The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-06-21


Maggie was twenty years old when her father
del and tie creditors did pounce down,
and She and her mother were sold cut Mrs.
Dunlop wA- offered home IN London by . sis
tG~ who was WEB o.f and bsd tempered and II
was tb sukfully accepted. AEyygic was informed
thai size must ets lHer oNil lElug. which being
precisely MarEirk own orir ion i vel a. IN
tels,lun. she advertised for -rGatlOu as gov
errless Suw. 5laggle had seFy modest idea
q her 0wu merits. and therefore only asked for
twenty-five pounds veAr sud 4 comfortable
home. 70 no les than tive answers came to her
announcement that she could teach Engls-h.
French music end the rudfraeuts Of drawing.
One q these answers came from No1lwlcA,
snd stated that Mr-. Marshall required d
governess for her three little girls
Mrs Marshall was a stiTaecEed sort of woman.
and stared at poor little Maggie twho looked a.
most As ehlldllke and twice PRETTY a. ever
through double gold glasses. Colonel Mr.
shall. her husband. was moe old man. with
bald head and an iron gray mustache, and there
was q grown up daughter, Miss Patterson.
Mrs. MarshAlls daughter by her hrst husband
who was really the mistress Of the establish
ment, for 4arlA Patterson hal strong viii
and she was al he.Fes.. A very nAstE
Leircss too. poor Maggie thought. and she was
right, for Maria vas skinny. aud Thought her
self sarcastic, and always said nasty things 10
people who did not dare saw them bael again
One evening. when Maggie had been about
. year at W08lwich. and she was sitting alone
in her schooAroom as usual, for her pupils had
jast said goodnight and been delivered uu 10
the tender mercIes Of their nurse. Miss Patter-
son walked in very much dressed, aud rather
flushed and excited.
Miss Dunlop, .he said we shall have A
few friends this evening and know ono or
two Of them ike au imprUmptu dance will you
be ready to come into the drawing-r0on and
play if we should want you r
II fear cannot play dance nlusie very well
] never keep time. said Maggie.
"Yes, ! feared 80, and thought / would come
and tell you, that you might practice for
an hour or two till after dinner : and she sAiled
out Of the room, evidently considering the
matter settled and Maggie meeky proceeded
TO practice the Mabel W,.ltz and the Flick and
Flock Gal0p Then she put on her shabby
black evening gown, and stuck spray Of white
flowers into b golden hair. audwwaited pa
tientlv for summons, hoping she would wait
il vain. III verv soon came, aud with a roll Of
music under her arm, Hush on her innocent
frightened face and a scared, almost hum ed.
expression in her eveS she descended and
timidly opened the drawiug-roo door. ard
there stood still for moment staring in as
tonishnent at the scene before her. There sat
the beiress with an eager pieaF ed expression on
her face, and leaning over her. talking aud
laughing, and more handsome than ever aud
sunburnt and soldierly looking, was Alic
j
color rushed to Maggies face. as If 10 say
hurried goodbye. and then left it altogether.
She recovered her self possession. however
and walked with what she hattered herself was
great dignity toward the piano. She felt rather
than saw him raise his headand look at her, and
the next moment he was by her side.
"Maggie-Iny dear Maggie! Why. fancy
Won being here where did yOu come from
have been trying 70 lind you out for months.
:" thought you - And then she did not
know how to 90 on, so added, almost piteously:
81 am the goyerness here."
i" Are you2 Oh. | see, then, that is the rea-
son I've not seen YOU before suppose"
: Do you really know Miss Dunlop" the
heiress asked, coming up, and speaking in her
coldest manner.
Maggie wished sincerely che could Hink into
her shoesand bury herself.
why. of course I do; we have been play
fellows ever since we were born-hayen't we,
Maggie?"
Aud Maggie. feeling she was being backed
up, answered bravely:
.tYes"
"Oh. indeed how interesting !" Then. turn
ing to Maggie: "Will you be so good as 10 be-
gin waltz, Miss Dunlop? This was To be our
dance, think" to Ahc, and she sailed of
with him triumphantiy..
He came up to her directly after the dance
was over.
g / went down to Porlock to try and find ont
where you had gone to, he said, 'but nobody
knew"
at didn't matter, 4" she said, huskiIy. letting
her fingers wander vaguely over the KEYS to
make believe she wasn't very interested in what
he said.
I've got box full of curiosities for you-clubs