The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-09-08
A WOMAN'S WORK.

"A Bachelor. j., hep said Ethc
Ncath. But why?'
Ethel was the very pre,ticst and most
tuoyaut of the party Of ray picniccr'
VIC had come 70 Wild Rock 70 cat thril
cold chicken and drink their homemade
rn,.-hecr from the old farm house at
E.,hwrii. where Nrs. Hopper kept sum.
m.r haavjprs 5 wild, rosc-chcohra
luylcn Of eighteen She Wa. with Eait
a.. FURNISHED with N~urc's own giim-
maring gold, eyes o! the deep violet
Grey which trenches 50 nearly on black,
and q ilule-iikc voice, now raised in the
merriest of laughter, now full of the
unconscious NcmOiO of unshed tears,
She was only governess, who was en-
loving her months vacation, to its ut
iermost degree, forgetiul of sulky pu-
pills, i'll corrugated French verbs, and
endless piano scales, remembering only
uuat she was eighteen, and that the yell
low-gold of the August sunshine was
irradiating all the land.
Young as she was, however, Ethel
Ieath's life had not been without its
spice of romance. Before she came to
teach Mrs. Sommerville six tiresome
daughters, she had been governess to
Colonel Mays little lame boy. Mrs.
May, herself mere butterfly of fash
ion, had spent but little time in her nur-
Scrv, but Mr.. Herriot, her brother, had
been fond of little Tommy-and in the
course of time had, strange to relate,
become fond also of Miss Heath, the fair
young goyerness. And, just as Ethel
was beginning, shyly, to dream of what
might be. Mrs. May discharged her,
with an abruptness for which the poor
girl found it impossible to account.
1--WE arc going to Bermuda for
Thomas's health" she said frigidly.
your services will be needed no longer,
Miss Heath"
And what made the blow harder than
ever to Ethel, was the fact that Mr..
Heriot was in Washington at the time,
and it was impossible for her even to say
goodbye to him.
Though perhaps he would not have
wanted to bid me adicu, even had he
been here" thought Ethel with sink
ing heart II think have been dream
ing all this time. am thankful that
something has happened to wake me
ut last. ;"
But Ethel Heath was brave courage
Gus girl, and wasted no time in idly be-
moaning the past.
Work is an Amulet which eii'cctually
sc9ttrr' sorrow, and so she found it.
And 10 one would have suspected that
She had ever shed tear Of secret Grief,
to .cH h"r to-day, looking up ut the dis
tar FOB .cn. of Wild Abbey rs they rose
trl +., .u\Uranl umJrage OF summer
Daad on Wild Rock, where they had
-'up,e picnic feast, the
tr u -rs rropt the small ferns
lifted their graceful banners, and,
towering high above the woods, one
blasted oak-trec lifted its imperial crest
heavcnward.
"They call it King Lear" Fanny
Hopper explained. "And that little
siuster Of mistletoe, almost at the top
don't you see?-is his crown"
"iical mistletoe"' cried Ethel, stand
ing on tiptoc, as if that unconscious
movement could lift her nearer to the
dark cluster outlined against the deep
vivid blue of the summer sky. "Oh,
n that mistletoc? never saw it be-
tOrei"
We'll, said Fanny, laughing, ''that
answers your question, Miss Heath.
You nor |. nor anybody knows about |
why the lord of Wild Abbey is bache-
tCr But he says-so, at least, have |
heard that he will only marry the girl
who brings King Lcar's crown to him."
oh" said Ethel with curl of the |
Mp. ''then he admres fair amazons.
81 don't know what he admires. y said |
Fanny with slight shrug of the Shout
ders. Gle is quite a stranger in these |
parts, believe. No one has seen him. |
But he must be very eccentric. Come, |
the coffee is boiling in the gypsy kettle,
and everything is ready"
Wild Rock was lovely spot On |
one side. the woods, the ferns, the tinkle |
OF hidden rivulets, on the other, an al
most perpendicular wall of rock, slop-
Gg down ninety feet at least to the wild |
tumult of the ocean.
And as Ethel nibblcd at = Spanish
bun and drank her coffee. she kept
looking up at the old tree which had
been SO royalty christened
81 am sure could climb that" she
said to herself. "Ive climbed many
ataller one when was child. Oh. /
am quite sure could reach that cluster
Of mistletoe, nigh as it seems to hang.
Some time will come here. all by my
self, and bear away King Lears crown
IN triumph. And the Abbey bachelor
will never have an idea what has be.
come OF it."
And one radiant morning the sun rose
over old king Lear" without his
crown!
Nobody knew how or when 1t had |
vanished. There was the simple fact
is was gone! And a flutter Of blue rib. |
bon tied around the ragged branch |
Resrest to the ground bore the simple |
Ascription:, "a woman's work.!
Isn't II stranger" cried Miss Rosa
aewps,ed. the village dressmaker;