Middletown transcript., 1881-07-29

man strobe in as one having authority
Chow are you, Peter a.? Didn't loo
for me tonight, did you =? All well,
hope? Where shall I find them-il
the parlor ?''
The parlor door was ajar; he opened
it as he spoke, and paused on the thresh
old to look at the tableau. The prett!
room was very familiar, but the slender
girl, half-ying, half-sitting on thu
hearth-rug, was not.
He could see her face in profile, &
clear-cut, sensible, handsome, gipsy
face, with luminous eyes and raven
hair. His little pink-cheeked Carrie
lay with her head on her lap, and two
big, bright eyes, Of breathless interest,
gazing on her. A voice sweet as silver
bells, was telling a fairy tale-the time.
honored history of Cinderella. Mr..
Gilbert Hartnett stood leaning against
the door-post and composedly listening.
1t was very pretty story, and very
prettily told, and he never moved until
I" and they lived happy forever after. =
Then the musical voice and the laugh
ing eyes met Carries, and the red
lips dropped kisses on the child's sweet
mouth.
"Oh, Sybilla that's so pretty Do
you know what I was thinking of all
the time you were talking ?"
"Do you take me for witch, Miss
Caroline Hartnett Your thoughts are
quite beyond my dividing.''
"Well, then, Sybilla, L was thinking
that you were Cinderella, and Mrs.
Lansing the cross step-mother, and
Eleanor the ugly step-sister with the
big feet"
Capital, Carrie who would give
you credit for so brilliant an imagina-
tion ? Will you be my fairy god
mother ?''
II wish / could be, Sybilla; you
should have the carriage and footmen,
and the diamond necklace, and the
glass slippers, and oh, lots Of things p
"And the prince, Carrie Where is
he ?"
{" Here II voice answered, a deep
voice that was not Carries, and man
emerged from the shadow Of the door
way and advanced into the room.
Governess and pupil were on their
eet in moment, staring at the in
ruder. The governess saw tall, dis
inguished-looking man, handsome
enough for a prince or anything else,
hat in hand, before her, and
Carrie, with child's shrill cry of de-
light, sprang into his arms.
"Papa papa papa p
Miss Vance retreated to the window
nd put up her falling hair, considera-
Dly fluttered by this unlooked-for APP
of the Prince on the scene. A
moment after a servant entered with
ights, and Carrie was out Of papa's
rms and presenting him.
This is Sybilla, papa-my gOverness
ou know, and love her ever so much,
h, erer so much better than Eleanor,
nd SO will you, papa, when you know
Ter, because she's so nice.
81 have no doubt of it, papa re-
ponded, gravely. Whereupon Sybilla
flushed, Of course, and hurried over to
he table, where supper was being laid
or three.
II rejoice to find | have arrived in
ime," Mr.. Hartnett said, placing a
hair for the governess, "for solitary
epasts don't admire. You will pre-
ide, Miss Vance. l find Mrs. and
Hiss Lansing are from home.
Still little f1uttered, the goyerness
,oured out tea and listened while Mr..
Iartnett and his daughter talked. He
alked SO well that it would have been
pity to interrupt him she thought, SD
he only used monosyllables herself and
vas all attention. He told Carrie of
lis travels and the presents he had
,rought her, and when they rose from
upper, opened the piano and asked
Hiss Vance to play for him. Miss
Vance could play brilliantly, and sing
lntil the air grew tremulous with mel
,dy. Then when the boxes came in
he helped to unpack Carries presents,
md listened with breathless interest to
ales Of the fair, far-off lands where
hey had been bought. No wonder
he hours flew by like magic, no wonder
Sybilla started up with little cry of
as the midnight hour
truck.
81 never dreamed of such a thing.
come, Carrie, come. What @Ould Mrs.
lansing say -
Mr. Hartnett laughed at her Mortified
ace.
" We won't tell her. 1t has been a
,leasant evening. Goodnight, my little
laughter. Goodnight, Miss Vance.
He kissed Carrie, held out his hand |
0 Sybilla, and watched them as they
an up stairs. They had not made
heir escape an instant too soon. Ten
later Mrs. Lansing and her
stood before him, welcoming
i'm home with effusion.
"To think that they should have
een from home! How vexatious
They would not have had it happen for
he world How well he was looking
low dull he must have found the cot
age, all deserted ~
Mr.. Hartnett smiled, and said very
title. He had his own thoughts about
hat and his own memory Of pair Of
wonderful black eyes, a pale, earnest
ace, and u voice as sweet as the sing
ng fountain of Arabia. No, it had not
cen dull. Then he looked at Eleanor,