The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-03-17
mamma, IS She crazy?

Her sharp, cutting tone was dis
tinctly heard, as she intended it
should be, by Minnie, who flushed
painfully as she rose, yentured just
one glance at the beauty's face, and
Mr.. Fletcher's esger admiring eye,
whose boldness startled her.
81 am sorry to have made such a
mistake. / thought that Mrs. Car
riscourt meant that / was to sit here
a little while. Please excuse me; l
will not come again."
Her voice was sweet, and just a
little, nervous, and she instantly
crossed the room, followed by Cleona's
cold, cutting words, every one of
which brought sharp thrill of
modification and pain to her.
"Be careful you make no more
such mistakes, girl. Your place is
among hired help, and not in the
parlors. Be good enough to remem-
Der that"
Aud even Geofrey Fletcher's cal
lous heart gave thrill Of sympathy
at sight Of the scarlet pain on the
sweet young face.
Once safe in her room, poor little
Minnie fought and conquered her
first battle with fate.
"I'll not be crushed by my first ex-
perience," she decided resolutely, an
hour or so after, when her breast yet
heaved with convulsive sighs, and
her eyes were all swollen from cry.
ing. 81 will not giveit up and rush
home to mamma-my first impulse.
Twill endeavor to construe people
less literally, and keep my place"
But there came a flush to her
cheeks that all her brave philoso-
phizing could not control, at the
memory Of Cleo Carriseourts cool in
science.
"l'd not have spoken SO to a dog"
Minnie said, as she repressed the bit
ter tears.
After that there was no shadow of
an opportunity given by Minnie for
Mrs. Carriscourt Of Cleona to lay any
blame to her charge.
She performed her duties as no
governess had ever performed them,
and the twins progressed to their
mothers complete satisfaction.
Minnie never was seen in the
rooms of the family, but lived entire
ly to herself, taking her solitary lit
tie walks when the days duties were
ended, and disciplining herself into
an unconsciously unselfsh, brave,
patient woman.
Her letters home were bright and
heerful-until one day Mrs. Velsor
was Mortified to learn that her dar-
ling was dangerously i'll, that the fe-
yer had come suddenly upon her, and
that in fear and selfishness, Mrs.
Paul st. Eustice Carriscourt had in.
sisted that the raving girl be taken
from her house to the hospital.
at will kill her to move her." DR..
Lethbridge had demonstrated indig-
nantly.
sWhat nonsense, mammal Cleona
,retorted, looking fercely at the ply
sician. "It will not hurt her to be
moved nearly as much as it will for
us to keep her here. She is nothing
but the children'sgoverness; she had
better die, even, than risk all our
lives any longer. You will superin-
tend her removal to-day" she added,
imperiously,'to Or. Lethbridge.
He looked coldly, almost furiously,
at Miss Carriscourt's face as she spoke.
Then he bowed and answered quietly:
81 beg to agree with you. This
poor suffering child had better die
than remain among such inhuman
people,"
And DR.. Lethbridge personally su-
perintended Minnie's transfer-not
to the hospital, but to his own house,
where his lovely, white-haired moth
er and his sister opened their hearts
to the girl, and nursed her back to
health and strength, and the sweet
est happiness that ever came to a
girls heart, for Hugh Lethbridge
asked her to be his wife.
And the memory of these brief
days was hidden away beneath the
clad sunshine of her heautiful new