Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-01-30
A LADY'S PRIVILEGE,
BY ETTIE ROGERS.

c1efty as fox. You will never get
dollar from him, old fellow" John
Warsau read, and then, with q hopeless
sort Of Sigh, he flung down the dis
couraging letter legal friend bad 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 he only had q meagre
portion of the fortune bis unnatural
brother withheld from him by some
bubble 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 80
thankless, 30 precarious, so inexpressi-
bly, odious as that of resident tutor"
he had reflected little while ago, as q
servant invaded the school room with an
Insignificant check, an acknowledgment
for services no longer required, and q
polite dismissal for the end of the year.
And now, as he sat there Respondent
ly at his desk, the old year YVES going
out with the Ginning Of jubilant bells
and all the murmurous mirth of the re-.
ioicing winter city.
AS the wild bells changed across the
snow that clothed the passing year.
John lifted his head-that handsome.
scholarly head, where few silvery hairs
| already glistened among the thick, dark
locks, and listened with a singularly
satiric look upon his fine, pale features.
I" I cannot exult that
| "'The Old Year lies a-dyine.
&c gave me friend and a true, true love.
| Aud the New Year will take them away
For me those bells are tollinq q re-.
QUEEN over the one bright thing that
must be dead to me forever more" he
thought.
Just then there was soft sweep of
silken skirts behind him, q delicate
waftage Of whste rose perfume, and then
the sound of a! delicious young voice.
"Why, Mr.: Warsall, I thought you
would have gone to the church with Mas
ter BERTHE and the rest of them! And I
came for Bertie's drawing book" ex-
planned the elegant young lady who
paused beside his desk.
Master BERTHE lid not need me-"
John said quietly. "Mr. Grimshaw
sent me my dismissal this morning.
eyes, [ KNOW" Miss Fanny admit.
tea, looking unmistakably sorry and
rather confused. She knew only too
we'll why the handsome tutor was con-
sidered no longer a desirable inmate of
the house.
"The old year gave me much that
was pleasant" John continued, in q
strangely suppressed voice, "but the
new year takes all that away"
The girl was silent; but there was 9
blush on her cheek and light in her
eyes that thrilled him.
"The associations of this little school
room have been much too pleasant" he
pursued in tones that we're hoarse with
restrained feelings. "No one can un-
derstand better than myself why it is
wisest I should go. I have never dared
presume that anything could be differ
ent. And yet--'
He checked himself abruptly, and
averted his face.
He would utter nothing that might
seem weak or impairment to the ora
cious girl whose eyes were full of tender
tears for him, whose pretty grief for his
trouble bewildered him.
If 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 for
the petted and pampered daughter of q
purse-proud social magnate. Even if
she loved him and were willing to re-
nounce ease and luxury for his sake, he
must not permit such q sacrifice, nor
could he submit to the CALLING imputa-
tons 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 Bertie's 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. g I
only wished to come to you here, once
more in this place, that has been as
pleasant to me as to you. It 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. T1-arss@I.,7
He could have no doubt of her love
now; and she had all the enthusiasm
and independence of a woman-tbis fair
child who had given her heart into bis
keeping, defiant of opposition and fear
ing no rebuke.
] II should be more cruel, yielding to
what would estrange you from your