The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-09-18


| ticularly mentioned my future pupil.
Zillah LIE PoeT, and no Miss lie Poer
| besides. l waited with some curiosity
| for the girls temperance; at last l
! ventured to say: I should like to see
! Miss Zinah | understood here hes
! itated. but thought afterward that plain
| speech was best understood from
| Mr.. Sutherland that she was to be my
| pupil
'tOf course, of course hastily said
the lady, and ] fancied she cOlOred
! slightly. Caroline, fetch your cOus-
| in"
Caroline sulkily went out. and shortly
! returned, followed by a girl older than
herself, though clad in childish, or
! rather servant fashion, with short pet
! ticOats, short sleeves. and d big brown
! holland pinafore. ''Iill wouldn't stay
to be dressed, - explained Caroline, in
loud whisper to her mother; at which
Mrs. lie Poer looked more nervous and
uncomfortable than ever.
Meanwhile | observed my pupil. l
had fancied the Zillah so carefully in
trusted to my care by Mr.. Sutherland
I wanted finishing | even thought
she might be a beauty. With some sur
prise, L found her a half-caste girl
with an olive complexion, full IIindOO
lips, and eyes very black and bright.
She was untidily dressed; which looked
the worse, since she was almost a wo-
man grown; though her dull. heavy
face had the stupidity of an ultra-stu-
pid child. / saw all this; for somehow
probably becaUSe>I had heard of her
befOre-I examined the girl rather
closely. Zillah herself stared at me
much as if L had been u wild animal,
and then put her finger in her mouth
with a babyish air.
GLOW do you do, my dear?1 said I.
desperately, feeling that all four pair of
famlly-eyeS were upon me. L hope
we shall be good friends soOn.n And l
put out my hand.
At first the girl seemed not to under
stand that meant to shake hands with
her. Then she irresolutely poked out
her brown fingers, having first taken
the precautiOn to wipe them on her
pinafoTe. l made another remark or
two about my being her governeSs. and
her studying with her cousins at which
she opened her large eyes with a duh
amaze, but L never heard the sound of
her voice.
1t must have been now near twelve
O'Clock. l thought it odd the girls
should be kept up so late; and began at
last TO speculate whether | was to see
Mr.. lie POer, My cOnjectures were
soon set at rest by loud pull at the
dOOr-bell, which made Mrs. lie Poer
spring up from her chair and Zillah
vanish like lightning. The two 9TH
ers sat cOwed, with their hands before
them, and l myself felt none of the
bravest. So upon this frightened
group the master of the honse walked
in.
'Hullo, Mrs. lie Poerl Caryl ZiH,
you fool! COnfound it, where's the sup
per-" Il might have asked that, too,
being very hungry.) "What the deuce
are you all about2''
My dear!" whispered the wife. be-
GppchInVIV IL She met him of fba door
and seemed pointing to me.
Certainly | could not have believed
that the voice | just heard belonged to
the gentleman who had now entered.
The gentleman, L repeat; for 1 never
saw one who more thoroughly looked
the character. He was about fifty, very
handsome, very well dressed-his whole
mien bespeaking that stately, gracious
courtliness which now, except in rare
instances, belongs to a past age. Bow
ing, he examined me curiOusly, with a
look that somehow or other made me
uncomfortable. He seemed viewing
over my feminine attractions as horse
dealer does the points of a new bargain.
But soon the interest of the look died
away. l knew he considered me as all
others did-a very plain and shy young
woman, perhaps lady-like Il believe /
was that, for heard of some one saving
sol, but nothing more
Il have the pleasure of meeting Miss
Pryor." said he, in an ultra-bland tone.
which, after his first coarse manner,
would have positively startled me, had
/ not noticed that the two are often
combined in the same individual. II
always dlstruSt a man who speaks in
a very mild, measured, womanish
voice.
mentioned the name of his friend.
Mr.. Sutherland
oh, recoIlect," said he stifly; ''Mr.
Sutherland informed you that-that
-" He evidently wished to find
out exactly what | knew of himself and
his family. .r.
Now, it being always my habit to
speak the plain truth I saw no reason
why | should not crafty him; so | stat
ed the simple facts Of our friends letter
to my mother-that he had found for
me a situation in the family of Mr..
lie POer, and had particularly charged
me with completing the education of
Miss Zillah lie Poer 10
"Ohl" said MIR. lie Poer ssVere
those all your Instructions, my viear
Miss Pryor." he added, insinuat-
ingly.
l answered that I knew no more.
having missed seeing Mr. Sutherland
before | came away.
Then you come quite astranger into .
my family? l hope you have received
the hearty welcome stranger should
to merit that name" So saving. he
graclOUsly touched the tips of nv fin
gers, and IN melifluOus tones ordered
supper, gently reprOaching his wife for
having delayed that meal. - You know.
my dear, IT was pity TO wait for me:
and Miss Pryor must be needing re-
freshment.n
Indeed l was being literally famished.
The meal was ordinary enough-mere
bread, butter and cheese; hut Mr.. Le-
Poer did the honors with most gentle
manly courtesy. / thought, never did
a poor goVerneSs meet with such atten-
tionl The girls did not sup with us:
they had taken the earliest opportunity
OF disappearing; nor was the half-caSte
cousin again visible We had soon
done eating-that is, Mrs. LIE Poer and
/; for the gentleman seemed so indiffer-
ent to the very moderate attractions
of his table, that from this fact, and
from certain rednesS OF his ewes. I
could not help suspecting he had well
supped before. Still, that did not pre-
vent his asking for wine; and having
politely drank with me. he composed 3
himself to have a little confidential
talk while he finished the decan-
ter
Miss Pryor, do you correspond with
Mr.. Sutherlandg'
The abruptness of his question start
led me. / felt my cheeks tingling as
answered most truthfully, No"
"Stil, you are a dear and valued
friend of his, he tells me2"
/ felt glad, so glad that / forgot to
make the due answer about Mr.. Suth-
erland's being very kind"
My host had probably gained the in
formation he wanted, and became COM
municatiye on his part. II ought, my
dear Young ladY to explain a few things