The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1876-04-07

"'Oh. forewMned is forearmed, and
my heart is not brittle
There was "A little more such badi-
mage. during which he took no more no.
tice of me than IL had been invisible.
Presently, To divert the current OF his
conversation, which was painfully com
planetary, she called his attention TO
the infant on my lap, aequainting him
that she was its god-mother, and the
babe had been named Elizabeth after
herself.
81 thought Mr.. varey called you Bes-
sic, Miss Roylee'
''Ahl SO my friends do, but rejoice
a. Elizabeth on state occasions
"'l should prefer TO call you Bessie,
he replied, with much meaning in his
tone, adding, .Oh, that | had had
such fairy godmotherl What might
not her magic wand have made of me
ere now?'
81 thought it was quite time to stop
this nonsense for the sake of the dear
young lady, who had neither mother nor
father to watch over her.
"You had very good mother, Mr..
Walter; if she could not make a good
man of you, no fairy godmother could
have succeeded BETTER
"Miss Bessie Royle opened her eyes
as il To ask, DO you know this gentle
man from Redditch?'
ale languidly opened his as If recog-
MIXING me for the first time.
".Why, Mrs. Marbury, what breeze
blew you hitherP'
"'Not an i'll wind, | hope was my
answer, with the addition, .How is the
old gentleman?'
".Ohl grumbling as usual
Maybe, for the old reason | re-
joined, rising from the settee 10 make
way for Mr.. Crofton, Mr.. Varey's part
ner, and To leave him to watch over
Miss Bessie whilst | followed Mrs.
varey TO the nursery with little Miss
Elizabeth.
"A carpet-dance wound up the even
ing, in the course of which Miss Royle
in a flush of pleasurable excitement
came to me with her mauye grenadine
rent in the skirt.
"sWill you kindly put a stitch into
it, there's dear nurse? Mr.. Smithson
unfortunately stepped on the flounce as
we were waltzing. See, here is a nee
die, and she selected one from a pretty
green velvet case.
"'That is handy little article to
carry about with you,' | observed, but
it should be large enough to hold Thin
BILE and thread as WELL
"She laughed.
"'Oh, my dear Mrs. Marbury, don't
accredit me with any such thrift afore-
thought. am indebted to Mr.. Smith
son for the dainty little needle-box, Civ
en,as he said, ''to repair the damage he
had done"
81 wonder il she caught glimpse of
my face as knelt down to my task, for
she was silent "A moment, then she added
lightly, as if to fill up the time, but
more as a question than a remark
"'You seem to know the gentleman,
Mrs. MarburyP'
81 was with his mother in her last
illness, and housekeeper for some time
afterwards, Miss, and I'm sorry to say
/ don't know much good Of him.
"You see, Mrs. Chappell, said that
to put the dear young thing on her
guard. but | don't think she thanked
me, for, saying coldly, Some people
are very censorious,' she drew the bare
~ finished skirt from my fingers, with
a curt THAT will do, thank you, and
swept from the nursery.
~ sighed, as l heard well-known
seductive voice address her on the stair
case, and, looking down over the banis-
tiers, saw Walter Smithson lead her
ba.L o., .ha lra u,;o,, ,..,,,, ,,,;th mn xl-aI
attention. He was about thirty years
of age, tall and well formed and had he
been as good as he was good looking
they might have been fairly matched.
But more than one girl in his fathers
had cause to rue his blandish-
ments, and / know his wild ways
fastened his mothers end.
81 was in Mrs. Varey's room when
the party broke up, and the ladies came
in for shawls and bonnets. Miss Royle
had TO stand good deal Of raillery on
her conquest, but she was quick at re-
partee, and neither Mrs. Gray nor Mrs.
Varey was equal to her in the witty
contest, yet | saw that her eyes abso-
loutely danced with her new delight
She had tender heart, too, and as
held baby for last kiss, she slipped "a
sovereign into my hand and whispered,
I'm sorry was cross with you, you
dear old SOUL
"Setting aside portly Mr.. Crofton
and all other admirers, Walter Smith
son was ready TO hand Miss Royle and
Mrs. Gray TO their cab, and to bow
them off in his best style.
'He fingered in town much longer
than business required, | am sure, and
the godmother came to see baby more
than was necessary, and the two gener-
ally happened to meet by some mystic
rious affinity.
"Twelve months later I was again at
the Vareys'; the eldest daughter, girl
Of thirfeen hninc dannernilslv i'll Kind