The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-04-08
AGREEABLY DECEIVED.

''She has got a story, I'm almost Ger.
tain" says Fanny Tullan. Il can see
il in the expression of her face. / only
wish | had courage to ask her about it. ,
1t was a dull rainy day-one of the
bleak premonitors of the equinoctial
storm-and as there was not much doing
in the post-ollice, the girls took longer
than usual at their lunch.
Fanny sat on packing-box, turned
upside down, under the stairway thai
led down to the sorting-room. SLOWLY
munching her cake; and Ella Hay, hel
companion at the counter, was nestled
at her feet, eating bread and butter and
raspberry jam with the heartiest of ap,
petites.
At the same moment, Verona Gordon,
the telegraphist, came lightly down the
stairs in her dark-blue serge gown, and
her satin-brown braids OF hair shining
in the oblique light of the dust-dimmed
window. She caught Fanny's last sen.
tences, and paused abruptly.
40 ask whom?" said she. 'Who has
got story?'
And Fanny, spurred on by sudden
upward blaze of courage, answered:
Your
Verona smiled. In repose, her face
was cold and grave; but when it lighted
up with that rare smile, it was absolute,
ly beautiful. Instead of being offended
however, she sat cheerfully down on the
other half OF the packing-boX.
You are right, Miss Tullan," said
she. Il have got story, else | never
should have been in this office. | wasn't
brought up to work, and | don't like
working the instrument from morning
until night any better than other peo.
pie do"
Fanny Tullan's great grey eyes open.
ed wide
''Oh, Verona" said she, won't you
tell it to us?n
''Of course will, said Verona. why
shouldn't |? You were very kind to me
Fanny Tullan, when first | came, lonely
and inexperienced, to the office. L
would be hard indeed if | couldn't dc
as much to please and amuse you
''Of course YOU have already surmised
that | am lady by BIRTH said she
THAT goes without saying. But yor
would scarcely have imagined that
was once an heiress. Westerndale Hal
that was the name of the places
beautiful old house, down by the sea
Oh, | loved that house!-and now
never shall see it any more!'
Her lip quivered; the tears came into
her eyes for a second, and then she
went brayely on:
"But | didn't know until quite lately
that there was Il lawsuit about Western
dale Hall; that some other branch OF
family believed that they had better
right to it than my mother and |
Mamma never told me about it; and,
luckily it was not until after her death
that that hateful lawyers letter came
The letter, | mean, that notified me
with mock respect that was worse thar
any amount of downright insolenct
would have been, that WeSterndale Hal
belonged to my fourth or fifth cousin
instead of me. There was something
in it about my not being disturbed il
the occupancy, if it suited me to remain
but | could listen to no such belittling
proposition as that. | tore the letter in
to pieces, and packed my personal be
longings into one little trunk and came
away. | took refuge with a relative oi
my mother, who lives, in a very quiet
way, in London, and it was she tha
helped me to 90 to the school, and ge
this place; and there is my story"
The beginning said Fanny Tullan
nibbling up the last crumb of her lunch
'but not the end!'
"Why not the end?'
ooh, because you'll see that the en(
will be that you'll somehow 90 back t,
Westerndale Hall, and the cousin vii
be stately, dark-eyed aristocrat, wh'
will fall headlong in love with you, a
the very first sight nodded Fanny.
Miss Verona laughed in spite of her
self
Then he may fall out again." saiC
she. There goes the clock! | must ge
back to work-and so must you, chill
dren. The fairy story is over; the work
a-day hour is beginning once more. J."
1t was still raining hard when Vefon;
came out into the dreary autumn night
where the wet pools glistened on tn,
pavement and the gas-lamps shonC
sulkily through the mist.
From the other side of the street
shadow-like figure approached, the ra
dius of an umbrella extended Itself owe
her head, and her arm was calmly pull
ed under that of a tall young man in 1
waterproof coat.
''Oh, Paul, is it you?n said Verona.
"Yes, it is l." answered a firm, cheer
full voice. Il knew you would forge
your umbrella"
Yesterdays wind turned it insid
out and split the gingham into ribbons,
said Verona, laughing, as she hurried
along by the side of her cousin, Pau
Rothermel. We'll, at all events, it wa
thoughtful of you to come for me, Paul
But you are always thoughtful
Paul did not answer; 1t was his way t,
be silent and abstracted.
well, what luck have you had to
s.ay." asked Verona.
The best of luck" he answered
They have decided to accept my inven
ton, and put it into immediate use.
am q hxse &VO dyMI. sqd 42W