Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-06-11

| Ludt dIC always WIIuluS DeSRlup l6UCor
and borrowing five dollar bills-and h,
had broughtup his daughters at Madam
Laurelli's seminary, until that lady de
er without the accompanying ceremony
of a small payment on account.
And then he had hired lodgings O.
Mrs. Lynton, and died there, leaving
Zoe and Leona penniless. Mrs. Lynton
was kind soul, and had never told the
poor young orphans that their father haG
not paid her a solitary cent.
"What would be the use 2" said he
"Poor lambs, they've got nothing to pay
with"
Leona was a beauty, with soft con.
tralto voice, willowy, graceful figure
and face that every one turned instinc.
lively to look at the second time; but
Zoe, the younger sister. had not been so
favored by nature.
She was slight, and below the medium
stature; her face, although pale and
sweet, was not the one to attract admira-
ton, and she was shy and retiring. But
somehow Zoe made friends everywhere.
"Zoe," said Leona, impetuously, as
she flung herself into chair by the win
dow. 1--WE must go away from here"
"GO away?" Oh, Leo!" cried Zoe.
81 don't like the idea any better than
you do" said the beauty; "but Felix
Lynton has been gross enough to fall in
love with me-"
"Has he?" and Zoe's face frightened :;
"Oh, Leo, how nice"
"How awkward, you mean !" inter-
rupted Leona, impatiently. "Have you
got common sense, Zoe Bracebridge, or
have you not?"
cleo did Won refusa him ~
"Do you think would marry car
penter-I, papa's daughter-I, with my
heritage of good looks and genius Yes,
I may as well speak it out"
"But he is very handsome, Leo, and
very intelligent; and he owns the house,
dear, and he's such good son to his
mother. Leo, darling, won't you recon-
slider your decision"
II certainly shall not" said Leona.-
"We must look out for house some
where else Immediately"
"But am afraid / can't do that, Leo"
said Zoe, apologetically, "for have pro-
missed Mrs. Lynton to help her with her
plain sewing this winter, and she has
two or three little music pupils for me,
and"
"Well, let that be as you choose" said
Leo, yawning, ~ don't mind being by
|
me more leisure for practice"
"For practice, Leo?"
eyes" said Miss Bracebridge, with an
imperial nod. Mrs. Buckingham
thinks I shall succeed on the operatic
stage; and in the meantime 1 shall be
writing out few poems. Mr.. Scribble-
ton, the English literature master of old
Laurel]i's, always said my composition
would look well in print. Don't you
see, Zoe, [ have a career before me? 1t
would be madness to blight it all by be-
coming q carpenters wife!"
"Do you think so ?" said Zoe, pensive-
ly. 'Well, I'm not genius, dear, and
1 can't tell how geniuses feel. But Felix
is very nice; and he is so good to his
mother. And good sons always make
good husbands, Leo"
So Leona Bracebridge went away,
bidding her faithful friends very cava-
lier sort of goodbye"
in her young hosts sad and distracted
face, after the last trunk had departed,
'you are not vexed with Leo?"
| "Vexed, Zoe? No."
| because Pm sure she never meant to
hurt your feelings" coaxed Zoe.
"But she is a genius, you know, and
geniuses are not like other people,"
"She is genius, little Zoe" said Felix,
with faint smile, "and am fool. Is
that what you mean to say?'
'Oh, Felix, how can you be so cruel ?'
said Zoe; and she retreated into her lit
tie dark bedroom to cry, and wonder
why it was that she was always saying
awkward things.
Leona Bracebridge threw herself heart
and soul into the new life. She practic.
ed trills, and ripples, and high C's with
unremitting perseverance; she sat all
day at her hired piano, and spent her
evenings in studying up the plot of a
novelette, which was to take the unoon-
sciOus world by storm. And so the year
passed by.
'Sing?" said M. Peroux, the leader Of
the orchestra of the Opera House-"you
sing, mademoiselle? a very nice little
paror voice, l dare say but you'd be Of
no more use than a chirping sparrow on
the stage. | should think your common
sense might have taught you that"
M. reroux was rough, but he was hon
est; and Leona went back in tears to
her boarding house, where a fat bundle
of MSS. awaited her, neatly tied in
brown paper, and labeled -
"For Miss Bracebridge. Positively
declined"
rs it possible that I am a failure q"
said poor Leona to herself "And with
all these bills to pay, and the piano hire
due for year, and
But Miss Bracebridge's unpleasant re-
verie was cut short by the tapping of her
landlady's knucllles on the door.
II don't want to intrude, Miss" said
the lady with the belligerent air of one
who means business, "but I've several
heavy payments to meet next week, and
| would be greatly obliged if you could
lust make it convenient to let me have a
small payment. For it's nearly six
months, Miss-I'm a tellin' you gospel
truth-since I've seen the color of your
money; and its just such boarders as
you, Miss, as drives honest folks like US
into the bankrupt court"
Her nose redeemed spitefully and her
voice grew louder, as she uttered these
words, and poor Ieona shran1 away in
spite of herself.
II will communicate with my friends,
Mrs. Battersby, said she, "and settle with
yOu-yery soon."
II hope you will, I'm sure, Miss, SAID
the landlady, closing the door behind
her with jar that set every vein in
Leona's frame quiver.
She sat there in the shabby room all
tne alceIAoou, crying quietly TO nerSelf, t,
thinking, with her aching head resting
upon her hands, OF the past and the pre-
sent. And then she put on her bonnet.
and went to the little red brick house
where her father had died, two years
ago.
Mrs. Lynton was sitting in the red
glow of the freight, knitting away as
If she had never left off all those months
of LeOna's absence
"Child," cried she, as the tall figure
glided across the floor and stood in front
of her, sis it you?"
"Yes, Mrs. Lynton, it is l." said Leo
ma. "Ive come back to tell you I am
sorry that ever acted so foolishly. pve
come back to say that [ will be Felix's
wife, if he will overlook the past"
: Old Mrs. Lynton began to wiring her
r hands in dire dismay.
T