Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-27
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night in strange place" she rejoined
mot at all, maam," / answered. attempt
ing to be polite, although in reality expect
ed that l should feel rather uncomfortable.
81 think, my dear, if you don't mind, you
had better sleep in my daughter Kate's room.
There is q little bed there which will Just suit
you, and you will not feel lonely"
Kate's room was a perfect boudoir She
had all sorts of pretty things, and had been
at good boarding-school near London. She
had little swinging bookcase, just like my
own, with the same admixture of novels, po-
ems, and devotional works, My little white
couch was charming. In girls fashion we
! lay in bed ever so long talking. l told her
all the story of my day, from the first start
in the morning until Mr.. Curtis drove me in
to Manningham was glad to hear her gos-
| sip a little about William Curtis He was the
son of big farmer, or rather a Squire, Just
such another as Mr.. Wilmslow, to whose
house l was going He had been the head
boy of the Manningham Grammar school,
and then at an agricultural college, and he
had also travelled in foreign parts. 1t was
| quite clear that Kate regarded him as one of
the aristocracy of the neighborhood. There
was no difficulty in identifying the young
man who had been driving tandem. Kate
! denounced him as "a perfect brute" and l
| heartily agreed with her energetic language
1t was the very Mr.. Blades whom had heard
her mother aluding to in her conversation
with William Curtis. Whenever he came to
| the inn she took care that she never came
near him. She had seen him the worse for
| liquor once--which she believed was his usu-
al condition-and her mother would never let
her run the chance of seeing him thus a sec
ond time.
The morning came genial and brilliant.
slept soundly and rose refreshed. A pleasant
breakfast was spread in the stting-room
! where had been over night. There was a
| little matter which was soreIy perplexing me-
Being at the inn, l ought to ask for aud pay
my account. but on the other hand / had
been treated with such motherly kindness and
| hospitality that | really did not like to offer
! them money. / remember, however, having
| heard my dear father say that it was very
rarely indeed that you could offend people by
offering them money which might be thought
their due and be also used to say that wheth-
er they took it or not they at least liked the
offer of it. Accordingly though with some
stammering, | asked for my bill. As soon as
ever | had uttered the monosyllable | was
ashamed of it, for my good landlady took
! both my hands in hers and said that must
not say another syllable Oh the subject for
they were charmed to have me there, and
were thankful that l should have been their
! guest.
And now. my dear" she said, Il declare
| there are visitors coming to see you already. ~
Aud sure enough, just underneath the arch
way, there was low pOny-carriage with a
| pair Of white ponies, and dear old lady and
! gentleman. white-headed. who exactly match
ed the ponies In minute they were with
| in the room shaking hands with mo very
warmly.
1--WE are the father and mother of William
| Curtis, who brought you here last night" p"
said the old lady introducing herself. We
are so very glad that he was able to render
| you this service. The Wilmslows are old
friends of ours, and We thought that it might
perhaps be nicer for you if we drove you
over this morning in our pony chase. We
are afraid that they must have been very
| much alarmed as you did not turn up"
Nothing couldbe kinder than this beautiful
old lady was as we drove along. She knew
all about my going to be governess at the
Wilmslows. and said that she hoped that she
| should be often seeing me, and that must
come and spend my shorter holidays at their
home-Langley Manor House on the other
side of Manninghan. In due time we came
to bennington, when the Wimslows gave me
a very kind reception. They had been
| greatly perturbcd and dismayed by my nom
| arrival Mrs Wilmslow, with natural fem
| iune sagacity, laid all the blame upon her
irrational husband, who at once meekly ac-
ccpted her reprimand.
This, then, was the one CLEAN of romance
which illuminated my girlhood. 1t did not
last so very long. That is to say, it lasted
from five o'clock in the afternoon till ten
o'clock that memorable September day.
| Since then | really cannot say that | have
ever met with anything in the shape of an
adventure 1t is said by wise people that the
nation Is happy which has no history, and
think the same may be said of a woman. But
| from this adventure, such as it was, there
! flowed several important results / found in
the Curtises the kindest and most loving
| friends | ever made in my life. As l made
some mention of my family at the outset, l
may say that the young Squire married my
eldest sister and through her influence our
curate got living, which enabled him to
marry my second sister. As for myself, l
often say that l am still governess, but with
this important difference-that am govern
ess to children of my own, and as my boys
| grow up they are sometimes cheeky" and
call my dearest William the Governor.
often bless the day when that one gleam of
romance, through tears and troubles, brought
me to the settled sunshine of my life. All
| The Year RouHd