The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-19

tFat -
never never known any other. Ii,she should
marry some wood-caryer o. YOU peopas;I
then INV best wishes for her Wetiare wiz
have been fulfilled. -. !. ~,,oo,
nIt IS scarcely necessary Tor me 10 repea I
what I told you fourteen years ago, tnat tue
pirl Inns no friends save those she may nave
made Mt Zorlitz; no relations ana ina. Inc
best she can do for herself Is 70 i've anu uie
nara and concern for her end herewith,
Neither she nor you will ever hear from me
again gar y e.,;a a,;st,e
Herr Broken read It over the second time,
and sighed heavily.
j "The unknown guardian washes his
hands OF Cecil" he muttered. :" All con.
rlcction between the Girl and her early past
Is now completely severed, She VIII never
solve the mystery :, will never know her
origin. I almost wish that / had not sent
Lord GlenlIatn away, and yet could mol
do otherwise. According to the traditions
and usages OF the world, a girl like Cecil,
no matter lloW great her beauty, genius, an q
goodness, Is no fitting wife for great
lord" >,
The door opened while his eyes were nv
cited on the paper, and Cecil came IN
slowly, haR-shyly.
The pastor made q movement to put the
letter in his desk, but changed his purpose.
"My deE,,o', he said, "youseem somehow
less Of a child to me than usual tonight.
NV heart is heavy and sore with many bur
dens. Shall I lay them upon your young
shoulders2" s.,,,., r tj -
! The tender young face at once grew
stronger, with gravity and courage that
touched the old scholar. l,., ...i..,-,s
"I did not know that you were bearing
secret burdens, uncle" said Cecil. Let
me help geu. Do you need money!" -
!, The pastor glanced at the two bank-nofes
ono, dear, it is not any fear. Of poverty
that troubles me-" he said, gently. ~ feel
stran cely weak. I realize tonight that ]
am growing old. may not live another
year, and there are things you ought to
know. SKILL tell them to you now. Cecil,
this handsome English lord asked me to-day
for my consent to address you as your
suitor." 49,.
The Girl blushed and paled. and her eyes
clowed with swift and dazzling splcndor.
"What did you say, uncle?" she whis-
pered, after little pause.
81 babe him wait year. told him that
you were too young to marry"
:. "He loves me! He loves mel" Cecil said
to herself softly, her glorious young beauty
radiant as star. ''IAnd he is coming back
next year.! Oh, uncle, am the happiest
girl in all the world to-night!'
The old pastor sighed and stroked her
hair with q shaking hand. A great strug.
gle was going on within him. At last
look of decision settled upon his care
worn features, and with bis trembling
hand resting on Ceeil's head he told her
her history us far as he knew it. He also
informed her that he had told it to Lord
Glenham, and that Ii seemed to make him
love her all the more. He then handed
her the letter from her unknown guardian,
closed bis eyes, and leaned back in his
chair. His face looked singularly worn
and sorrowful in the dim light, and there
was a WEAKNESS in the dropping features
that told of extreme physical weakness.
No one marked the rapid change of ex-
preston in the young face ut bis knee, the
passionate anguish in the sweet eyes, the
tense lines about the lovely mouth, the bit
terness, horror, and despair indicated in all
her perfect features.
The letter fell at last from Cecil's hand,
and the bright head dropped to the PASTORS
knee, while Cecil gave way to burst Of
passionate weeping. ..
"My chlId,' said the old scholar,
urousing himself with. lis former bewil-
dered expression, "hush, dear, you pain
me. would have kept this from you if
had dared. Lord Glenham may come back.
Goodness, beauty, and genius are Of more
value than ancestry. Put the letter in your
pocket. 1t may prove clue some day"
He took from the desk small packet,
which he opened.
. "My good wife wrote out the history of
your coming here" he said, "and here it
is. We both signed it. And the good wife,
who was clever with her pencil, made that
night, after your guardians departure, a
sketch Of his face. Here it is. 1t can per-
haps do you no good, but as the man might
have been your father, we preserved it for
you'll"
Cecil seized the paper eagerly, and stared
at the picture with great, devouring eyes.
It represented young man with fair,
English face; heavy, cruel mouth: small,
blaa eyes, the left one having a peculiar
droopi and with large mole on the left
cheek. 'fhe face was hard, cold, and I'M
and Cecil shuddered as she studied
it, feeling quiek sense of repulsion to-
wards it.
NITv ;ou think that he was my fatherS"
she asked. -,
..The good wife thought not. But he
might have been. Men can be very cruel
to their own flesh and blood when they are
selfish. Keep the picture, dear.
And now, Cecil, we must say goodnight"
Cecil knelt down beside him, and he laid
his hands on her head and blessed her.
Then he embraced her tenderly, as she
arose, and dismissed her.
The old pastor leaned back in his chair.
His long, scanty locks fell around his VEN
cradle face, and his eyelids dropped YEARLY.
"Poor little Cecil" he said to himself,
vet without seeming to realize his words,
"I seem to have the gift Of second-sight to-
night, A terrible future yawns before her.
Poor little onei God shield her !"
When morning dawned he still sat in his
easy-chair, but his head was thrown back,
the gentle smile was frozen on his features,
which were rigid Us marble.
The old pastor bad gone to join his good
wife. He was dead, and Cecil Rose was
left alone in the world to meet the terrible
perils in store for her
The grief Of Cecil when, the next morn
ing, she discovered the old pastor sitting
dead in his chair, was indescribable. She
felt that she was now indeed alone, and
without a guide in the world. But old
Gretchen and all the neighbors comforted
her, and by the time the funeral ceremonies
had ended, and the affairs Of the pastors
estate had been settled, she had recovered
her usual elasticity of spirits, and had re-
solved upon her course, which was to go to
England, accompanied by Gretchen, and
see If she could not find some ira ce Of her
family. AS they set out, old Gretchen,
looking back at the forest-yillage through
her tears, muttered:
ST hope that we mint rushing straight
into troubled And yet creeping feeling