The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-10-04
anaessu1a gntelligeueer,
ONE WOMAN's TREAcHERY.
A STORY OF A WHISPER.
CHAPTER II.

It used to be the fashion in novels of
the Rosa Matilda school to represent
young governesses as beings ofincompar-
able beauty, safe to cause havoc in the
heart of the houses eldest son and heir,
and trouble to everybody else in conse-
quence. Now this had absolutely hap
pened in the case of Dorothy Stevens
although she could not boast of much
beauty, save in her fine golden hair and
sweet blue eyes, and, it may be, in az in
nocent, confding expression of counte-
nance. Upon leaving school situation
had been found for her in the house Of
Mrs. Calloway-a rigid gentlewoman who
boasted of high descent; to conduct the
education of her only daughter. There
was sn only son, as we'll much older:
twenty-one, in fact; and he fell forth
with in love with the goyerness's pretty
eyes and hair, after the alleged customs
of those half:Aedged younsters. For q
long while Mrs. Galloway suspected not
the treason hatchingin her sons heart;
and she, con6ding woman, continued to
have Miss Stevens down to the drawing.
room whenever she received evening
guests; for the young lady, don't you
see, was useful in the matter of playing
and singing. Now and then Dorothy
went out with them also; always when
the daughter went. 1t was in these social
evening gatherings that Mr.. Hastings
had seen her and learnt to love; and she,
poor girl, had no notion that anybody
else did. Young Mr. Galloway, who was
of "a bashful, nervous temperament, kept
his sentiments to himself, and did not
annoy Dora; she only used to wonder
why he stared at her so, and wished he
would not. But one unlucky day he
came to the desperate resolution of de-
claring his love, and penned letter de-
scribingit. By some awkward mischance
it fell into the possession of Mrs. Gallo
way instead of that of the goyerness, and
a fine hubub it caused. Dora, with earn
est words and fearful eyes, protested that
she had been in utter ignorance of the
treason; and Mrs. Galloway believing it
in her secret heart, and not caring to
part with her, kept her on; but she
spoke to her in very severe terms, and
candidly avowed that she would exercise
rigid espionage over her in the future.
Dora agreed to that willingly. She was
conscious of no ill; moreover, she was
friendless orphan and feared to throw
herself out Of Mrs. CalIoway's situation,
lest she should not find another. Young
Mr.. Galloway was sent to the care of q
clergyman at distance, to read up for
the. Church which he was to enter.
From that time, Dora found herself
next kin to a prisoner. No more even
ing parties for her, no more social meet
ings. Mrs. Galloway exercised the right
(she said she possessed it) of opening her
letters. Dora made no objection; she
had never had but one letter since she
entered the house, and that was from her
former governess.
Characters are much easier lost than
regained amidst young people who have
to earn their bread and I consideri it my
duty to take care of yours" Mrs. Gallo
way observed to her by way of semi
apology; and Dora thought she was right
las no doubt she was) and thanked her
kindly.
But all this put great barrier between
her and Mr.. Hastings-at least between
their meetings. He thought it was
Dora's fault, and q slight GOODNESS had
arisen in consequence. He felt inclined.
I to be jealous Of Mr.. Charles Galloway,
whose cause of banishment had reached
him, though not through Dora; and she
had always been somewhat jealous ofsths
great heiress Miss Lawrence, with whom
Mr.. Hastings was so frequently seen.
Still, she did trust him; she believed he
loved her the best, and that when hewas
rich enough he would make her his wife,
as he one day told her he would. She,
in her unpretentious ideas, thought he
was quite rich enough now for anything;
he had large salary; but she and Mr..
Hastings had been brought up with quite
opposite notions on that point.
"When the sun sets be at the stile at
the cross roads" he had whispered in her
ear. Evening came; and Just as the
sun was sinking below the western hills,
Dora Stevens crossed Mrs. Calloway's
garden to the copse beyond. For the
trysting place was but just behind Mrs.
Calloway's boundary hedge. 1t was the
first time Dora had deliberately met him,
there or elsewhere, but few evenings
before, upon returning from 8 walk with
Miss Galloway, they had accidentallyen-
countered him at that spot and stayed to
talk. But Dora felt rather sorry now for,
the tacit assent she had given to his re-
quest; and she meant to tell him this
evening that she could not meet him
again unless openly. It was not right
to do so; neither would Mrs. Galloway
allow it.
Nevertheless, despite of conscience, her
heart was foolishly light as she sped
along through the rustling leaves. She
sang lightly some pretty, silly nonsense
about the lasses oh, which one Robert
Burns wrote many years ago.. wrote per-
chance in days when he, too, sat by the
stile with his Highland Mary, and
watched the birds hopping in 1.-The
stubble, or the poppies nodding in the
corn.
Dora, as she drew near the trysting-
place saw shadow as of some one wait
ing near the stile, half hidden by the
tangled branches of the copse, thick yet
with leaves above and below. -
No need to guess who it was, though.
Dora, as she pulled he pretty hat lower
Oh HeE ldCo, duu puouS0 UoSA uSi Pf0GIiot
hair. How good of him to come so early
and wait for her. Suddenly voice
spoke; not the voice that Dora had ex-
pected to hear.
"Dean, is it you? Have you come
back?"
The voice was that of Miss Lawrence.
It was Bella Lawrence who confronted
Dora's pale, surprised face with face
quite as surprised and a great deal whittier
for it was q hazardous game she
was playing-and with a perfectly studied
confusion in her manner.
"Oh-I beg your pardon; / thoug ght it
was some one else,n spake Miss Law
renee, E'some one who was to meet me
here"
Dora paused. Hot tears of disappoint-
,,ant (Which shas cnuld NOT sunnresa