The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-08-04
A QUIXOTIC FANCY.
How It Was at Last Quite Dis.
PEELED.

Thought her the most beautiful woman
In the world. l worshiped her with q
passionate girlish alteration that can only
be comprehended by those who have had a
like experience to my own. How it came
about that an intimacy should have sprung
up between the fashionable Mrs. Dalyel, of
Dalyel Court, Warnshire--a Frenchwoman
by birth, but now the widow Of a wealthy
Englishman-and my small insignificant
self. will be seen by the conversation which
took place the morning after arrived on
visit to her at Bath. We were sitting in q
private room of the Grand Hotel, overlook
ing the busy thoroughfare of Stall street,
and were watching with a melancholy in
terest the numerous Bath chairs with their
sad-eyed occupants passing in endless sue
cession to ana fro. Contrasting the lot of
these poor sufferers with my own, my heart
overhowed at the thought of all Mrs. Dalyel
had done for me, and turning to her tried
to express in few broken words some Of
the gratitude felt She silenced me at
once. Dear Lucy" she said in her musical
voice, with the slight touch of foreign &C.
cent which gave to her speaking such O
that have donel Why, truly nothing!
You exaggerate the facts, my child. was
in London for the season, and, like others
ofmv friends, l took the pottery craze, and
Joined a class at Powell and Storms. You
Taught that class, and took a wonderful
liking to my charming little teacher. The
other day celebrat ted physician spoke to
me extollingly Of Bath. decided at once
to come here-as preventive rather than
a cure, for, thank heaven. my health is
excellent / came, but found it dull; oh |!
SO dull. Then suddenly remembering that
your holidays were now going on, wrote
inviting you to join me here. In short,
wanted you to amuse me, Lucy. You owe
ME no thanks for that"
my poor father" began.
t'He was i'll, blind, dying, when I knew
you first. That accounted for your poor
little white face and oft-times fearful ewes
You had to toll and slave to earn money,
that he might not want for necessaries.
When learned this my heart blei for
your trouble, and I-who had more money
than l could spend upon myself-gave you
some of it for him. l sent also little fruit,
q little wine, doctor. All l believe he
was a little doctor too! Say, was it not
sol"
"Dear Mrs. Dalyel, do you count it moth.
ing that you made my fathers last days
happier, that you gave him what all my
loving toll could not procurel MY graft
'Pshaw! Child, speak not of gratitude.
1t consists but in the name. 1t is the
..But mine" protested.
Yah, yours will doubtless bear fruit such
as the world has never kaown. 1t will en-
able you to move mOuntains-to give up
kingdoms for my sake"
why do you laugh" l asked, much
panied. "Since / can remember any thing
Ihave lived only for my father-and my
art. From to-day shall live for some
thing more; to prove to you that there is
such thing as gratitude"
Dalyel, with laugh. Then be it So Con-
vert me to your belief as quickly as You
will But see how the morning passes
must go and drink the water"
A few moments later we crossed the
the pump-room where Mrs. Dalysl took her
glass OF water from an attendant and sat
down at one Of the small tables within the
Gordon, signing to me to do the same
Though every thing was new to me, l
glanced but caisiessly about the room, at
The vel! known, statue Of Beau Nash. the
King OF Bath, at the snxious faces Of the
water drinkers. sought for somethinr 2
else, and found 1t soon In the shape Of q
white board bearing In large black char
acters the words: ITO the Roman Baths "
pointing. out the route. 1t was there had
promised to meet Horace, but what excuse
could frame for leaving Mrs. Dalyel!
Happily none was needed, for At that mo-
ment she happened TO look up, and her
"No need to sit here all the time with me,
dear child. Go down and see the newly.
discovered Roman Baths. have aeen them
oAce; Tor me that was enough. In half IN
hour you can rejoin me hsrs.' -4-'l
! thanked her with . somewhat guilty
copscience and left her nngsringiy. Oh
passing ont Of the pump-room found my.
sen IN narrow passage with doors on
elther aide. Presently came to . small
spiral staircase which brought me TO {
Saulted corridor bot With The, fumes ol
eaths; then, descending steep woodeu
Aeddsr enlarged slddenly into tho oper
a1r - 70 the scene OF the rscsnt excsva
~ intensest rays from heaven unnecke<
~ cloud Around lay hsapsd, in pictur