The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-12-08

bis lie. But the DuSy l1khe mDtner 9aQ
to fold her hands aud 10 10 ieunder the
daisies, and Ia 1esy marguerite grew all
lover the grave lor Temembranee Of the
baby Marguerite who could not yet
walk about, and helds, the pau0re Mustre,
was worse of than everl Tnen IL Was
that Nance came 10 him, and, growing to
be almost q mother TO the little one, she
had, for love, shared the ups and downs
Of their life Tor the past seventeen years.
AS for the ~ an sslte--she was an an
gel, just. Win all The pracLicality Of
ner busy mother, and all the dreaminess
of The Master her composition was one
to be envied. Never was the ii am sette
1 ont oi neart saye one month ago, Mnen
le Mdttre lost his last pupil, and there
was no money IN the little purse. OH dd!
How she begged Nance TO mud ner work
somewhere; and Nance had gone about
with cards soliciting washing. Yes,
Marguerite did all the ironing with her
deftest OF shapely- white fingers; twas
she who star ched and hung out and
mended. AS ior Nance--pooh, she did
the hard wringing and such things; but
the Gftiste was her M am selle Marguer-
ite. 1854 & k.-
All this 7 heard in the queer English
as broken as cobble stones, interspersed
with French idIoms ne solt and duicet as
the wind through, the resinops pine.
1 And when / had quite finished was
amazingly we'll acquainted with the
Masters history. anu 1 felt as II ! had
been their tirmest friend tor Q solid de-
cade at least. - n y;
Nanee's stiff lawn cap was lost at last
| beyond the sill, but she came in view
soon after as she hurried np the gravel
walk, her wooden sabots ieveliny any
venturesome pebble tho held his head
| higher than his neighbofs, in true Red
Republican style. aaas aaa...l,
Alter that ] saw Marguerite centinu-
ally, and we grew SO friendly that often
threw down little notes, and sne tossed
lup bunches OF her rarest blossoms for
ackno vile dgement. would find them
lat odd hours, lying In their fresh dewy
beauty--now in this corner, now In that.
Once 1 even coaxed her up the ladder on
the plea of the photograph, which | In
sisted was not discernible at so dis tanL
aview. My heart thumped like sledge-
hammer as heard her light foot upon
the rounds. Nearer, ever nearer, and
then the sweet, shy, happy face laughed
in at me and glorl1ied the room, till all
about was lighter and brighter than all
| the chrome yellow halos OF the painted
Saints at Rome.
"There is the pictures" she said, put.
jting IL down,upon the sill.
sMotherl" cried l, astounded; "why
how came that in my coat?'
Your coatP' the astontsned eyes wi
denlng.
III forgot,n / stammered, toolishly.
l'"You can not know you have not
l.guessed-5hat | am Clanchester, your
ridiculous rag-bag?'
+ "You Cfancnester?" ana the nervous
white hands clutched the sill in her eX-
cited wonder.
Il am Clanchester, really and truly.
Take care-you will fall Maguerite
Give me your hand-there, that is beLter.
Now, how the picture came there-my
sweet lady-mother (neaying an invotun-
tary sigh and fonuly kissing the bit oi
gasteboard as l Tried TO swallow an
enormous lump Of Inconsistencies that
came into my throat) Lean never tell
you; 1t Is quite mysterious"
"Don'J you suppose thai she placed II
there herself to surprise you when.
perhaps, far away from her you should
cuance upon it~ aud MaHguerite's clear
eyes looked SO near anu so beautiful
that i only answered vaguely
81 hardly think So"
"Still, she is right, dear;' came q
strange voice into our duet--a sweet,
cultured soprano, mellow and refined.
and tul OF affeetionate amusement.
turned about, dropped Marguerite,s
hand and pulled down lnymother's beau
titnl headline laoes, teatners and all
upon my shoulder. '.Oh, my Lady, at
lastW G. 443 Gtss43 h.sifa
"My boy-my baby-only God knows
how 1 have suhered!" aud the dainty
white hands clasped themselves aeout
my neck and the laces crushed nearer as
my mother knelt beside my chair, the
pillows Of satin softly subsiding all about
her.
| We thought Of the vanquished Mar
| guerite alter while-my mother with a
| family saddened dcopntenance, Ifancied
| with an emotion l could not find .
name for. 1 told her all l knew Of Mar
guerite, from first to last, and she fiat
tered me by seeming interested.
II should like to go with you there,'
she said at length, after l had repeated
Nance's story. "When you can walk
will accompany you there; for Margue.
rite must not think her future mamma
an ogress-eh, dearW
"But, my Lady, 1 have had no sucf
thoughts, do assure you'll I never have
spoken a word of love to Marguerite
/ "Let alone these big brown eyes fol
that, my son; ;"-and u kiss, soft as /,
lzephyrs touch cooled my flushed brow
| You are willing, thenT' asked va
cantly, for 1 could scarcely collect M
feeble wits.
"Quite."
| "Ah, but then I'm not at all sure 0
Marguerite-0
1 ''Not sure of the maiden who climb,
to your prison cell to bask in the sun
light OF your presence, courageous
4 youth? But, come, give you butn ml
hearts, blessing, anu now tell me abou