The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-10-27

Years passed on, bringing no mer-
chant prince, no Indian nabob. no
wealthy cotton spinner 10 the feet of
Deslree lie Strange; cruel years. rob
bing her OF kith aud kin, drifting her
from home TO home. always with stFan-
gers A melancholy shadow, a ghost OF
the bright. lovely Desiree lie Strange,
was this world-weary womau-this wo-
man who was so thoroughly changed in
all but name that the girls who envied
her IN her dazzling youth and the men
who raved about her passed her By
without a smile of recognition.
Unlnteresting days crawling laggard-
~ onsssfter the other; how sick she was
OF the drudgery-the thankleSs Office of
teachingl But she could not starve-
she dared not die; and, though life had
been one miserable mistake from the
beginning, and all her brightest hopes
had been crushed, she piodded on at
her mOnotonous duties in a dull. apa-
thetie way. which showed all energy
and spirit had died out OF her.
One delicious afternoon in Nav found
Desiree lie Strange at a house in Har-
ley street listlessiy turning the leaves of
the leather-bound books which told how
goyernesses were wanted, very highly
accomplished, for very small salaries
"A steady, conscientious lady she
read presently, fond of the country and
quiet life, wanted for two delicate girls
OF g. Apply Lady Vessels, Cranforth
Grange, Worcestershire.
'.Wesselsl Wesselsr' murmured De
stree, 'any relation, | wonder, to the
Danial Vessels | once knewm and she
at once made up her mind TO try for the
situation.
Cranforth Grange was a many-gabled
granite-bIocked mansion, standing on
ighlly-wooded eminenee IN a richly
timbered. undulating park. Tne ave
nue., which led up from the main road,
was a good mile long and shaded by
tall beech trees melting in an arch
overhead; and winding through the
grounds, now flashing in the sunlight,
now hiding midst the shadows of the
dropping silver willows, flowed the
beautiful Pinkthorne River, bordered
with plunlv ferns and tangled briers,
with here and there a clump of brilliant
rhodouendronS. The wild ducks loved
this river, and the swans seemed never
weary of sailing on its surface; yellow
water lilies fioated like miniature islands
here and there. and the prettiest rustic
bridges spanned it in parts where the
waters were tolerably narrow. At the
far end, under the thickest shades of the
willows, nestled an old boat-house, all
creeper-smothered and rush-sentineled.
1t was gala day for the whole vii
lage-a day of rejoicing when Judge
Vessels came home TO Cranforth
Grange. The bells rang merrily. the
banners waved to and fro WELCOME,
Welcome" in the soft spring breeze,
and now the carriage dashed up the
| beech avenue. and presently, in twink
ling it seemed. the children were SPRING
| ing into their fathers arms and smother
ing him with kisses. Kindly, generous
ly the years had dealt with Daniel Wes-
sells; perfectly happy. too, he looked to-
| day, with the arms of his fail-haired
twins twined about his neck and his
eft hand resting on his wife's shoulder.
Desiree, in the background. watched
the joyous meeting between husband
and wife, father aud children, and felt
sudden choky sensation rise in her
throat, an odd, sharp. sickening pain
| seized her heart. almost taking her
breath away, and prayed that she
might not faint-that she might not
make a scene.''
| Miss lie Strange-our goyerness.
said Lady Vessels presently.
And then-Oh, how like a dream it
seemed, meeting the bearded face and
| shaking the large, firm hand of Sir
| Daniel Vessels.
A minute more and the Judge. with
/ l., 8, III Ill.
rarv, where a CHEEKY log fire blazed,
| and Desiree found herself mounting the
| wide oak staircase to her solitary school
room. But for her own folly. she told
/ herself, she might have been queen of
the household to-day. How unbearable
| the thought was-how maddeningi For
a whole year she had striven to do her
| duty. and had learned TO love pretty,
gentle Lady Vessels. his wife; but she
could not meet the Judge daily and not
betray herself-not let him and others
see how acutely she felt her position.
| True, he had not appeared to recognize
her; but. sooner or later, he would as
| suredly discover that Desree lie Strange,
| who flung back his love one autumn eve
years ago, and the Desiree lie Strange
/ of to-day were the same. Chance had
| bIOu4Dl HtE mere uluBf MS IOOI. Sup-
| posing by chance she died tonight, who
| would miss her?
And then, mechanically, almost like
| one forced to act in spite of herself she
crossed the room and unlocked the lit
tie medicine chest which stood on the
sideboard. Her eve ran over the bottles,
| and boxes, and china pols.
1t was very small bottle she at last
| took up. labeled 'Chloroform.
II have bad toothache and head
ache" she murmured, with an odd
smile. Perhaps this will make me
sleep"
''Her own enemy, even to the last, :"
thought the Judge, looking at Desiree
lie Strange's beautiful dead face with a
shadow on his own. For the features
which had not struck him yesterday in
life spoke plainly enough in death-told
him pathelically. better than thousand
words. that this was the Desiree he had
once loved-the girl who had almost
broken his heart by the old stone
bridge.
He had been very busy all these years
so busy that the memory of the vicar
pretty daughter had gradually grown
faint and dim. Yet looking at the dead
face now, SO lovely and placid in its
last sleep, mist slowly gathered in his
eyes-for he had loved her once with all