The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1882-09-23
years of my life to undo the wrong 1
tho1 ohtlacclv oomn;+tol "

1
thou2htlessly committed"
These words caused Marjory some sur
prise; for, to say the turth, the lovely little
creature who now lay asleep in an adjoining
room had seemed to her in the most perfect
bloom of childish health and spirits.
But" she began, hcsitating, IF you
feel this, why should not you tell Mr.. La
mont of your change Of feeling? He can
not know" Mrs. Dering signed heavily
and threw herself back i'll her chair, fixing
her gaze upon the fire. Il thought he
looked vcry i'll and unhappy the last time
he came to my brother" added Mariory
gravely, 1T was then, l suppose, that yoa
had sent him away!"
Mrs Derlng nodded mournfully
That Is five weeks ago." Mrjory con-
tinued. And, dear Mrs. Dering, since
you are good enough to contile in me-be-
cause, suppose, Bob and l have known
Mr.. Lamont so long and have SO high a re-
gard for hiln-I wish you would let me al-
wise you to tell him of the change in your
views He is SO unhappy."
That was all Aarjcfy was thinking about.
My dear child" cried Ciarissa Derng,
81 only wish that l could DO SO. But cir
cunstances have arisen within this past
week which imperatlvely forbid my making
the first advances. I would do ANYTHING,
Heaven knows, to advance my clld's
happiness, except forfeit my self-re-
spect. And my little Floss is very brave
and good, childish as she may appear, my
dear Miss Sebrigh does not expect SO
great a sacrifice from her mother"
Circumstances Z" faitered Mariory anx-
iously, still dreading some fresh trouble for
him.
"Yes. When 1 refused Mr.. Lamont's
propose, he wis needy man, and admit
that | dreaded poverty for my daughter,
carefully and tenderty nurtureu as she has
been. l, therefore, felt it my painful duty to
forbid the affair. But nowhere is sad
news up at Wintersloe. Old Mr.. Lamont
has received the intelligence of his sons
death IN America; and it Is, no doubt, owing
To poor Humphreys absence from London
that LIE is still III ignorance of this me.an-
choly event"
But" questioned Marjory again, st;l
puzzled, II do not understand hoy this
can affect your daughter and Mr.. Lamont"
My dear child" mournfuJiy explained
the little widow, don't you see that Hum
phrey is heir to Wintersloe nov, instead OF
his poor, dead cousin Cyril:''
''Is he :"
"Of course And the time canno. be far
distant when he viii inherit the property.
The poor old man on the hill"-it was tlus
people at Friars Cross spoke OF CAriSto-
pher Lamont-''is terribly broken by this
misfortune. He parted from his only ca.id
Ill anger, and now they are never to meet
again il ihis world"
And Mr. Lanon. loved his cousin"
Like q brother. l am told there was
1 3, l,<4,,
Il am sorry for him." said Marjorv,
turning little pale. He was unhappy
enough without this fresh trouble"
You cannot feel that moro than l." as
scnted Mrs Dering gently. But see how
helpless am to console him when | All
compelled to endure my own ciliids suffer
inss in silence"
Mariory woke with start and a sigh out
of her troubled musings.
Il was forgetting" she admitted frankly.
Il was forgetting about that. And even
noW-I am afraid, [ am very stupid do
should separate your daughter audi
interrupted Mrs. Dering in kindly impa-
tience. Don't you see that people would
at once accuse me of all sorts of mercenary
intentions? Would you like it to be said
of Floss's mother, that she refused Hum
phrey Lamont in his poverty, but that, five
weeks later, when he had every prospect of
one day being wealthy, she took her daugh-
ter by the hand and asked him to No,
no; cannot even say the words !" Marjory
was listening to this eager and trembling
speech in quiet surprise. ''They would
never know, of course, the effect on my
child's health and happiness of that first
hasty refusal. They would never say to
themselves, Here is a mother who has
been melted by the anguish she has caused
her daughter-her good, little submissive
daughter, who has never uttered COM
plant, but has gone about like a little angel
with smile on her face People would
not say this, of course, but-'Oh, that art
full Mrs. Dering! Really, it is dreadful tn.
way these women of the world entrap
young men and dispose of their daughters .
No, child. My poor Floss must only go on
enduring in silence. People would never
urderstond it at ALL"
'sBut Mr.. Lament would" returned Mar
jory, not without some quiet cis,lain of
manner. "You who know him do not sus-
pect him of thinking such unworthy
thoughts about the girl he-he loves, and
her mother ?"
Mrs. Dering took the girls flushed and
quivering face in both her hands and kissed
i. on each cheek
''Mr. Lamont has q warm little cham
pion," she said kindly. ''And, indeed, be-
heve you are right. But, you see, am
proud admit; and, under the circum-
stances, cannot be the one to speak the
first word"
A clock struck in the schoolroom. and
the little widow stood up, uttering small
cry of horror.
''My dear child Twelve O'Clock!
really beg your pardon for keeping you up
to such an unearthly hour. Get to bed at
once now; and will give orders that you
are not to be disturbed in the morning
Never mind about lessons! I will not hear
of you beginning Your schnnl.rnnm duties