Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-08-18


Of softly pleated net. Mrs. LishrnAn al
ways wore black silk dress and = net
handkerchief fastened with a diamond
pun which Mr.. kenrick had given herI
but whenever this pin was lost, everyone
IN the house, from the Butler. whose fg-
ure did not lend itself readily 20 stooping,
to the kitchen-maid, searched high and
low until it was found.
"Thank you for thinkiRg-of me; am
rather dull" said Lucy gratefully. Il
was looking at that pictures" and still
she stripped off her adornments one by
one, hoping all the time that Mrs. Lish-
man had not seen them.
That picture is the very moral oi you,
Miss Clavering."
'fou know, Mrs. Lishman, that is why
Mr.. Kenrick left this house to me. Do YOU
mind his having left his property to met"
asked Lucy, humbly.
"That depends" replied Mrs. Lishman
guardedly. IL think not but I'll see how
things go on before 1 pronounce judg-
ment."
"Mrs. Lishman, Mr.. Kenrick told me he
wished me to keep everything as he had
it. You will help Inc to obey him won't
your"
NATURALLY, Miss Clavering, shall see
to that" said Mrs. Lishman, and her state
of mind was indecipherable
IF you have any spare time, Mrs. Lish-
man, l wish you would go through the
house with me and tell me a little about
Mr.. kenrick-where he used to sit.I mean,
what he did, and as much as you can about
him."
"There is not much to tell about him,
Miss. He was. so to speak, a very inward
minded gentleman"
IL thought he talked very openly when
saw him."
"He took to you, you see, Miss, along of
the likeness. 1t was not his Way to strike
up with strangers readily,I car assure
you of that"
Mrs. Lishman took Lucy into all the
rooms. and after about an hour spent in
this way she condescended to say. $50 far
as can see at present, Miss Clavering.
think you and l might do very well to-
gether." ~al
81 am so glad to hear you say that"
cried Lucy-and truly this emi-gracious
speech did make her very happy. The
last room they entered was little sitting
room upstairs in which Lucy often spent
an hour or two.
Il often see you here, Miss Clavering,"
said Mrs. Lishman. 1T was furnished
to be young Mrs. Kenrick's boudoir, L be-
lieve. 1t was before my time, of course,
but have heard all about it,"
But" said Lucy, twas the wedding so
near? l never knew that?"
"Mrs. Hugh Kenrick, maam, as was to
have been, died most unfortunately Just a
short fortnight before her wedding-day."
"How very dreadful"
"Yes, it was pity! Not that 1 am one
that holds much with marrying; but then
this was a wedding as had right to be,
for they both loved each other like-like
nothing I can think of strong enough to
compare them to-" said MrsaLishman.-
"There was no looking to anything but
their love and respect fprvatlr cther in
either of them. That made him have a
good right to fret for her when she was
taken" .-
How Mrs. Lishman's words struck
home! Lucy knew that she had sno
right to fret for Robert Merivale, for his
love for her was nothing like so strong as
his love for money and position. New
ertheless her heart knew itsown bitter
ness!
Just at this moment card was brought
to Lucy. Mrs. Lishman watched her face
as she read the name on it, and was sure
it was the name of some one whom she
did not wish to see. "Sir Richard Meri-
vale." Lucy looked at the man who
brought it, as if to see whether any way
of escape remained open to her.
"The gentleman is in the library, mad
am" said he. "IIe told me to say that he
desired to see you on matter of pressing
Importance"
Her impulse was to refuse to see him,
but on second thoughts she went. Sir
Richard Merivale was all but stranger
to her. A grey-haired, brisk little man Of
sixty stood in the library, hat in hand
81 must apologize, madam, for this intru-
sion, but it was my duty to come, and
came, and hope before we part you will
say that did right"
Lucy bowed; she felt that she could not
speak.
"Upon my word, young lady, you are
very pleasantly situated here. Very! I
like these Chester Square houses particu-
larly; always did. Well, I had better
tell you why came-business first, and
pleasure after. 1t has come to my knowl-
edge that my nephew, Robert Merivale,
was very much attached to you, and, hon
estly speaking, don't wonder at it; but
that he was kept back from proposing to
you by a strong feeling that should not
approve of such q step. I knew nothing
about it at the time, or 1 could easily
have set that right, indeed I should not
have disliked the task of making his offer
for him. He, however. said nothing to
me, but let you go away without securing
you. Nay, more, he says he wrote to tell
you how fond he was of you, but that he
had Turk of an uncle, who insisted on
his marrying some lady of good position
in the county. He ought to have spoken
to me; he never did. I call that carry
ing respect and duty, and that kind of
thing, to fanaticism; but he has suffered
well for it! l did not know what was go
ing wrong, but he became more and more
dismal every day, and at last the whole
thing came out, and he and l laid our
heads together, and thought if came and
ate humble-pie for thing, by the way,