Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-06-10

ture arrangements.
You shall have a certain amount
month, said he, "beyond your board.
With that you may do as YOU please.
You may go to school, or learn dress
making, or anything else you like
leave for New York tomorrow evening.
and in a week l sail for London. | shall
be in Europe certainly for three years,
and at the end of that time | shall look
you up to see what you have made of
yourself"
Feicie looked at him with her pretty
dark eyes brimming over with tears.
She had learned to dread and fear
strangers These two Russell Thorn
ton and Miss Shepard-were the only
two who had ever been kind to her in
all her life.
81 will try will try p was all she
could say.
Thornton rose to say good-by.
"When [ come back l expect to be
dazzled with your requirements"
He shook hands with her as he spoke,
and then with Miss Shepard, and the
next moment she saw his graceful figure
disappear in the darkness. She turned
"Will he ever-do you think he will
ever come back ?" she asked, with quiv-
cring lips.
"Of course. Three years viii slip by
easily"
1t seemed an eternity to look forward
to, in Felicies imagination.
The next day, she said to Miss Shep-
ard
'Do you know what am going to do
with what Mr.. Thornton gives emYI
intend to learn to sing :
'Iearn to sing = said Miss Shepard,
in the same tone as is she had said,
Learn to fly !'
'Yes, said Felicie-"to sing like the
great opera-singers. My mother sang
beautifully, and l mean to sing like
her"
Miss Shepard interposed no objection,
and she soon learned to oppose nothing
that Felicie said. She was so
bright, and so helpful Miss Shepard's
dull little house had never known any
youthful merriment, and it warmed the
poor old souls heart to feel Felicie's
active and magnetic young presence
about her
She summed herself, as it were, in Fe-
licies youth and beauty; and Felicie
found herself soon to be the very apple
of Miss Shepards eye.
She had begun her singing lessons
the week after Thornton left, and might
be heard trilling and carolng down IN
Miss Shepard's stufy little parlor, and
touching light chords on Miss Shepard's
wheezy old piano, all day long.
I u u - IL ~ na1
r'esssiiiiy really Gdiu fA fSc SIS sESs or
+ cept singing. But she read with
- steady purpose of improvement thi
& worked wonders. She bought cop
books and changed her uniformed, chill,
4 ish handwriting for one full of vigor.
e She had a natural quickness in lear
+ ing everything that belonged to dome
tic affairs, and two years slipped awa
" in happiness and content that poor F
S licie had never dreamed of.
About this time, when Felicie WI
y twenty, she saw an advertisement for
e first soprano in one of the great Gil
church choirs. She determined to al
it ply for it, and without saying a word
Il Miss Shepard, she slipped off, and wei
to the vestry-room where the candidate
t, were being examined.
When she found herself before
e many persons, and saw the strange pr
1t fossor who presided at the organ, h,
heart sank but when at last "AIiss Br
o ward" was called forward, and she sa
the familiar notes, her voice returnt
1t to her. She had never felt more mi
e. tress of herself She sang with insl
~ ration. Her voice was so pure and I'll
7t and beautiful in tone and compass til
| she knew almost intuitively that S
L would succeed. And, indeed, about
week afterward, she received lett
d. from the choir committee, who "havil
Mt made inquiries about her, and tindi
s. she was a suitable person, would be gl
at to have her accept the place of first s
y prano. The salary would be five hu
ie DE fred doliars with the privilege of ia
ol select in the city, not to cost more Is,
+. -, etc"
er Felicie rushed up stairs to show it
Miss Shepard.
Gust think Five hundred dollar
And only to sing for it And lessc
from Barilli What | have longed
and could not afford !"
OF Miss Shepard looked at her in
., lighted surprise
= "Oh, Felicie, dear what will Mr.. r
sell say ?"
ak "Don't you think he will like il
ch said Felicie, stopping short.
81 81 "Ot course he will, my darling"
lSI or "Then it's all right" said Felic
~ Skipping on to answer her letter
:" In little while Felicie began to thi
for 81, sne TOOK wicked pleasure in her vol
~ 9he could not but be proud of IL S.
n 9ay became day of triumph to i
49, she 1elt That when she sung her so
r every note was listened to with
10 lighted attention; but She kent 10
eS' her innocent, girlish vanity by saw W
T. to herself: ''5
"Wben Mr.. Thornton comes hon.
.he will have heard so many fine OI,,s NV; :
that mine will be nothing to him >
ow if he sees that l am vain of e. be y
jan an be utterly disguised with me-"
III She had been singing in the cb
one whole winter. 1t was the afte,nl
OF Easter Sunday, and the cbnrnb ,
packed to hear Miss Brevard sinp
~ IA She had never sung so glorious
'iu she felt delicious sense of imnendi
happiness.
II At last the service was over; the d
,,ou pie had flocked out the sexton wol
MS be around in half an hour to lock
=, everything for the night
It, Felicie remained. When every
one had left the church she stole to the
ny gan and began playing. Then she
get gan to sing a simple little hymn
IN Miss Shepard had told her was the
der vorite Of RusseIl Tbornton's mother
81 never heard anybody but she :
( a it." she often said, as she heard Eel
IN singing it.
ket tbe great dark cbnrcb while the i
'es- light shadows slowly crept in the st
ed-glass windows; but there was st
Fe- one else. A gentleman sat in the
lile ner of the church, who turned arc
Al, Il