The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-02-02
A LADY'S PRIVILEGE,
BY ETTIE ROGERS.

g Your brother is as greedy as cor.
morant, as inf1exible as granite. and as
crafty as fox. You will never get a
dollar from him, old fellow" John
Warsall read, and then, with hopeless
sort Of sigh, he flung down the dis
couraging letter legal friend had writ
ten, dropped his elbows on his desk.
and covered his face with his hands.
Life had not been altogether sweet to
John Warsall; his struggle with the
world had not been wholly success.
and he was beginning to wonder if ali
the years to come must be as dark and
hard and loveless as those that had gone
by. If he only had 1.-THE of what was
really his own--if ne only had meagre
portion OF the fortune his UNI atrial
brother withheld from him by some
quoble of the law, he might quit for
ever this monotonous vocation of teach
ing that had become unutterably hateful
to him.
"There is no vocation on earth so
thankless, so precarious, SO inexpressi-
bly, odious as that of a resident tutor -
he had reflected a little while ago, as a
servant invaded the school room with an
for services no longer required. and a
polite dismissal for the end of the year.
And now, as he sat there Respondent
ly at his desk, the old year was going
out with the Ginning of jubilant bells
and all the murmurous mirth of the re-
loiclng winter city.
As the wild bells changed across the
snow that clothed the passing year,
John lifted his head-that handsome.
scholarly head, where a few silvery hairs
already glistened among the thick, dark
locks, and listened with singularly
Satire look upon his fine, pale features.
. cannot exult that
"'The Old Year lies a-dying,
He gave me friend and true, true love,
And the New Year will take them away
For me those bells are tolling re.
QUEEN over the one bright thing that
must be dead to me forever more" he
thought.
Just then there was a soft sweep of
sllken skirts behind him, delicate
waftage OF white rose perfume, and then
the sound of delicious Young voice.
Why, Mr. Warsall, thought you
would have gone to the church with Mas
ter BERTHE and the rest of them And
came for Bertie's drawing book" ex.
plaiued the elegant young lady who
paused beside his desk.
Master BERTHE lid not need me, u
John said quietly. "Mr. Grimshaw
sent me my dismissal this morning"
Eyes, [ know" Miss Fanny admit
ted, looking Enthusiastically sorry and
rather confused. She knew only too
tClIl yrby fhn ~
sidered no longer a desirable inmate oil
the house.
"The old year gave me much that
was pleasant" John continued, in 8
strangely suppressed voice, "but the
new year takes all that away"
The girl was silent; but there was
blush on her cheek and light In hel
eyes that thrilled him.
1.-The associations of this little school
room have been much toe pleasant, " he
pursued Ia tones that were hoarse witt
restrained feelings. "No one can I'm,
derstand better than myself why it i:
wisest l should go. l have never dared
presume that anything could be differ
eut. And yet"
He checked himself abruptly, anC
averted his face.
He would utter nothing that might
seem weak or impairment to the gra
clous girl whose eyes were full of tender
tears for him, whose pretty grief for hi:
trouble bewildered him.
Ii she loved him, as he had sometimes
felt that she did, his trouble must be
only the greater, his dismissal only the
more Just. An obscure and impecunious
tutor was certainly no fitting mate fol
tie petted and pampered daughter of 6
purse-proud social magnate. Even il
she loved him and were willing to re.
nounce ease and luxury for his sake, he
must not permit such sacrifice, nol
could he submit to the CALLING imputa-
lions that critical and disappearing
world would inflict upon him.
AS he sat there with averted face,
conscious of her tender sympathy, he
felt that his dismissal was wise and not
unjust. he was weaker than he had
deemed; and all his heroic resolutions
were failing him in that sweet presence.
Here is Master Berries drawing
book, he presently said with an at
tempt at calm courtesy, and rising as if
he wished her to leave him.
But she stood quite still, her coun-
tenance changing, her large eyes up
lifted shyly to his face.
The book was only pretext, John, "
she confessed with brave candor. 81
only wished to come to you here, once
more IN this place, that has been as
pleasant to me as to You. 1t will never
be the same to me when you are gone
even If you are SO proud and cruel" she
added IN soft reproach, that he could
not misunderstood.
He could have no doubt of her love
now; and she had all the enthusiasm
and independence of woman-tbis fair
child who had given her heart into bis
Keeping, defiant of opposition and fear
ing no rebuke.
1 should be more cruel, yielding to