memories of thcil friends
in the whirl of large cities.
All ut once the door was thrown
open, and two or three rosy chill
: dren bounded into the room, with
long, shining carls hanging on
their shoulders. and eyes all in a
sparkle with infantile merriment.
"Don'L you come near me, you
noisy little monsters! lispcd
Lconore, waving them away with
her snowy. jcweled hand, "you'lI
crush my silks and Iaccs ruinous-
ly?'
No word of reproof. however,
: fell from Frank Tracy's lips, as
the little ones climbed on his knee
and hung around his neck. Thosc
children were the sunshine Of his
life : he endured his wife, but he
idoIized his children.
"Poor Tracy, it's quite plain to
see he is not happy" said Leigh,
that evening, as he was taking his
! case within his cosy home circle.
"That wife Of his is enough to
. drive man distracted. wonder
! he don't commit suicide -
i And so, some days afterward,
when the sudden death Of Mrs.
| Tracy was announced, in q news
+! papcr-ailment. disease Of the
heart-his first thought was :
What q lucky thing for Frank.
1t was scarcely Il year after
Mrs. Tracy's decease, and the
widower sitting aIanc in his study,
when Howard Leigh was an
nounccl.
"Wc!l, my dear fricnd!" was his
smiling salutation, "wkat news do
bring me?'
"Capital news" said Leigh.
; ''Do YOU know l have just engaged
a splendid govcrness for your
children -
II am glad Of it; the little rebels
are getting quite beyond my man
agcmcnt. They need some gentle,
J affectionatc female influence"
"And they'll have it. This is
one Of the finest girls l have seen
for a long time. She has been
teaching in an academy, but
thinks She should prefer situa-
ton in some private family. She
is all grace and gentle dignity!'
| Il am delighted at your success.
! When will she come to take
charge OF my childran o.
! THIS evening. But [ haven't
told YOU the strangest coincidence
OF ali! Who do You suppose she
! is?'
I'm sure l can't imagine"
"Her nameis Agnes Walton; she
/ is the same whom you took such a
fancy to in the days Of her baby,
! hood. I can tell you, she don't
! know you were an Old beau OF
hers, else she would shrink from
assuming this responsible situation
| in your family"
"Nonscnse!" said Tracy half
laughing, half embarrassed. But
lam sorry she is reduced TO the
life Of q governess."
Nothing more was said on the
subject, and several times that
afternoon it recurred TO Frank
! YracY's mind. He wished he
! conld see her.
: The gas had been lighted, how
ever, and the little girls were safe
ly tucked up in bed, af.er having
said their prayers Oh 'papa's'