The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-03-16

Eric was forgetting everything
even the two young savages who
were swarming up on HMM look
ing at the wonderful beautr of this
young girls face. Surely, if Mrs.
Chumleigh had seen that face in
anything but the half-darkness in
which she delighted, she would new
er have brought Gertrude Winthrope
into the house.
"Well, Eric, what are you about?"
cried merry voice. ''Going to VOL
lop Rod ? I'll go in for that, as he
used up good bottle of my Frangi-
PAM at his late incantation."
And little, dark, brilliant-look-
ing creature, in black gauze and
amber, fluttered in, and stared
rather superciliously at Gertrude
She reminded our heroine somehow,
of some brilliant South American
insect, there was SO much flash and
color about her.
Her only real beauty was IN her
eyes, which were large, intensely
black and shining, but also, at pres
ent, little malicious ; for Francia
Dormer took in at glance Ger
trude's beauty, and she was not yet
secure of Eric Chumleigh's heart.
She nodded carelessly.
"The governess, suppose? Come,
Eric, the Count is down stairs, and
wants to consult you about some
thing-whether tomatoes viii grow
in Saxony, l believe. He has learn
ed to dote on them, and wishes a
garden of them around his castle. "
Eric took leave with polite bow,
and Rod, who had been silent for
the space of five minutes, said:
Il hate Francia Dormer. She's a
snake !"
Gertrude kept the irrepressible
ones quiet till tea time with her in
ventions. She had some talent in
that line, and felt glad and relieved
to find that she held most potent
weapon to be used in her new king
dom.
Rod had really an active mind,
and she won him by her praise
Nina followed his example ard
when he found that he could gain
the pleasure of hearing a story by
diligence, he began to apply him
self.
Eric said the children were grow
ing so tolerable he quite enjoyed
looking in on them once in while );
to which Rod replied, 'What makes
you look at Miss Gertrude all the
time then ?"
Gertrude blushed, and began to
feel uncomfortable about the visits.
Sometimes Gertrude was request
ed to come down in the evening to
play, and then she saw Bertha and
her betrothed. The elder sister
was too busy just now to look into
the school-room. Her intended, Won
Arnheim, who was an officer in the
Prussian army, was a rather stolid-
looking German, with scant blonde
hair, good-natured blue eyes and q
beaming smile. Bertha was sallow,
but had fine black eyes and dazzling
white teeth.
Sometimes Francia bestowed her
company and confidence on Ger
trude /; at others she assumed haugh- |
ty and distant airs. She delighted |
in outre toilets, wore the most won
derful combinations, glowed and |
glittered like some rare tropical bird. |
So the months went on of that win
ter, and the wedding day drew |
near.
''How do / look ?" exclaimed |
Francia ore night, as she opened |
the school-room door. ''Good ! i |
hoped the imps were in bed. Heav-
ems and earth how | hate children
/ pity you, Miss Winthrope J | sup |
pose you dream of an escape some
day some fairy prince viii open
your prison with a golden key p
"No, / expect nothing" answered
Gertrude. II am tryingto cultivate |
the spirit which Tennyson eulo-
gizes
Not to desire or admire is better by far
Than to walk all day like the sultans Of old
in garden OF spice
$50 away, Francia Dormer," cri-
ed Rod, from the next room. "You
keep me awake with your chatter.
You're worse than the nightmare"
"Oh you angel are you awake ?"
cried the girl. ''Then goodbye,
Miss Winthrope. Comfort is at an
end. you'll have the house to
yourself tomorrow we're off on an
excursion, all of us. The snow is
Just right, so hard and whitehall !
what a poor fire you have" And
she disappeared.
''She has everything" thought
Gertrude, beauty and fortune" (she
had heard fabulous accounts of
Francia's estates in Cuba, "and she
will win Eric at last-who can doubt
it ?"
Still Gertrude, remembering GER
tain words and looks, did doubt in
her heart. The next morning, when
the party whirled away and dshe saw
Eric tuck in the sables about Fran
cia, and heard the CHEEKY sound OF
their voices, the old school-room
looked very cold and bare and she
took up the dog-eared history very
absently.
Enter Betsy with note and bo-
quet--cream white camelias, blue
heliotrope and crimson bouvardia.
"Sure they was both left thegith
er, but they're not after belongin'
thegither, as the post-boy brough
the letther."
Gertrude dropped the history and
gloated over the flowers in delight
She had never owned a boquet of
hot-house flowers before, and then
she knew whose kind heart had re-
membered her when all the others
were absorbed in their own pleasure
1t seemed as if they would make
the whole day fragrant. She had
almost forgotten the note There
was only one person in the world to
write to her, so she opened the note
leisurely, as those do who have lit
tie to hope or fear. Bat as she read