St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-04-05

port his i'll success, he would 60 HIM
self to the address which Mr.. Carew
had given him. He found his way to a
dull street in an questionable quarter
OF the town, but somehow the
house that bore the number he was
looking for seemed much the least dingy
in the row.
The servant that opened the door said
that Mr.. Carew was very i'll, but that
her mistress was within, and showed
Cecil into a poorly-furnished sitting
room. In few minutes Mrs. CareW
entered, greeted her visitor with stately
courtesy, and said that her son would
like to see him if he did not mind COM
ing upstairs. By the way, she told
him that the doctor said it would be q
long time before his patient got well
again, that he had lost his situation,
and was in low spirits.
Cecil was shocked to find him looking
years older than he had done before.
He was too weak to bear long visit,
though he seemed pleased to see Cecil,
who, after chatting pleasantly to him
for ten minutes, took his leave, prom
Using to call again soon.
1t was not long before he paid Sec
ond visit, and finding himself made
welcome, he went whenever his time
permitted him. Little by little he learned
something of the Carew's history
GoetfreY's father had inherited a fine
old property, which had belonged to his
family for many generations, but owing
to his youthful extravaganza had been
obliged to mortgage the land heavily.
He had never been fond of business,
and finding his involved affairs difficult
to manage, had gradually intrusted
them TO an agent, on whom he relied
completely. This agent proved dis
honest, and while making his own fort
une ruined his employer completely;
then he disappeared from the scene,
leaving the old man to his fate.
Not until the crash came, and the
mortgages were foreclosed, had Geof-
frey, who was then at Oxford, the faint
est idea that anything was amiss. He
FASTENED home, and three days after old
Mr.. CareW died suddenly.
When his affairs were settled, his
widow and children found that all the
land must go, except one small farm
that brought in a rental of G2O0 a year.
Godfrey obtained clerks situation,
and his salary added 91OO a year to
their income. They had managed to
pass the first year of their poverty
without getting into debt. Now, how
ever, Cecil saw that they were growing
anxious. Godfrey could not work, and
the doctor would have to be paid.
The invalid gained little physical
strength, perhaps. but now that he was
laid up and had nothing to divert his
mind from his troubles, grief at the pri-
vations which his mother and two sis
ters had to suffer preyed upon him, and
the bitterness of his wrath against the
man who had ruined his father grew
even more fierce and deep, until some
times it almost amounted to madness.
On these days nobody had power to
soothe him excepting his sister LORNA
(for that was the name of Cecil's
Gina the touch of her hand, the
sound of her voice, Gained him in the
midst of his rawlings. and cheered him
in his worst fits of dependency. She,
too, it was who kept up the spirits of
her mother and young sister by always
making the best of things, however bad
they might be.
Cecil grew more deeply in love with
her every time he saw her. He often
spoke to Lady Eleanor about the Ca
rews, and together they tried to devise
some means of helping them; but they
well knew it would be a delicate mat
ter to avoid hurting the sensitive pride
that shrank from receiving assistance.
At last one day, when Cecil was leav-
ing Geofrey's room, LORNA asked him
to come into the dining-room. and with
out further preamble said: 81 am going
to give music lessons. Can you tell
me how to get some pupils?''
Delighted with the chance of intro
ducing his own good genius upon the
scene, Cecil promised to consult a lady
friend, and went off to Lady Eleanor,
who called on Mrs Carew the next day
and preached the subject of the music
lessons. She said that she happened to
want lady to teach her own girls
music, and would very much like Miss
Carew to undertake the charge AS the
walk would be rather a long one, it
would be pleasanter for her not to come
alone, SO Lady Eleanor hoped she would
bring her sister with her; and she added
that if the little girl would join in the
S French lessons it would really
be great thing for them, as they need
ed more competition to make them
work better.
Mrs. Carew colored and WINGED even
at Lady Eleanor gentle touch, but she
was too true a lady not to appreciate
the kindness Of the offer made to her;
so when LORNA came in the whole plan
was agreed to, and three times week
the sisters passed the morning in Gros-
venor Square. When Godfrey heard oft
he ragged and ssormed, and declared that
rn,a, ct him. drnn df,,l 1nnnld hannah To