Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-04

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IDENTIFY been annoying some one, turn
. ed sharply away, and were out Of
sight before he could reach the spot
where they had stood, and a girl
. who had broken loose from them flew
to meet him in such a trcmOr of
fright that for a moment she could
not speak.
"Don't be heightened" he said,
kindly: 81 viii take care Of you.
Take my arm and stand still for a
. minute or so. You are scarcely
equal to walking Just yet. There,
there !" patting her small, cold,
clinging hand soothingly. "You
must not cry. Nobody shall hurt
you"
- am little Teddy Durant's go
verness, she said, lifting her face
and showing him her great eyes, al
most wild with her childish terror.
81 am Tina tloyd, and | went ont
to buy him birthday present. And
as 1 was coming home those dreadful
men followed me, and they would
talk to me, though 1 begged them
to go away, and one of them tried
to kiss me, but saw you just in time,
far as soon as l called you they ran
away. | can't tell you how thank
full l am to you
! CANT INDEED"
And she ended with an innocent sob
and q fresh burst of tears. 81 should
have died if he had kissed me p she
! cried, clinching her little hand i
! should have died
Her hat had fallen off in the stTug-
gle, and hung by its elastic from her
hand Just as she had caught it, the
tears III her eyes, the passionate little
| air of fear and disgust III her whole
| face and figure. Even the last child
| ish, angry gesture itself reused in her
deliverer's mind a curious sort of IN
terest and admiration.
:" am very glad TO have been of
service to you" he said, rather awk-
wardly.
81 am afraid" faltered Tina, "that
l ought not to have been out alone,
but 1 did not think that any one
could be 500 cruel, and ii IS so dull
in the nursery after Teddy is asleep.
l shall never go out by myself again.
81 think" said Theobald, ''that
1 would not, in your place. You are
too young nd-unaccustOmed to the
city" But he had barely escaped
adding ''too pretty" which was the
truth.
They were only few yards from
the house, and, when they reached
it, Tina turned round upon the thresh-
old with a timid, troubled air.
81 beg pardon" she hesitated-
"but if you would not mind
my saying SO, L should like to ask
you not to mention it TOTO anybody. |
1 am afraid Mrs. Durant might be an |
cry, and if she were to send me away |
from here l have nowhere else to /
CO."
" 1 will say nothing about it," he
replied. you may rely upon me-" |
And he held OUT his hand to her.
The small brown glove touched his
timidly. ''Thank yOu," said Tina,
and good night"
1t was quite natural that she should
take a greater interest in the tall,
loOse-jOinted figure, and in its passing
to and fro from the house to the car
riage, and from the carriage to the
house, after this. She felt as if she
had greater right to be interested
now. He had been kind to her too,
and she was grateful as well as admir-
ing. When he met her in her walks
he always bowed to her as if he had
not forgotten, and once or twice he
stopped and asked about Teddy, in
that kind yet half-abstracted way of
his. 1t was because he had so much
to think about that he had that alb
stracted air, Tina fancied. She did
not know that he was so little used to
the society of women that even the
dark eyes of d pale-faced governess
made him somewhat awkward and
confused. She sometimes saw him at
the house, when he came to spend an
evening with MIR. Durant, and he Of
ten looked thoughtful and are-wOrn; !
so she was sure that it was because he
was so over-worked and studiOIs.
But she was destined to gain a
nearer view of the greatness she
set so far apart from herself and
her ignorant girls romance. One ,
winter night, as the doctor sat at
work among his books, n visitor ,
was announced, whose hurried en- ,
trance reused him abruptly from
his studies. 1t was Mrs. Durant's ,
nursery-governcss, her pale young
face looking paler than ever under I
the black shawl she had thrown
over her head, and her eyes full
of tears.
81 do not know what is the mat /
ter with Teddy. DR.. Theobald,"
she cried breathlessly. s
81 THINK HE IS DYING,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Durant are out. !
\ ou will come, won't you? We
don't know what to do, and the
servants are so frightened that was
to come for you myself"
will come at once" he said, s
a cd Af hn
her, muttering two words to him l
self, "Poor Duraut !"
But when he saw Teddy, he said &: l
''PoOr little fellow! :" Teddy was |
in strong commissions, and a French |
cook and an Irish chambermaid
were wringing their hands over l
him. The other servants had fol-
lowed their mistress example, and !
gone out.
Nobody but slip of a school I
girl" he said, in a vexed under
tone. "The wrong place again. /
Poor childr' And he scarcely knew
whether he meant Teddy or his l
governess by this last pitying !
phrase. {
But in ten minutes he reprOached c
for having been so rash q
w l.
She touched the little fellow with
hands so deft and tender that he I
saw she might be trusted, and in all | =
service for him she was so ready
and simply tractable and gentle that
she might have shamed an older '
and wiser woman. And once, be-
tween the commissions, when the /
child was quiet for few minutes,
n WI n1
arms, she took the little hand that l
rested on her bosom and touched it
softly to her lips, with a sorrow his q
mother might have shown. a
Il love him." she said: "and he l
loves me. Don't die, Teddy don't
die!'
Thco6ald remembered this when, !
at midnight, Mrs. Durant returned. | 7
She came into the room in her rich
dress, teYerish flush on her beau
tiful face, a tired-Out look in her 7
eyes, and, standing at Tina's side ]
and looked down at the child with {
an air half impatient, half wearied' 7
''Is he really ill?" she said. Il !
hope not. | don't understand chill I
dren, and Mr.. Durant is so easily ! !
He docs not look i'll {
now, but IsuppOse he is better than I
he was. You are very kind to pay (
him so much attention, doctor
She did not remain in the room {
long. She was worn out, she said, /
and nervous; and indeed she SEEM !
ed both. II she was wanted, Tina
must call her. And so she left them, I
a little as she turned away.
But she was not disturbed. When :
DR.. TheObald left the house, Tina
was sittinnr ut IrlHNrs hnlsiHn Z