The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-07-21


| ing. IL won't last long, there % 80 much TO
| quench it bat let Us bssk In IL for an hour or
| two. Some one is thinking kind thoughts of
us somew here tonight, and the warmth OF
them trcmbles round u.s."
! az don't understand such nonsense as that.
Shall you heeitating gl-" Shall You r.
Shas s letter f Of connofs to Miss Msynssd @ y
mo, that am not 1 shall not think of do
ing such thing. Pelham, you may say what
you like about my seorecies. can't defend my
self; but one thing you must believe about me
that my secrets are not of the kind yon sus-
pect, and that am not and never will be
clsndestine go between. No, not even for Con-
nor"
Then the stiff neck bent, and the kiss of for
2iveness given, with q warmth and
tenderness of brotberly affection that Ellen
had never before experien oed from him.
Decidedly it should be q very happy even
The first thing that Lesbia did when Ellen
left her alone to put the finishing touches to
her oilet, was to thrust her hand into the
pocket OF the wet riding habit that hung
against the wall, aud draw out q somewhat soil
ed and crumpled envelope, directed to herself,
and still unopened. lame man servant, who
had come forward to help her to mount her
horse ss the gate of Happy-go-Llcky Lodge,
had thrust it into her hand as he placed the
reips between her fugers, accompanying the
action with q look of suoh reverential admire
tiou towards herself, and gesture of such cum
ming caution to wards John, that Lssbia could
not feel uch offended at the liberty 80 taken
as she believed she ought to have been: Bride
was always warning her against ing her,
selft be looked upon by the poor people round
her as a possible source of favor Independents
of John but what was the nee of being an
heiress-of ell the money and power being
really hers-if the luxury of dispensing patron
age was altogether to be denied her, and no
one was so much as to know that she was the
real queen Lesbia believed the paper to be
petition, which she resolved at least to ex-
anime herself before referring it to the proper
authority, till she brought the writing within
the glow of the pest.fire and the light OF the
q a;ckering candles, stuck on the high chimney
piece, that left the ends aud corners of the
large wainscoted room to dimness and sb ado VI;
then, glancing down upon it, she started, ana
threw herself into the low straw CHAIR Ellen
had drawn in front of the fire, with an exota-
mat IN between amazement and dismay. Yes,
certainly, this sending her letter privately
by 9 servants hand, and such aqueer looking,
for Connor DAILY to take. What would Bride
and John sayf What strong disappEoyal
would breathe from ell the grave lines OF
Brides face when she heard how satircal
John would be! and how disagreeably their
opinion of her easy decei y ableness and vanity
would Green outf What ought she to dol
Give it to Ellen unopened, and beg her to re-
turn it to her brotherf That would be the
truly dignfied maidenly course which neither
John nor Bride could find a word to cay against.
And yet-and yet, Lesbia's eyes turned again
to the bold curves and hourlshes In her name me
written the envelope, and all at once the
objects surrounding her faded away, and avery
different scane came up. The dusty panes OF
the little conservatory st Whitecllhe ana tine
them, on a windy suulmer day-hereelf seated
on the stone steps leading from the house, with
Mrs. Maynard's weeks mending scattered
round her, and an envelope With TINS same
whirl of feeling she had been in when she
opened and read that letter. It had seemed
like voice calling her from the shores of an
old country which che was in the act of leav.
ing for something new. And low, the new did
not look altogether so glorious, and the old
was beginning to have glow of tender recol-
too ridiculous, but an enveloPing sentimental
haze, as of being hung round with all sorts OF
pleasant possibilities which actual experience
had robbed of a good deal of their charm.
"Mavourneen wears the poorest gowp."
John might Say what he liked about fortune
hunters, bus that was written b >ut her when
it was ouly too -tFas.
If she dare show that to Bride. Bride would
have to sckuo Wedge that it was not only be-
ing an beiress that made people think her
,ho9sn,S born st IL m sha1s SSy
that Was the sort of thing real love was, Lesba
supposed s. LEANED her dimpled chin on her
hand, and looked fxedly at the hre. Brothers
and SISTERS love--of whose satisfaotions she
had had such beautiful dreams when she had
lived @ little forlorn waif in her sunt's house
was not like shat; or, at all events, IL was her
thoughts that we're expected to be born in
chains, ana TO move rOupQ anu Eounu Jouu anu
Bride in that deep groove of duty and self,
culture and intellectual occupation which they
prescribed and which certainly had great
deal of sameness and dreariness in it: II any
other gayer privileges or more dazzling hom-
age belonged of right to her youth and her
heiress ship ip-and, yes, her beauty-ber two
con scientious guardians seemed determined
not to let her know it. Could anything be
strong enough to break through the braz ,n
tower of prophetic and caution they had built
round their poor little Cinderella prinoessf
Was there any knight at hand bold enough or
and let breath of fresh air and a little music
of flattery inf The Handsome knight, with
the dark eyes that looked quite unutterable
things, seemed TO be more anxious than even
the guardians to keep every chink of the tower
in good repair. 1t might be grs flying to see
him ride round and round, not able to keep
away, though too spell-bound to challenge an
entrance. But surely the spell ought to be
broken some time, some kind of a catastrophe,
some new element introduced into the scene,
might be desirable. Life was too short now
for euohantments to bs allowed to last through
a hundred years, and it was quite in accord
ance with all the old stories that letters should
come to imprisoned princesses in unorthodox
| -, T.;