The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-04-10


statemcni---a look which did not escape
her aun's observation
~ never knew that before, aunt Marga-
ret. only knew that my mother was, as
you say, not one OF US; but had no idea
she was a trsdcsman's daughter. Was IL
generally known" Florence asked.
"No, don't suppose that people troub.
bled their heads much about your fathers
wife, child, when she was not brought i'm
mediatcly under their notice--espccially
as there was no scandal attached to her
name TO make II interesting; had there
been, then, with her beauty, she might
have become the rage Who can tell, in
| this strange world we live in? But, AS IL
was, she was poor, faded flower, child,
| and bIoomed and died In her short solitary
| grandeur Your father had not long in
| hcrited when he married. aud was, of
| course, better OF than he has ever been
| since. He certainly took his Young wlle's
| death TO heart; possibly he took to gam
bling TO divert his mind"
"Ws my mother 80 very bcautifulD-
Florence asked, with little more than or
binary interest in her voice, her mind. in
spite of herself, dwelling upon the sweet
face she had never seen, the sweet voice
she had never heard, but often yeaned for.
eyes, my dear, she undoubtedly was
very beautiful; but She did not assert her
| beauty sufiiclcntly--it was not in her to do
| that; still | must say, poor thing, she had
| one Of the most beautiful faces have ever
seen. She was like yourself, my dear, only
| you lack her sweetness Of expression, and,
| instead, you have more patrician stamp
| from your father-So yOll see that YOU are
| the gamer on the whole, Florence" Lady
| Raven declared.
"lIad my mother 10 rclatiycS;"
"Rclatives? Yes, my dear, an endless
| LOT Of sisters and brothers, think. They
pretended not 10 like her marriage, and |
mus, say they have shown good taste in
never obtruding themselves upon us in any
way"
"a don't suppose they have felt much in
tcrest upon that point"
perhaps not. Your aunt, remember,
wrote once, and asked for you to be taken
TO her house-a house Of business perhaps.
| She had most probably Il strong curiosity
| 10 see what her hlgh-boln niece was like;
but happily you were then in my charge,
and of course did moi allow such thing.
! sent her "A polite note however, saving
we should be very happy for her 10 see YOU
in your own home whenever she chose"
"And she availrd herself OF your gra-
cious permission. | can remember her
coming several times when was child,
but not at all lately, or for many years past"
eyes, she came few times, and saw
You In your nursery, and probably satisfied
her curiosity and conscicnce-she has never
repeated her visits But we are wasting
time, Florence, and there is little 10 lose
The most veyatious question is about your
costume for the twenty.titth, and how il is
to be procured"
"My interest in the subject has very
nearly evaporated, aunt Margaret; if we
are on the verge Of becoming paupers, as
you have painfully forced me to believe, il
is difficult to associate oneself in any
way with such grand festivities" Miss
Worthington declared.
Nou are foolish, Florence, and showing
the whte feather for the first time in your
life. Believe me, my dear, all will go well
enough-it only wants managing with tact
and courage. A few months hence, when
you are Lady Ilarcourt, you will laugh at
all your fears. Your father il in difficult
ties pro tenn; If he had million given to
him tomorrow, he would probably be in
them again week henco-with his gam
bling propensities, nothing can hinder it.
In spite Of yourself, my dear, you Of course
complicats his difficulties and anxiety
and IL is with yourself we now have TO
deal. Once let your marriage be safely de-
cided, and all will 60 we'll The difficulty |
about your dress is a bagatele Is there |
no one, Florence, but Therese that you can
trust" Lady Raven asked.
"No first.rate artist certainly"
DWELL, l must take the risk on my own
shoulders then; the scheme il mine, and |
must do my best TO help you through with
1t. ] suppose that Mrs, Gilbert could I'M
dertake your costume?" her ladyShip asked.
Miss Worthngton's face frightened, for
Mrs. Gilberts reputation as Court dress
maker was too well established for her abil-
ity to be doubted
"But will she not think il odd to be |
asked ri the last minute, as it were, to un.
dertake my dressy"
"Not II take you, Florence-she made
my last Court dress, and your cousins al
NO, which was certainly success and /"
NV i~u, why ihIu SItdt SlItss on Inc pro-
noun-"haye weakness for paving nv
bills IL you ever have chance as Lady
Harcourt, you can repay me her account;
II not, one must do something for ones rel
stives."
Florence Worthinston's blood boiled in
her veins, but she could not retaliatc-she
could only endure as best she might.
ave must tell Mrs. Gilbert that Thcrese
has annoyed you; she will never imagine in
what way, and it will only give her greater
rcst to please you. Is there any kind of We
hce we can have, Florence, or must it be
acab'" Lady Raven asked.
"There is the brougham, and a horse
from Bentley's as told you;" and Miss
Worthington rang the bell impatcntly and
gave the order,
"One word, Florence, before we start
we seem TO be tolcrably d'accord ON all 9th.
or points-haye you invited young Garlic
ton to your bsl?"
Again blnsh deepcned into scarlet on
Miss Wor,hngon's ordinary pale checks,
and she answered ncrvously-
81 think so--it would not be easy to ex-
clude him. aunt Margaret; he and his sis
tcrs are certainly our oldest friends, and
we visit Nctherwood nearly every year,
at may be 30, Florence; nevertheless his
exclusion on this occasion would have been
very desirable just now matters have
reached crisis between yourself and Lord
Harcourt-and man is too easily scared
from his intentions"
"His love must bc very valuable acqui-