The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-07-11
dowments of the place were more than
Mr.. Whittlestaff desired.

dowments Of the place were more than
Mr.. Whittlestaf desired.
CHAPTER III.
MARY LAwRIE-
Mary I.awrie was q tall. thin, staid
| girl, who never put herself forward.
| She was silent and reserved. and some
times startled, even when appealed to
| in household so quiet rs that of Mr.
| Whittlestaff. Those who had seen her
| former life had known that she had
lived under the dominion of her step
mother, and had SO accounted for her
manner Added to this was the sense
of entire dependence on stranger,
| which, no doubt, helped to quell her
spirit. But Mr.. Whittlestaff had ewes
with which to see and ears with which
to hear, and was not to be taken in
| by the outward appearance OF the
young lady. He had perceived that
under that quiet guise there existed a
power of fighting battle for herself or
for friend, if an occasion should arise
which should appear to herself to be
sufficient. He had known her as one
of her fathers household and of her
step-mother's: and had seen probably
some instance of self-assertion. such as
had not yet made itself apparent to
Mrs. Baggett.
A man who had met her once, and
for few minutes only, would certainly
not declare her To be beautiful. She,
| toe, like Mr.. Whittlestaff, was always
contented to pass unobserved. But the
| chance man, had he seen her for long.
would surely remark that Miss Lawrie
was an attractive girl; and had he
| heard her talk freely on any matter
of interest, would have called her very
attractive. She would blaze into sud-
den eloquence, and then would become
shane-stricken. and abashed, and dunn
| founded. so as to show that she had for
a moment forgotten her audience, and
then the audience, the chance man,
would set his wits to work to reproduce
| in her a renewal of that intimacy to
which she had seemed to yield herself
| for the moment
Her hair was dark. and worn very
plain, but with that graceful care which
| shows that the owner has not slurre1
! over her toilet with hurried negligence.
/ OF complexion it can hardly be said
| that she had any. so little was the APP
pearance of her countenance diversified
by a change of hair. If l am bound to
declare her color. must, in truth, say
that she was brown. When she first
came TO Cookers Hall. health produced
no variation. Nor did any such come
| quickly; though before she had lived
there year aud half, now and again
a slight tinge of dars ruby would show
itself on her cheek. and then vanish al
most quicker than it had come. Mr..
I Whittlestaff. when he would see this,
/ would be almost beside himself in adj
/ miration.
! Her nose WAS slight and fine, and lent
! TO her face. of all her features. its most
special grace. Her lips were too thin
1 for true female beauty. and lacked that
round and luscious fullness which seems
! in many girls face to declare the pur-
pose for which they were made.
/ Through them her white teeth would
occasionally be seen. and then her face
was at its hest. as. for instance, when
she was smiling; but that was seldom:
| and at other moments it seemed as
| though she were too careful to keep her
mouth closed.
But if her mouth was defective, the
symmetry of her chin. carrying with it
( the oval of hercheek and jaws, was per-
/ feet. Thst absolute perfection which
Miss Lawrie owned, we do not, perhaps,
/ often meet.
An incident must now be told of her
/ 1,E., IS, oh, ,Ia 10 q,
| man. woman. or child. Her step
mother had known the circumstance.
but had rarely spoken of it. There had
come across her path in Norwich 8
young man who had won her affections.
But the young man had passed on. and
there, as far as the present and past
were concerned, had been an end of it.
The Young man had been no favorite
with her step-mother; and her father.
who was almost on his death-bed, had
heard what was going on almost with
out remark. He had been told that
the man was penniless, and as his
daughter had been to him the dearest
thing upon earth, he had been glad &c
save himself the pain of expressing dis
approval. John Gordon had, however
been a gentleman. and was fit in al
things TO be the husl and of such a cir
as Mary Lawrie. except that he wa:
pennilesS, and she, also, had possessed
no hing. He had passed ON his way
without speaking. and had gone ever
Mary did not know whittier. She haC
accepted her fate, and had never
I allowed the name of John Gordon tc
pass her lips.
The DAYS passed quickly at Croker
Hall, but not SO quickly but that Mary
knew well what was going on in Mr.
Whittlestatf's mind. A girl may believe
that a man loves her, and may be de
ceived; but she will not be deceived 4:
TO whether he wishes TO marry her.
Gradually came the conviction on Mis-:
Lawries mind of MIR. Whittlestaff'
purpose. And. as it did so, came the
conviction also that she could not do it
OF this he saw nothing; but he was in,
stigated By it to be more eager, and
was at the same time additionally
abashed by something in her manner
which made him feel that the task be.
fore him was not an easy one
Mrs. Baggett. who knew well all the
symptoms as her master displayed them
became angry with Mary Lawrie. Who
was Mary Lawrie. that she should take
upon herself TO deny Mr.. Whittlestaf
anything? No doubt it would. as she
told herself, be better for Mrs. Ba~gett
that her master should remain unmar.
ried. She assured herself that if mis-.
tress were put over her head. she must
retire 10 Portsmouth, which, of al
places for her. had the dreariest mem