The Washington critic., 1886-08-20
HER HOME ONCE MORE.

tOu, ,tnIOWl1g uOWu INC paper anu DuTsl-
ing into tears. GLOW canI ever go back
there as governcss and sec it owned by
strangers; and yet, what else offers It.
self2 l cannot starve. How 1 wonder
who owns the dear old place nowl' she
mused. 'Is there any girl now who
Is as happy as l was-who, perhaps,
has my room, loves the flowers and
walks as did1 Has lover, perhaps,
and rows with him on the lake in the
moonlight evenings? Oh, Lloyd, Loydl
Why do torture myself in this way2"
she broke off suddenly, throwing her
felf on the little old lounge, In a pas
ion of tears and grief.
Ten years before, q pcttcd only
daughter, surrounded with every
luxury and aillanced to one whose de.
voted love she fully returned, sorrow
had singled her out as n target for its
arrows. First, her lover was called
abroad, and in midocean went down
with the fated shi ip on which he had
taken passage. Then, just as her
heart seemed breaking with It's weight
of grief, terrible blow fell over her
home-none other than the death of
her father by his own hand, and the
sudden terrible knowledge that he had
succumbed. first TO one temptation aud
then TO another, intending in time to
replace all, but driven TO despcrai IN
at last by the accumulation OF bad
luck and wrong doing. TO make what
reparation they could the heart-brolien
widow and daughter gave up theil
home and everything they possessed
and then went away to cover up their
shame and grief in part Of tho
world where they would be stranger
10 all. The year that followed had
been one continuous struggle with sick
ness and poverty, in the midst Of which
Mrs. Brayton quietly folded her tired
hands over her broken heart and died,
leaving Lucille alone in the world.
After that, overcome with loneliness
and longing to see her old home.
Lucille slowly drifted back to the place
of her happy girlhood; had just to.
night arrived in the little village, taken
room in Che hotel, asked for the
paper, and read of the goycrness
wanted in her old home.
81 can at least go and see the dear
old place" she said to herself the next
morning, when, after night spent in
slcepless, sad memories, she ate her
breakfast without seeing one familiar
face and started off.
How familiar was every turn and
by-way of the little village and the
road leading off to the Lodgel Lucille's
eyes were so continually blinded with
tears that she hardly noted the faces of
the few passers.by; and no one noticed
her. Yelled and in her plain blnck
gown, she bore little resemblance to
the beautiful Lucille Brayton who, in
other years, had dashed gayly over
these roads on her pony or in her phae-
ton, the admired of all observers. Slowly
she went on. winding in and out the
wide, shady drive until the house was
reached, and every step revealed how
lightly time had touched the place.
Two children on the shady stone
porch sat on the same ornamental set
tee she had always used, and at the
Sight of her one Of them jumped up.
Il s'rect you're our new goyerness.
Do YOU want to see mamma?'
Yes" answered Lucille, with
great cXeItion at steadying her voice.
And the child at once disappeared
into the house, leaving his sister star
ing shyly al The stranger.
4 pleasant'laced lady soon appeared
in the doorway.
"Will you walk in, please? 1t is very
warm without"
Lucille did so, more by sense of feel
ing than sight, for memories We're over
powerng.
You came in answer to the adyer'
tisemont Miss -"
'Iathrop." said Lucille, faintly, and
pushing aside her veil with relu Jiancc,
as she remembered her teac.stained
face.
But the darkness of the room only
revealed its excessive pallor-nothing
more.
81 would be pleased to secure the
position, and can teach music, French,
German, and with a little study, Latin.
But am a-atronger here, and my ref
erences are from places and people so
distant that did not know whether
you would accept them"
Two keen, bright eyes had been
searching her face us she spoke, an
their owner was making up her min
in hurried, decisive way character
istic of her. A few more questions and
aui wers FOLLOWED, and then, almost be,
FIRE Lucille realized 1t, she was en-
gaged, shown to her room and u boy
dispatched TO the village for her
Trunk.
Mrs Morton was n widow, with a
frank, impulsivo haart that was soon
won by the stranger, aud the children
fell promptly in love with their new
goycrness, who never grew tired OF
strolling about the lrIunis with then
ana lcdng the most wonderful stories
of how another little girl had once lived
in their house, and had done so and so