Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-30
THE USUAL RESULT.
BY DAPHNE LAUREoL.

4 suppose there'll be the usual re.
suit Allie says, with little sigh
She is on her knees before the one
trunk of the family-a huge, moth.
eaten, shabby affair-from the ap.
pearance OF which these two facts
will be inferred, viz: that we are
poor, and that we seldom travel. AS
Alice speaks, she drops the dress she
has been folding, and olasping her
hands behind her head, fixes her gray
eyes meditatively on me.
'The usual result 2 | asked.
Yes. There is sure to be some
brother, or cousin, or son, or nephew
there, and he will tall in love with
you, and you with him-that is what
always happens to governesses.
In books, answered, shortly
But listen, Isabel, don't heed Allies
romance-let me read my letter!'
So | read:
Mss LoUeH Your letter of ap,
plication for position as goyerness
received. Reference quite satisfac-
tory. Duties begin on the lst On
that day, therefore, the carriage will
be at the landing at the Cove to con.
vey you to our home.
Respectfully,
y. N. WEAVER
Terribly business-like,' remarks
Isabel Slater, the friend for whose
benefit | have read this letter. She,
too. is helping me-repairing a pair
of dilapidated kid gloves, as if she
were quite accustomed to such work.
And yet she looks fit for a queen.
with her rich bronze crown, and an
air of lazy majesty from the top of
her stately head to the arched, long
foot, visible beneath her skirt. Her
hands move softly to and fro, giving
even in their delicate curves an i'm
preston OF the reposeful strength
which is her chief charm. She sits
up, too, in the stiff mahogany chair,
as If it were throne-while Allie,
with disordered hair, and eager brown
hands flashing here and there, kneels
on the hoor-and /, with like dis
regard for propriety of department,
Toll on the bed, surrounded by cha,
os of dry goods. Isabel's majestic
mien has always been my admiration
and envy. | am sure, if | were a
man, | would most certainly fall 10
love with her.
4 like it, say. This is the first
business letter | have ever received,
and | like it,
Allie and | are orphans and,
though we have a home here with
our brother, he is poor and has his
own family to look after; and Allie
and |, having dread of being 'bur-
dens, are ever on the look-o out for
something to do. For months we
have been searching the column of
wants in the News in the hope of
finding some want of another which
may doyetail with our wants. About
& week ago l fJGSff one Iyhich | read
to Allie, and then boldly applied
though feeling great qualms Of doubt
as to my ability to teach the young
idea how to shoot Allie, of course,
had comfortable cry over her 'use-
lessness' and our first parting but
was so eager to break through the
monotony of my life, and try some
thing new, even though it might be
hard, that, until to-day, no shadow
had darkened the horizon of my ex-
pectations. But now, after Isabel
has gone, and Allie, having locked
my trunk with click, goes to the
window, and leaning her head against
the sill, looks sadly out into the dusk
"a very dlsagreeable lump rises in
my throat, and incomprehensible
tears stir in my eyes. / am going to
leave her alone, l think. How can
Allie and I sleep even one night
apart from each other ?
When think of this, go and put
my arm round Allies waist, and we
stand there-not daring to be other
wise than silent, lest we should be-
tray to each other the pain we feel.