The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-30
LOVES VICTORY.

able weather should be improved; and.
Miss Luner. beg you will pay more
attention to Ginevra- / observed that
she has a bad habit of stooping-a very
unbecoming thing in Dacie- You
must watch her increasingly, Miss
Luner. and never relax your vigilance
for moment; and | am sorry to find
that Adelaide, too, is not so forward IN
her history as | could desire. Yester-
dav she was unable to tell who killed
Julius Cesar
Remember. Miss Luner, you are
here, not only TO teach thing, but to
enforce it. You are never to give way
to Incidence, even for moment, but 10
keep every nerve on the strain, for the
responsibility of educating DacIe is no
small one"
Mrs. Dacie, who delivered. the fore
going harangue, was a DARK halreu
little woman. with low forehead' an
arched nose, a small mouth, which she
scarcely opened in speaking, and bril-
liant, restless, implacable eyes; cola,
measured. and scrupulously polite IN
manner, untiringly energetic. entreneh-
ed in pride and prejudice, and always
decided on every point, unless 1t were
the question whether the Dacles were
actually formed out of the same vulgar
dust as the herd of people who were
toiling. loving, hoping, and fearing
around her.
That she and Miss Luner, her gov
erness, had anything in common be
sides the quarterly salary that formed
the bond of union between them, she
would have denied most emphatically;
and vet among all the portraits that
graced the walls of the library where
she was sitting, there was not one face
so fair as that of May Luner-a girl
with features just sufficiently irregular
to render them piquant; cream-like,
colorless skin; scarlet lips; profusion
of soft brown hair; brown eyes, and
look that reminded you Involuntary OF
| lilies and pearls, and snow-white roses,
and all pure, pale, sweet things-a
poetical, dreaming, imprisoned face,
| but promising none of that why activity
so much desired by Mrs. Dacie, that
was to straighten Ginevra's STOPPING
| shoulders and furnish up Adelaide's
history.
Not the shadow Of an emotion OF any
| kind had CLEANED in her marvellous
ewes as she listened to Mrs. Dacie's in
| structions; and though that august lady
| actually waited moment, as if Tor an
| answer, before gathering up her SILK
morning-robe and sweeping from the
| room. silent bend of the head was
| Miss Luner's only answer, as she turned
! to look out of the window.
| Mrs. Dacie had called the weather
favorable, but the lowering sky and the
| high wind made the morning seem
| ANYTHING but a propitious one, and the
| pretty stream that turned laZily haf-a-
| dozen mill-wheels, and tumbled Itself
| over a succession OF dams, with muir
muir that hardly rose above the hum OF
| the summer air, now rushed furiouSly
| past, black, swollen and foaming, pen
etratino even the substantial walls OF
| the Dacie mansion with its sulen fore
boiling roar.
Looking aud listening to it. May
Luner did not hear door open, and
steps approaching, till hand was laid
| lightly on her shoulder. and pleasant
voice said, close in her ear:
May, have lost my book again. and
can't find it. Have you seen it?"
Waves of color suffiised her pale face,
and sudden light leaped into her eyes
for an instant; but drawing her breath
hard, and COMPRISING her full lips, she
answered coldly:
II saw it half an hour ago, Mr.. Dacie,
on the right-hand corner of the dining
| room table.
| ''Right-hand corner of the dining
room table?' he repeated laughingly,
'What exactitude. 1t is quite evident
that there is register somewhere in
that busy brain of yours, where are
duly catalogued all your neighbors'
missing articles. May ask if you are
as fearfully exact also about their short
| comings and misdoings?'
If am" she returned, still without
looking at him, that is my secret, l
| think.
''Ah, understand the hint, but par
don me if don't take it. | heard you
speak the other day of leaving us short
ly. Have you thought what, in that
case, was to become of me? Has it
ever entered into your provident little
head that my life, before | knew you,
was one perpetual and fruitless search
after missing papers, books, ETC., and
that should you be cruel enough to
carry out your threat, you would leave
behind you a distracted, and from
| henceforth, handkerchiefless, hatless,
caneless, aimless man?"
You had better advertise for a valet
with sharp eyes and good memory"
| she returned in tone of wounded pride.
| Mr.. Dacie made an impatient move
ment, got up, and walked across the
| room, and coming back, seated himself
close beside her, and took her hand.
May" he said gravely, there has
been enough of this testing; it is UNI
worthy of us both. You know well
what 1 would say to you. Stay and be
my wife
She started, and turning quickly to-
wards him, her face glowed, her ewes
alive with unutterable emotion; but
checking herself instantly, she answered
more Jelly than ever:
Il think you would find the valet
more economical
Mr.. Dacie sprang up, as if stung by
an adder.
You are unjust and ungenerous, he
said energetically. You know better
than anyone else whether the words
have just spoken were a mere mockery
or the outburst of truthful passion.
You know. for you must have felt what
a subtle sympathy has existed between
US from the time that our eyes first met
how our thoughts, even when unex-
pressed, seemed to find echoes and au-
swers in the others face-how deeply,
truly, tenderly, have loved you, and
think, with this knowledge, that l am
not unreasonable in asking of you al
least a serious answer"
For the third time, the traces oil
strange and powerful emotion were
visible in May Luner's face, and again
and again she turned impetuously to
wards him. only to relapse the next in
slant into an expression of more frigit
indifference than before. She had wait
ed an instant after he had finished
speaking, as if combating some internal
foe, and then answered with a sort O
grim determination:
You should have it, Mr.. Dacie. do
not love YOU"
She was rushing away. but he caugh
her hand.
''May-May. You are not speaking
the truth! This is some of your in
domitable pride. May. / know tina
you love me. You cannot look in m,
eyes and deny it.
You have misunderstood me, with .
mans usual vanity she repliee
haughtily; ana tearing herself from hi
grasp, ran out into the hall, where sh.
met Mrs. Dacie.
Miss Luner, You may put on you
hat and shawl, said the stately littl.
lady, land 60 over to Mrs. Marchmart',
Tor me. She has some patterns for m,
this morning, and was to explain then
to me; but find myself disinclined t
exertion this morning, and Tiers ar.
none of the servants with sufficient in
telligence to remember her Instructions
You will be kind enough to hurry back
Miss Luner. as Ginevra will be wait;ns
for her French lesson, and-whv. ar