The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-07-27


She frowned and tapped her foot
impatiently. ale will come back, "
she said to herself cor he will write, "
and went to the window anG looked
out dreaming. "What a boy he is?
What dear, engaging, simple-hearted
boy! Oh, he must come back to.
morrow, perhaps to night !" She
crossed into her bedroom and sat
down before the mirror. "You will be
a happy woman, after all" she said,
nodding to her own reflection.
But Percival did not come back,
and he never wrote. When he return
ed from his walk he found telegram
summoning him to his mother She
was dying, aud he started off by the
night train to London.
The Easter holidays came on, and
Penny Royal was deserted by that
part of the population that hung
about and around the school Boys
went home and masters went atravel-
ing. Septimus married and made for
Italy. Mrs Urquhart departed to a
seaside cottage at Sonneton, where she
spent large part of every year. And
Miss Lacy, after paying few visits,
returned rather sadly to Penny Royal
and took tiny lodging Just large
enough for herself and her piano.
Her position was not nearly so pleas
ant as it had been before. She missed
the lively, informal entrances and
exits of her brothers rooms She sell
dom met Mr. Percival and almost
faucied he avoided her, and Just at
this time her small income was reduced
by the failure of an unlucky invest
ment. She bethought her of Mrs.
Urquhart and craved the comfort of
her friendly conntenance. She appeal
ed out of her dreary mental desert
spiritedly.
"Find me some work if you can. l
am lonely, out of spirits, and out of
pocket. You know What | can do,
and / feel that | should like for a
time to leave Penny Royal"
Mrs Urquhart at once bestirred
herself as friend should, and devised
a scheme of relief Half a dozen
pupils were gathered together, out OF
the homesteads of Souneton, cozy
rooms were taken and Miss Lacy ar.
rived with her music books and French
grammars one lovely spring evening
on the top of the Sonneton coach
comfortably wrapped in fur cloak
and alighted at the inn door, where
her friend waited to welcome her.
The coach was full that day. Ole
Sir Joseph Osborne was inside, with
his rugs and his crutches, and his nan
and his bag of dly biscuits, and hi,
gouty leg; and new married couple
not yet awakened from loves frs
dream, who cooed together on tn,
roof softly all the way; ard fou
young lads and their tutor, innocently
planning their six hours a day will
the classics, was in peace and fresl
air, and destined to find there a spell
more potent than those ancient one
could WELD, in the real preseu .nent o
the things they imagined; for here
|
| SOFT wdispelj dn along the leary woods
| And mountains whistle t } the murmli' Ing Hood,
Will the boys sit poring over book
when the trout is leapiug in the rive
and the sea rolling in gloriously upol
the beach in the beams of the mornin!
sun Shut Virgil up, pitch old Stubb
into the corner, and out into the worI,
that is all alive with the awakening
spring:
on the green tun your careless lin lbs display,
And celebrate the Mighty Mothers dey
Mrs, Urquhart chcered up her frien,
and drove the pupils away from thei
lessons in her own imperious fashio
when the mornings came that every
one must bathe, or climb a hill, or ru
down to the beach to see the tide com
in. Who ever worked hard at Some
ton? She knew everybody, and carrie
her friend everywhere, and here Mis-
Lacy regained the agreeable conscious
ness that she was not left outside th
world she lived in-dolefullest sensa
ton in this world to flesh and blood.
| A tritling adventure which occurre
on one of these rambles set the indicf
tor on the weather glass to change,
and turned the current of Miss Lacy
fortunes in their predestined channe
Mrs. Urquhart, stumbling over an ur
lucky loop of the brambe vine, fe
and dislocated her ankle, three mile
from home or any human habitation {
help save Miss Lacy's presence an
ready wits. Sir Joseph Osborne
driving that afternoon through I'll
valley, very dull and cross in spite {
the sunshine and the wooing breez
swearing at the hills, and vowing i
would go to Malvern in the mornin!
beheld the handsome, brow l-eye
woman he knew by sight approachin
his carriage door.
"Sir Joseph she said, in her clea
quiet way, Il have Mrs. Urquha
here, unable to move And the test
old man, looking out, saw that lad
prone beneath birchen tree.
What ? what?" he cried, putin
his hand to his ear to catch the stor
"Madame, personally, | am unfort
nately helpless,
"Only the use of your carias
home, Sir Joseph, Don't stir; yol
man and | can arrange it,
Sir Joseph watched the stron
supple, capable woman, as she suppol
ed her friend, with the keen, obser
ant glance peculiar to him, Her vol
entered his ears without effort. 81
sat opposite to him as they dro,
homeward, and he was aware of som
thing harmonious and soothing abo
her movements, her touch, her presenC
Mrs. Urquhart was confined to h
couch for some weary weeks, and
Joseph called every day to inquire al
cadole and discuss the weather al
talk to Miss Lacy, who was in consta
attendance upon her suffering patier
You have made a conquest sa
! that lively little lady. What do "
! say, my dearl I'm afraid he'd last
! little under fostering care. BE su
and have a handsome settlement"
Then Miss Lacy told her secret
o | tho aaorat xub;ob $40, c,.,...- - .