The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-05-15

| Tor me 10 90 RUC, auu LOU uuet Ue
strict with me about this Miss Jennings.
And the new governess, though she's
fresh as rosebud, and much more of
baby in looks than Miss Martha is,
has her own way through all. l can see
that. But it's a nice way and bright
way, so it is. It's as good as going to the
theater to hear her talk. And when she
goes laughin' and singin' through the
house, my machine spins, so it do"
"What has come to me?" thought Mr..
Rainor. Age must be tenapering me, ]
feel 80 light-hearted, so well, of late.
And Matte, my precious little Matte
I begin to think that she will make a
glad, strong girl yet. I wonder if there
is any thing in Miss Jennings's idea of
sun and fragrance, music and color and
stirring life? Amy Jenningsl What a
strange woman she is!-a child almost,
and yet woman quite. She is sur
prise to me-everyday surprise"
Surprise! That was the word which
Amy seemed to have written upon the
whole house. But the greatest surprise
of all befell Mrs. Edgeley on her return
home. She came day before she had
written she would come, for some reason
of her own. Perhaps she expected to
be surprised; if so, her expectation was
realized.
The cab rolled up to the door at nine
o'clock of clear moon-lit winter night;
and Mrs. Edgeley, satchel and blanket
shawl, exactly as she left, had come
back. But at the very door step of the
cab she stood motionless, as if transfxed
by shock.
The house was lighted from attic
to basement. The white blinds were
drawn, but t1amp-light streamed through
them into the street, and shadows moved
across them in swift chase. Sound
of music, played by piano, violin
and harp, escaped as distinctly as
the light. Mrs. Edgeley hardly
had strength of mind left to pay
the cabman and ring the door-bell. The
door opened in flash. The stern dis
satisfied waitress admitted her with a
yes, actually with grin. Gir.s in light
evening dresses and white-necktied boys
were promenading in the hall, and the
parlors were filled with the whirl of the
dance.
Mrs. Edgeley, dumb with indignation,
attempted to ascend the stairs, but mid
way she was almost upset by two chill
dren in high state of excitement com.
ing down abreast. "Who are you ?"
gasped the matron, coming to a dead
stop. =,
1--WE are Miss Rainor's orphans" "
said they, or said one for both, who
were exactly alike in brown stuff gowns
and blue capes.
"Miss Rainor's what ?"
"We 20 to the L. School, and
Miss Rainor has no mother; 80 she takes
care of us, for our mother is dead too.
Miss Rainor makes our frocks for us,
and our capes; and we have been to hear
the music, and now we are going home;
and we are to have oranges to take with
us, and plum-cake."
"Mercyl cried the lady, pushing
past them with hasty steps, but pausing
again on the landing with another dead
stop. Not because the rooms on this
floor too, with the exception of her own
ewing room," were a blaze of light and
half full of guests, but because the dance
music had stopped and some one was
singing: love song, a serenade-one OF
"the old, old songs"
A mans voice It carried Mrs. Edge
ley back ten years-yes, fifteen years
back to the gray parsonage by the stone
mill, where, night after night, that sum-
mer agone, some one came courting, no
one knew which, till the one sister was
taken and the other left. Mr.. Rainor was
singing. Heaven only knew how, out OF
that grave of fifteen years, no had got
back his voice. .
It is a year from the day when Amy
Jennings went out as governess from her
brothers house, and now she is back,
only for month, for at the end of that
time she is to be a bride, and her room
is strewn with bridal stuffs, and the we'd
ding gown is this moment being trim
med with its pearly border of lace.
"We had hoped to keep you longer, !"
said the affectionate Dick; and "It's to
bad in you to 60 off just as you've come
back" said the affectionate Jack. But
Matilda remarked " How ridiculous it is
for girl like you, Amy, to marry an old
man like that /"
"He is not an old man," said Amy,
Indignantly, "and if he were, I'd make
him young again. 1 love him 80 much
love and respect and bless his kind
heart so deeply and 80 much There is
no old age to forever kind heart.
"And then that grill Very much
fitted you are to be a mother to big
girl like that |"
"She'n be a mother to me-" said
Amy, laughing her merriest little laugh:
81 assure you Matte is equal to tha !"
Sand to be married 80 soon, too /;
only engaged for q month Mr.. Rai-
nor" Matilda changed from the sarcastic
to the angelic in trice, for Mr.. Rainor
had entered as she spoke-"Mr. Rainor,
why don't you marry mature woman
instead of this giddy girl? or why do
you not at least wait year or two before
you commit the rash act ?"
Because" said Mr.. Rainor, not ac-
cepting as badinge what he knew Matilda
at heart did not consider q jest-"be-
cause Amy, just as she is his arm was
around her, and with hands clasped
upon his shoulders she was looking up
joyously and lovingly to his face-"Amy
satisfies my mind and my heart; because
she has brought sunlight to my life ;
because in my house, and by every one
in it, she is wanted-wanteda at once I"