Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-09-24

But then came the bitter remem.
brance that she must endure it
that she had neither home nor
friends to flee to.
Aud when at the weeks end Miss
Priscilla Beverly paid the astouDd.
ing sum of ten shillings into Miss
Raymond's shrinking palm, she felt
that it had indeed been hardly
earned.
There's one good thing about
you, Miss Raymond" said the spin.
ster, parenthe,ically, as she counted
out the coin, Zone quality that none
Of my other companions could ever
suit me in; you have never got out
of temper. You have never lost
your patience the whole time you've
been here; and used to hear year
or so ago, when my nephew Charles
was at home, what cbangeable,
tickle, impatient little thing Mrs.
Raymond's daughter was"
Kate cOlOred, and the tears start.
ed quickly to her deep brown eyes.
"No,r said the old bachelor in the
corner, whose whole life seemed
nothing mole than an echo to Miss
Beverly's energetically expressed
opinions; "no, Miss Raymond never
gets out of temper, nOw!7
81 suppose l must be very much
changed" said poor Kate, as she
went on with her wearisome work
of stringing steel beads for a purse
which Miss Priscilla intended to
manufacture some day, sand indeed
| hardly feel like the same person
that was on my 18th birthday
"How old are you now" asked
Miss Beverly.
81 was 20 last month"
"Humph! only 70! Well, / sup.
pose you'll be getting married some
day, and | shall lose my compan.
iOn.r
But Kate gently shook her head,
without even looking up.
81 shall never marry" she said,
"nobody cares for me now"
"There, James, l told you you'd
knock that vase of the window seat
if you insisted on leaving it there
lampntpd Miss Beverly, as q sudden
crash of breaking china interrupted
Kate's voice. "Run. Miss Raymond,
and don't let the water soak into
the carpet. for PHYS sake! l don't
see how men can be 80 careless"
And. for once, the old bachelor
had no excuse to plead for himself.
Miss Raymond" he said, in a
low hurried voice, when his sisters
temporary absence had Glanced to
leave them together half an hour or
so later. "yOu said little while ago
that nobody cared for you. That
was a mistake
Kate Raymond looked up into his
face with surprise.
"My nephew, Charles Beverly
cares for you. He has never left
of caring for yon. If he thought
you would look kindly upon him
once more
But Kate shook her head.
81 am sure you are wrong she
said, trying to steady her faltering
voice. 81 treated him too capri.
cionsly and too unkindly. / think
he did love me once, and / should
like to have him know, some day,
when he is happily married to some
woman who is worthy of him. that
loved him better than he thought;
at-that-wben | was coolest in
my manner, my heart within me
was most tender. 1t is too late
now to say these things; and yet"
"But it isn't too late" interrupted
the old bachelor, sOlemnly, rising
ont of the chair. taking of his blue
spectacles, behind which sparkled
a pair of brilliant black eyes, re-
moving the rusty wig from a pro-
fusion of chestnnt-brOwn curls, and
spurnning the wadded flannel dress
ing gown from him with contemp-
tuOns motion.
Kate, in great agitation, rose to
her feet with a hysterical scream.
"Charles.7
ais it too late, Katei This last
week has taught me how good, how
gentle, and how patient you have
grown, and ! love you better than |
did before. Can you forgive me
for the ruse practiced to learn
whether might indeed aspire once
more to your handf"
Kate Raymond said mo-" at first,
hut she said EYES," atterward. when
Charles had convinced her of the
perfect prOpriety of his conduct.
And did your aunt known
alt was she who insisted on it,
Kate. She wished to prove the
temper she had heard was 80 tickle
and uncertain"
"And she's perfectly satisfied,
sounded the spinsters voice behind
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