Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-04-17

"Perhaps you will be little nervous
at night in strange place." she rejoined.
Mot at all, ma am,'' I answered, at
tempting to be polite, although in reality
1 expected that / should feel rather un-
comfortable.
q think, my dear, if you don't mind,
you had better sleep in my daughter
Kate's room. There is little bed there
which will just suit you. and you willnot
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 book
case, just like my own, with the same
admiXture of novels, poems and devo-
tional 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
into Manningham. / was glad to hear
her gossip little about William Curtis
He was the son of a big farmer, or rather
a Squire, just such another as Mr.. Wilms-
low, to whose house l was going. He
had been the head boy of the Manning
ham 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 g a
perfect brute,'' and l heartily agreed
with her energetic language. 1t was
the very Mr.. Blades whom 1 heard
her mother alluding to in her converse
ton 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 be-
leved was his usual condition-and her
mother would never let her run the
chance of seeing him thus second time.
The morning came genial and brill
liant. l slept soundly, and rose re-
freshed. A pleasant breakfast was
spread in the sitting-room, where [ had
been over night. There was a little mat
ter which was sorely perplexing me.
Being at the inn / ought to ask for and
pay my account, but on the other hand
l had been treated with such motherly
kindness and hospitality that really did
not like to offer them money. Iremem-
Der, 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 he also used to say that whether
they took it or not they at least liked to
have the offer of it. Accordingly though
with some stammering, 1 asked for my
| bill. AS soon as ever l had uttered the
monosyllable l was ashamed of it, for
my good landlady took both my hands
in hers and said that must not say an
other syllable on the subject, for they
IL 10
were thankful that [ should have been
| their guest.
"And now, my DEAR" she said, 81
declare there are visitors coming to see
you already"
And sure enough, just underneath the
archway, there was low pony carriage
with pair of white ponies, and dear
! old lady and gentleman, white headed,
who exactly matched the ponies. In a
minute they were within the room shak-
ing hands with me very warmly.
1--WE are the father and mother of
William Curtis, who brought you here
last night said the old lady, introduc-
ing herself 1--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-chaise. We
are afraid that they must have been very
much alarmed as you did not turn up. y
Nothing could be kinder than this
beautiful old lady was as we drove along.
She knew all about my going to be 8
governess at the Wilmslows, and said
that she hoped that she should be often
seeing me, and that l must come and
spend my shorter holidays at their home
Langley Manor House, on the Other
side of Manningham. In due time we
came to bennington, when the Wins
lows gave me very kind reception
They had been greatly perturbed and dis
mayed by my non-arrival. Mrs. Wins
low, with natural feminine sagacity
laid all the blame upon her irrationa
husband, who at once meekly accepted
her reprimand.
This, then, was the one CLEAN of 70
nance which illumined my girlhood. 1
did not last so very long. That is t.
say, it lasted from five o'clock in the
afternoon till ten o. clock that memorable
September day. Since then really can
not say that l have ever met with any
thing in the shape of an adventure. /
is said by wise people that the nation i
happy which has no history, and thinl
that the same may be said of woman
But from this adventure, such as it was
there flowed several important results.
found in the Curtises the kindest ant
most loving friends 1 ever made in M,
: life. AS / made some mention of m,
family at the outset, l may say that tn
young Squire married my eldest sister
and through her influence our curate go
: a living, which enabled him to MARI.
my second sister. AS for myself, l oftel
say that am still a governess, but wit
this important difference-that am gov
erness to children of my own, and as m
boys grow up they are sometime
i" cheeky" and call my dearest William
the Governor. l often bless the da
when that one CLEAN of romance, through
tears and troubles, brought me to tn
settled sunshine of my life.-AU the Yea
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