Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-01-07


yerSation.
Lady MacgregOr guessed tina. she
was not being told everything, and felt
a good deal sggrieved. She wanted to
have the triumph of announcing her
niece's engagement, and to take all the
credit of having brought it about her.
self. The least Ellie could have done
was to let her know how matters stood
She would cease, she declared, 10 have
any interest In the affair If she was To
be kept in the dark.
Has he proposed, Efiies'' she asked
mo, aunt Charlotte, he hasn T." an-
swered Ellie with happy blush, which
threw doubt upon her denial.
Then what has he said ?'' urged
Lady Macgregor. "YOu surely don't
mean me To believe that after weeks of
dangling and devotion he has said no
thing ?''
Il am quite happy" replied Effie.
"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.
| 0uS N'Asos haSEtC6oi anu klOSlCi
terposed Oh Effie's behalf with her
aunt, and contfived to smooth matters,
so much SO that Lady Macgregor bade
them all a cordial farewell when, about
a week later, they left Edinburgh and
returned 10 the solitude of their Old
home.
Arrived there, Ellie Macgregor began
her watching and waiting for the post.
Captain Verschoyle's letter must come
some day; nothing could convince her
to The contrary, though the June roses
had bloomed and faded, and still there
came no tidmgs.
Every morning the look of anxious
expectancy changed into one of patient
disappointment, and every morning the
girl said to herself
Tomorrow his letter will come"
| But no tomorrow" brought It; and
Ellie herself seemed to be drooping when
I the autumn winds swept over the fallen
/ leaves, and still there had come no
word.
To Mrs. Macgregor and Hester the
truth was self-eyident. This man was
villain he had deceived them all,
played with Efiie's affections, and out
of the sheerest selfishness, for his own
mOmentary amusement and gratIfica- |
tion, had singled her out as temporary
toy, rendered all the more tempting be- |
cause she belonged to another man. But |
for him Effie would probably have been |
George Dutf's happy wife.
Many consultation took place be- l
tween Mrs. Macgregor and Hester as 4
To the best means of putting All end to /
Effie's expectations, which became al /
most pathetic from their very hopeless |
ness. But nothing could shake her con-
tidence in the man TO whom she had (
given her heart.
"He promised. Iss'd would trs=s =
him"
That was her argument, quietly |
spoken. when i doubt was thrown upon |
the good faith of Captain Verschoyle. |
As the winter wore Oh, she grew pale |
and thin, shadow OF her former bright |
merry self. And in the dull December |
days she became 50 i'll that the country |
doctor who was summoned to see her |
declared that 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 Efiie's dis
like to the idea. 1t was abandoned for 1
time, and once more the girl began
her watching for the post. Only for
little longer. Herlllness increased with
alarming suddennesS. IN 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 fashion,
able newspaper an account of a certain
marriage in higi4 life, the bride being
an only child and heiress of we'll
known millionaire the bridegroom
Captain Stanley VerschOyle, of tke-th
Dragons. Mrs. Macgregor's first i'm
pulse was to keep it secret from Effie,
to spare her pang If she could but
Hester advocated different course.
Let her know the worst, mamma
it is the expectation of hearing from
him, the suspense and disappointment,
that is killing her"-for Ellie was now
sire of her life.
ANY 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.
Ellie 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 Ellie Macy gregor
that she had been of yOre, and dark
days came for the sisters. Mrs. Mac
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 living.
Hester would gladly have toiled to
save Effie all anxiety or care, but ad
versIty 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 Tor a g0verneSS'5 post,
Effie did the same.
What a change it was to them-what
pang to say good bye to lnyerardOch,
and to face the world alone-for to-
gether they could not be!
Lady Macgregor prOfessed to be Of
Tended at her husbands nieces for dis
gracing their connections by going out
as goyernesses 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 post with distant cousin of her
own who was blessed with goodly sup
ply of olive-branches.
Mrs. Elton was very kind TO Effie.
She took to her pale delicate young
governess at once, and treated her from
the first with more than ordinary kind
ness.