The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-04-11
The House on The Marsh.
by y. WARDER.
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER I.
"WANTED, Governess; must be young.
! cut out the advertisement thus heade
eagerly from tho Times. I was eighteen
and my youth had been the great obstacl
to my getting an engagement; now her
was some delightful advertiser who con
sidered it an advantage / wrote to tn
address given, inclosing my photograph
and the list of my qualifications. Within
O week was travelling down to Goldman
Norfolk, engaged to teach Zone little girl
aged six, at a salary Of thirtylive pound
year. The correspondence had been car
ried on by my future pupils father, wht
said he would meet me at the station a
Beaconsburgh, the market-town nearest
Geldham.
1t was about Ave o'clock OH an afternoon
in early August that sat, trembling with
excitement and fright, at the window Of
tho railway carriage, as the train steamed
slowly into Beaconsburgh station | looked
out on the platform There were very few
people on it, and there was no one who APP
| peared at all like the gentleman had pic
turcd to myself as my future employer.
There were two or three red-faced men
who gave one the impression of being
farmers and at ono end there were two
| young men engaged in securing large
| mastitf, which was bounding about in
| great excitement at sight of the train.
| got out and spoke to the station-master.
"Thcre is Mr.. Rayner himself, ma'am,"
said he, pointing toward the two young
men with the dog.
One OF them was now looking about, as
il in search of somebody; and l walked
timidly toward him. He seemed puzzled
as his eyes fell upon me; then suddenly he
raised his hat
"Miss Christie?' he said interrogatively,
growing very red.
Eyes" said l, bowling and blushing too.
"Will you come and show me which is
your luggagel"
was surprised and rather confused to
find Mr.. Rayner so much younger and less
self-possessed than had expected. fol-
lowed him and pointed out my boxes.
'The dog-cart is waiting outside" said
he, "let me carry your bag"
followed him through the station Three
or four big dogs began jumping up upon
him and upon me as we came out.
"Down, Roverl Down, Lukel Get down,
Tray!" said he, raising his voice.
had noticed what q very pleasant rich
voice ho had when he first spoke to me, and
now 1 remembered how particular he had
been in his letters about my music; so I
concluded that Mr. Rayner sang. He
helped ME into the dog-cart, carefully
wrapped me up with q rug, and then, in
stead of getting in himself, patted the neck
of the brown mare, who turned her head
and put her nose into her masters hand.
l was trying to get over my bewilderment
OF course | might have expected that the
father of my six-year-old pupil would not
be the middle-aged gray-haired man / had
pictured to myself; but for him to be a
man who did not look more than three or
four-and-twenty was a surprise; and to
find him SO shy and deferential did not
seem quite right, considering our respective
positions He was big and broad, and
rather massive, had dark hair and mus
tache, gray eyes, and q kind simplicity of
expression, which, perhaps, thought, with
his habit of blushing, made him look
younger than he was. He left the mare
and stood by me again.
81 am afraid you will find the country
dull. You win miss the gayety Of Lon
dom"
~ haven't led a very gay life" said l;
81 don't thinl; poor people are very gay
anywhere
'But you haven't been shut mp in a
will stand it. always hated schoolrooms; |
and it's a fact that / was never in a school
without being told that l was disgrace |
to it."
Mr.. Rayner did not seem much distressed |
as he made this confession.
l dare say you were great at cricket,
Or rowing, or-or-fghting," I hazarded, |
feeling that some rejoinder was expected.
"No, wasn't. l remember giving q boy |
a black eye once for calling me a Ounce.
He was quite right, you know And l re-
member being surprised that hurt him SO
much; for I generally got the worst Of it
in fight. They used to say it took a great
deal to rouse me; and I didn't do much
harm when I was roused," he added, laugh
ing.
~ hope your daughter does not share
her fathers dislike of school routine,n I
broke out anxiously.
He started and looked up at me, coloring
wildly, and then said, with some amuse-
lnent in his tones
"Did you take me for Mr.. Rayners"
he next moment he seemed sorry for my
evident confusion, and added, looking
away, "My name is Reade. Mrs. Rayner
sent her brougham for YOU but wagon
an into it and took one of the wheels off;
30 put my cart at your disposal. I hope
you don't mind driving ia thing like
.hislh
"Oh, MOI" said.
"That was Mr.. Rayner on the platform
with me-" he went on. His dog rushed
out just as the train came up, and he
lslsed me to see to your luggage while he
,eld him. don't know why he is so long"
AS he spoke, Mr. Rayner himself came
,ut of the station, letting his mastiff loose
1t the door. | saw in moment that he
vas few years'older than my companion,
md that, while they both wore round hats
md Norfolk jackets, he bore the impress
If town breeding as clearly as Mr. Reade
lid that of country. He was slight, we'll
made, with delicate features and a dark
GOLDEN beard and mustaShe. He came up,
'aising his hat and shook hands with me.
Z" You have been marveling at the bar
,arism of Norfolk manners, Miss Christie,
md asking when is the next train back to
Iondonp But l have been warned by my
wife not to make my temperance at
iome without certain parcel from the
Stores which has been due at this station
lbout ten days, but has, for some unac-
,ountable reason, failed to turn up hitherto.
5y the way, hope my sprightly young
friend has been entertaining you wellY"
a. Miss Christie took me for you, Mr..
Rayner," said Mr.. Reade, shyly reddening
again.
"And has now TO suffer the awful disap-
continent of finding that Mr.. Rayner is an
I'D fogy after all. Miss Christie, forgive
ny gray hairs. You will find me a great
ieal more trustworthy than any of these
ray deceiving Norfolk lads. Now, Laur-
nee, my boy, if you want us to get home
before the mist rises, we had better start
Nlr. Rayner sprang up behind; Mr.. Reade