The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-10-09
THE HALF-CASTE,
An OLD G9VERNESS'S TALE
FOUNDED ON FACT.

BY MISS NTULOCK.

we EOlleu up Jne avenue under the
large cheSJnut-treeS. | saw some one
standing at the pOrticO; then | think
the motion of the carriage must have
made me dizzy, for all grew indistinct,
except firm. kind hand holding me as
l stepped down, and the words. Take
care my dear CdSSia.' 1t was Mr.
sutherland,
lie scarcely observed Ziuah, tillin the
haH introduced her TO him. lie
seemed surprised. startled. pleased
Talking OF her to me that evening. he
SAID. he had not thought she would
nave grown mp thus. AMI I noticed him
look at her at times with 2 ppnSive
kindness. Mrs. Sutherland whispered
to me that the lady he had been engaged
TO was half-caste like Zillah, which
accounted for it. Ills mothers prophe-
cy had been right; he had come back as
ne went OUt-unmaTried
When Lillah went to bed she was full
OF admiration for her guardian He
was so tall, 50 stately. Then his thick.
curling fair hair-just like a NOung
man 5, with scarcely 4 shadow Of gray
She would not believe that he was over
iorty-ten years older than myself-un-
III by some pertinacity l had Impressed
lhls TACT upon her. And then she said
IL dId not signify. as she liked such
dear old souls as him and me much
peter than any young people. Her
teryor OF admiration made me smile.
but after this night | observed that the
expression of it gradually ceased.
-IhOUgh | was not so demOuStrative
as Zillah, it viii not be supposed but
That l was truly glad to see my old
Illend, Mr.. Sutherland. He was very
KIND, talked to me long of past things.
ana as he cast a glance on nv black
dress, | saw his lips qUiver; he took my
h;hd and pressed it like brother. God
bless him for tuati
But one thing struck me-a thing I
had not calculated On-the alteration
seven years had made i'm MS both. When
he took me down To dinner. | accident
ally caught sight of our two figures in
the large pier-glaSs. Age tells so -liffer-
emily on man and woman: remember
the time when he was a grown man. and
l mere girl. ROW he looked q stately
gentleman in the prime of life and I r
mIdtic-a|ed, old-niaidish woman. Per
maps something more than years Lad
done this; yet it was qeite natural, only
/ had never thought of il before
so, when the first meeting was over.
with the excitement pleaSurable or
otherwise, which as matter of course
IT brought to us all-When we had sew
eraiy bidden each other goodnight,
and Alr. Sutherland had said Smilngly
that he was glad twas only goodnight.
not goud-bye-when the whole house
was quiet and aSleep-tO use the psalm
lists solemn words. AT night on nv
bed communed with my own heart in
my chamber. and was still"
"Cassia, | want to speak to you par
ticUlarly, said Mr.. Sutherland to me
one morning. as after breakfast he was
about to go into his study Lillah
placed herself in the doorway nth the
pretty ObStlnacy. half WOm2 Ish, half
grlISh, that she sometimes dStd with
her CuaTdian-much to y surprise.
LllldI was on excellent terms with him,
considering their brief acquaintance of
three weeks. In thaJ time she had
treated him as | in my whole lifetime
had never ventuTed to dO-willfully.
leStiugly. even GROSSLY. vet He seemed
to Ike il. They were very social and
merry, for his disposition had apparent
Is grown M re cheerful as le alygucad
in life. Their relation was scarcely
Ike gu dian and ward. but that Of pef.-
feet .alIty-p pleasant and COntiIantia'
WHl- somewhat surprised me. Uutil
recoilected what opportunities they hal
of intercourse. and what strong friend
ships are sometimes formed even in q
single week or fortnight when people
iaTe shut up together in a rather lonely
! lcOuuJ-y-hOuse. This was the state Of
Things among us all on the morning
when Mr.. sutherland called me to his
Not to-day. he answered her. very
gently and Smillngly. i have business
to talk over with Miss Pryor" II knew
ne said Miss Pryor" out Of respect,
vet il hurt mel had been 'CaSSia'
with him so many years. Perhaps he
thought | was OutgrOwing my baby
name nOW.l
The business he wished to speak of
was about ZiIlah's coming of age next
week, and what was to be done on the
occasion. should he, ought he. to give
a ball. a dinner, anything of that sort?
Would Ziliah Ike it?T
This was a great concession. fer in
old times he always diSliked society. |
answered that / did not think such dis
play necessary, but l would Try TO find
out Zillah' 5 mind.
I did so. 1t was an innocent, girlish
mind. keenly alive to pleasure, and new
10 everything. The consequences were
natural-the ball must be. \ little she
hesitated when | limited at her guard
ian'S peculiarltieS, and then she offered
checrfully to renounce her delight. But
he, his eyes beaming with a deeper de-
light still. would not consent. SO the
thing was settled.
II was a very brilliant affair. for Nr
Sutherland spared no expense. He
seemed to show restless eagernesS in
providing for his young favOrite every
thing she could desire. Nay, in answer
to her wayward entreatieS. he even con-
Sented to open the ball with her. though
saving - he was sure he should make
an old simpletOn of himself" That was
not likely
| watched them walk down the room
together. and heard may people say
with a smile what a handsome pair
they were, Notwithstanding the cOnSid-
cradle difference Of age.
It was a very quiet evening to me.
Being strange to almost everyone there,
I sat near old Mrs. Sutherland in a cor
ner Mr.. Sutherland asked me to dance
once. but l did not feel strong. and in
deed for the last few years l had almost
given up dancing. He laughed, and
said merrily: 1t was not fair for him
to be beginning life just when l ended
it." a true word spoken in a jestl
But / only smiled.
The ball produced results not unlike
". when one considered that it was
of a young woman, handsome, attract
i've, and an heiress. \ week or two af-
ter Zillah's birthday Mr.. Sutherland
called me once more into his study.
[ noticed he looked rather paler and
less composed than usual. He forgot
even to ask me to sit down. and we
stood together by the Fireplace. which
ltlutItbtL was llAACNA WIN d ElGdb vase
OF Iilacs that Zillah had insisted on plac-
ing there. 1t filled the room with a
strong. rich scent, which now l never
perceive without its bringing back to
my mind that room and that day.
lie said: Il have had a letter TODAY
on which l wish to consult with YOU be-
fore showing it to Miss lie Poer." II
was rather startled by the formal
words, since he usually called her "Zil-
lah. as was natural.)
1t is letter-sc8ICely surprising