Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-12-20
CHAPTER VI.

| Margaret dined alone with Mrs. Las.
celles. Her husband, said the lady, haG
been called away to York on business
connected with the county magistracy
she hoped he would return that night,
but it was not absolutely certain. Da.
maris did not appear again. After din.
ner they went into the drawing-room.
81 am sorry your son is ILL., began
Margaret, 81 fear he is sufferer"
There was pause ere Mrs. Lascelles
replied; ''He is indeed a great sufferer.
| want to speak to you about him now
"Yes," said Margaret, struck with
the extreme gravity of her tone.
when your engagement with us was
written about, it was understood that
you were to have two pupils"
| "Yes. And am not to have two?''
"That depends upon your own wish,
| Miss Percival"
Margaret started. She wished Mrs.
Lascelles knew that she was not called
Miss Percival. for there was something
| in the earnestness and sorrow of her
tones and gestures which made Marga-
ret's trivial little plot suddenly appear
very trivial, indeed. Mrs. Lascelles
went on:
| Il am encouraged by your kind face,
and by your evident love of children, to
tell you of the difficulty in which | am
placed. l have had many children.
these two are the youngest, and the last
who survive. My other children have
all died-and have suffered in losing
| them"
| Margaret was silent. Mrs. Lascelles
went on, after pause: "You will nat
urally understand that my only boy,
the last boy have left, is very precious
| to me-"
Eyes, indeed'
"Not only that, but much hangs on
| his lie. He is the only heir to his faith
er's name and property. Great hopes
hang upon him, and he is grievously
afflicted
Margaret's attention was almost breath
less.
sis he? How?" she asked.
"When he was mere baby careless
| nurse let him fall over the bridge at the
bottom of the garden, yonder.'' She
pointed to where the gray stone bridge
| drowning, but he fell upon the rocks,
| and was very much in iured. He has
been sufferer, in mind and body, ever
since. All! sometimes | feel how
wrong I am in wishing to keep him.
For we have nursed him and helped
him through his peril--for what?''
.'But how? How do you mean?"
asked Margaret, thinking of the vague
chill she had felt as she drove up to the
house that afternoon.
He has suffered from hip-disease
ever since
.Poor little fellow"
s'But that would be comparatively
easy for us. and for him, if there were
nothing else. There are times when he
suffers SO strangely, NATURALIZATION he
has such terrible and inexplicable at
tacks that-that we can scarcely believe
him to be quite sane-quite like others.
Like others!-no, that he never will be,
my poor boyi" exclaimed the mother,
with almost cry of pain in her voice.
"And yet, when he is little better, he
is so bright, so clever; he has flashes of
light which are almost like genius. Oh!
if he were but well! If he were but
well, If he were but free from this
curse, this blight that hangs over him,
what might he not be? How might our
lives be frightened, and what happiness
his father and might yet know"
'.And the doctors--do they give no
hope?" asked Margaret, awe-struck, and
softly.
'sWe have consulted many doctors
who have prescribed many remedies,
none of which have been of the least
avail. Now we never have any one but
our old friend. Mr.. Baldwin. If he can
not release our boy from his sufferings
he can relieve them; he can soothe and
sympathize, for he has very kind
heart"
eyes. I am so sorry for the poor
boy. But how does this bear upon my
duties? do not understand"
lin this way. Rupert's temper is so
strange-he has such fits of moodiness
and of moroseness, and of sudden, mex
plicable aversion to people, that none of
the ladies we have had here before
would stay. am not surprised. lean
not expect strangers to bear with the
things that mother gets accustomed
to, and then, know that he loves me.
You shall see Rupert tomorrow, and
converse with him. Then you must tell
me the honest truth. If you object to
taking charge of him shall not have a
word to say. You shall not be pressed
to do it, but I should be glad if you
would remain as Damaris' governess.
but II you 40 get on Win hupert-eVen
if you felt that in time you might be-
come better acquainted with him-I as
sure you that when he does give his af-
lection, he is most gentle and lovable.
You might
''Pray-pray do not speak in that
mannerr' cried Margaret, moved.
.'Surely. any woman should be kind and
should have patience with one afflicted
as you describe him to b.. should
like to try"
s.You shall do so. / think-I almost
feel that you will be successful. To-
morrow I will bring you to him,
and"
Pardon me, but should think it
favor if you would allow me to make
acquaintance with him alone. shall