The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-08-29
ALL BUT TRIUMPHANT.

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Wilford's house, and nursery gov
erness at that. H .'l.
A pretty, lady-like, quiet little crea-
ture, whom his two motherless little
children dearly loved.
Between you and me, dear reader,
before their father had been home from
his travels many months, he was in
danger of following their example.
Mrs. Vane saw that. She was q
widow; handsome, naughty, poor. and
with pair of fine black eyes that
were unusually wide awake for all that
concerned the wealthy widower. For
he was her cousin, and she had kept
house for him since his wife's death
two years ago-with the decided inten-
ton of ultimately supplying her place
and consoling him for his bereave-
ment &c.,.
She watched him now with cloud
ed face rs he sat ut the open win
dow, paying less attention to the morn
ing paper in his hand than to the mer-
ry group in the garden, whose silvery
voices and happy laughter'reached him
where he SAT-.
"How happy they seem, and how
fond the children are of her!" he said
Mt last, pursuing his own thoughts.
''But why does she always wear blackp
DO you know for whom she is in mourn
ing, Helen?"
'Her mother, l believe" Mrs. Vane
answered with supreme Indifference.
She is an orphan. Governesses gen.
orally are orphans it seems to me.
And she tried to quiet her own fears
by rejecting:
ut is only natural that he should
take pleasure in watching his own
children. Surely it cannot be this
grip"
But it was .'this girl" in spite of
her. She thought she would put it to
the test, and so went quietly out of the
room and sent the housemaid to sum-
mon Lily Deane to her presence.
.You are so skillful at this kind of
work, Mrs. Deane," she said as she
held up torn and costly lace before
the blushing. futtering GIRL" should
be glad if YOU would mend it as soon
as possible"
And she looked with strong disfavor
at the tiuttering form and rosy blush.
She had seen George MILFORD accost
the girl rs she came in from tho gar
den, and she knew what the bushes
meant.
She made no remark, however; but
when she went down again to the room
where she had left her cousin, she
found him standing aimlessly in the
middle of the room, rs if uncertain
what to be about.
1.-THE garden has lost its attraction. "
she thought, and her black eyes flash
ed. This girl must be got rid of, and
at once"
More easily said than done, however.
The children loved their gentle friend
and gentle play-fellow, and their faith.
er made no secret of the pleasure her
presence and sweet companionship af-
forded him.
While rs for Lily-though she was
''only governess Sit was plain that
an unwonted sense of happiness made
her blue eyes more bright and heI
smiles more frequent. She never
thought of questioning why.
The little simple soul basked in its
atmosphere of love and joy, as birds
and flowers do, and thought about the
cause of it as little.
The stately house had grown to be q
happy home TO her.
Was it since Mr.. MILFORD returnedI
Well. yes-everything was surely pleas.
anter under the masters sway. He
was so good, so kind, so gentle to her.
self; so considerate towards everyone.
All, but his wife must have been hap.
py woman! How sad that she should
have died, and left her lovely babies,
her dear husbandi And he, too-sc
young, scarcely thirty-surely his life
was lonely. She wondered now would
he ever
And at that thought she put up two
little white hands to her face, that sud
denly burned vivid crimson.
'What is it to mep" she murmured
with an unconscious sigh. 'But if he
should, suppose it would be Mrs.
Vane. And should have to go.
could not stay then, although the chill.
dren love me, and II love them so.'
Tears dimmed her blue eyes suddenly.
"After all, what is 1t to meP" she
sighed. 'Only he is SO good-so very
good to mellow can Ichoose but wish
him happinessP"
And she stopped and kissed red
rosebud that she held, and which he
had given her.
That instant voice fell on her ear,
and firm hand grasped her arm.
"Do you kiss the flower for its OWE
sake" asked tho voice, ''or for the
giver'sP"
Poor Lily started guilty.
"The-the givcr, madameP' she fal.
tered. 81 do not understand"
"Mr. MILFORD gave you that rose.
saw him. He Is my betrothed hus-