The Penn's Grove record., 1884-12-27


Lady Macgregor guessed that she
was not being told everything, and felt
a good deal aggrieved. She wanted to
have the triumph of announcing her
niece's engagement, and to take all the
credit of having brought 1t about her
self. The least Ellie could have done
was to let her know how matters stood
She would cease, she declared. to have
any interest III the affair If she was to
be kept in the dark.
Has he proposed, EfiieY" she asked.
mo, aunt Charlotte, he hasn't, " an
swered Ellie with IA happy blush, which
threw a doubt upon her denial.
''Then what has he said 2n urged
Lady Macgregor. "YOu surely don't
mean me to believe that after weeks of
dangling and devotion he has said no
thing Pr
81 am quite happy" replied Ellie.
"Please don't question me, aunt Char
lOtte directly anything is settled you
shall be told"
"Oh, very well ~ cried Lady Mac
gregOr Indignantly, taking up her
gloves and departing.
But Mrs. Macgregor and Hester III
teTposed on Efie's behalf with her
aunt, and contfived to smooth matters,
50 much so that Lady MacgregOr babe
them all a cordial farewell when, about
a week later, they left Edinburgh and
returned TO tire solitude of their old
home.
Arrived there, Ellie Macgregor began
her watching and waiting for the post.
Captain V~erschoyle's letter must come
1 ontNa dow : r,nfhinr could ~nnnulpPA hnT
to the contrary, though the June roses
had bloomed and faded, and still there
came no tidngs.
Every morning the look of anxious
expectancy changed into one of patient
disappointment, and every morning the
girl said to herself
To morrow his letter will come
But no tomorrow" brought 1t; and
Effie herself seemed to be dropping when
the autumn winds swept owe the fallen
leaves, and still there had come no
word.
To Mrs. MacgregOr and Hester the
truth was self-evident. The man was
"a villain he had deceived them all,
played with Efiie's affections, End out
of the sheerest selishness, for his own
momentary amusement and grati6ea-
ton, had singled her out as a temporary
toy, rendered all the more tempting be-
cause she belonged to another man. But
for him Efie would probably have been
George Duff's happy wife.
Many a consultation took place be-
tween Mrs. Macgregor and Hester as
to the best means of putting an end to
Elites expectations, which became al
most pathetic from their very hopeless
ness. But nothing could shake her con
fldence in the man to whom She had
given her heart.
HE promised. | sad | would trust
him"
That was her argument, quietly
spoken. when il doubt was thrown upon
the good faith of Captain VerschOyle.
AS the winter wore on, she grew pale
and thin, a shadow Of her former bright
merry self. And in the dull December
days she became so i'll that the country
doctor who vas summoned to see her
declared that a change was ~imperatively
necessary, But she pleaded hard to be
allowed to stay on at Inyerardoch. Cap
tain Verschoyle knew she was there !;
she wanted only to be allowed to re-
main at home.
Mrs. Macgregor could i'll afford the
expense of a change ; still she would
gladly have met it but for Ef1ie's dis
like to the idea. 1t vas abandoned for
a time, and once more the girl began
her watching for the post. Only for a
little longer. Herlllness increased with
alarming s~uddenness. m low fever
seized her, and for some days she lay
almost unconscious Of passing events.
And while her child lay thus, hover
ing between life and death, Mrs. Mac
gregor read in the columns of a fashion
able newspaper an account of a certain
marriage in high life, the bride being
an only child and heiress of u we'll
known millionaire the bridegroom
Captain Stanley Verschoyle, of the til
Dragons. Mrs. Macgregor's first i'm
pulse was TO keep it secret from Fife,
to spare her a pang If she could ; but
Hester advocated a different cours
Let her know the worst, mamma /;
it is the expectation of hearing from
him, the suspense and disappointment,
that is killing her''-for Efie was now
conscious enough to remember the de-
sire Of her life.
Amy letters 2" she would whisper,
with the anxious eager look they had
begun to know so well.
1t was Hester who broke the tidings
to her. She bore it with wonderful for
titude; and from that day her lips never
repeated their old inquiry.
Efie did not die. She struggled back
thanks to her youth-into health
again but the brightness of her life
was dimmed. She was never the gay,
happy, light-hearted Elite Macgregor
that she had been of l0re, and dark
DAYS came for the SISTERS. Mrs. Mae
gregor died suddenly, and they were
left almost penniless- pensioners on the
bounty of Lady Macgregor, unless they
chose to exert themselves personally TO
procure a living.
Hester would gladly have tOiled to
save Ellie all anxiety or care, but adj
verslty revealed in the latter a strength
of character and purpose that no one
had ever supposed the pretty butterfly
of old days possessed. She would do
her share. she declared, and, when Hes
ter looked out for a goYerness's post,
Ellie did the same.
What a change it was to them-what
a pdLg W say BOou DJo " HN~ciaIuoN
and to face the world alOne-for to-
gether they could not bel
Lady Macgregor prOfessed to be Of
Tended at her husbands nieces for dis.
grazing their connections by going out
as g~overnesses but she was honest
enough to admit to her intimates that
she would have considered it a great
hardship to have had to support them
and she was kind enough to procure for
Ellie a post with a distant cousin of her
own who was blessed with "a goodly sup.
ply of olive-branehes.
Mrs. Elton was very kind to Eaie.
She took to her pale delicate young
governess at once, and treated her from
the first with more than ordinary kind
ness.