The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-03-24
OUR NEW GoYERxEss.
ny PERCY KIsestEY.

- -. , --Wk9 ~ - = - s
unexceptionable references, Rims
third bell"
"At Brayton Lodge! Dear ole
Brayton, my own homel" cried Lu
cille Brayton, throwing down the
paper and bursting into tears
"How can | ever go back there al
goyernvss, and see it owned by
strangers2 And yet what else Of
fers ITSELF IcannoI starye."
Almost desperately she sprang
up, and walked about the little
room for a moment, then picked up
the paper aud re.read the advertise
ment.
"How | wonder who owns the
dear old place noa2s she muaed.
rs there any girl now who is as
happy asI was, who, perhaps, has
my room, loves the flowers and the
walks as l did. Has lover, per
haps, aud rows with him on the
lake in the moonlight evenings
Oh, Lloyd, Lloyd Why do l Tor.
ture myself in this way2" she
broke of, suddenly, throwing her
self on the little old lounge, in a
passion Of tears aud grief.
Hers was truly a sad story.
Ten years before, a petted only
daughter, surrounded with every
luxury, and affiancCd to one whose
devoted love she fully returned,
sorrow had singled her out as a tar
get for its arrows.
First, her lover was called abroad
and in mid.ocean went down with
the fated ship on which he had
taken passage. Then, just as her
heart seemed breaking with its
weight Of grief, q terrible blow fell
over her home, none other than the
death Of her father, by his own
hand, and the sudden terrible
knowledge that, in moment Of
temptation be had succumbed, first
to one temptation and then anoth-
er, intending in time to replace all,
but driven to desperation atlast by
the accumulation Of bad luck and
wrong doing.
To make what repuration they
could, the heart broken widow and
daughter gave up their home and
everything they possessed, and
then went away TO cover up their
shame and griefin a part of the
world where they would be strange
to 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 all
in the world.
After that, overcome with loueli.
ness and longing to see her old
home, Lucille slowly drifted back
to the place of her happy girlhood;
had just tonight arrived in the lit.
tie village, taken q room in the
inn, asked for the paper, and read
Of the goyerness wanted in her old
home.
F." can, nj least. On and sne the
dear place." she SAID to herself next
morning, when, after night spent
in sIeeploss, sad memories, she ate
her breakfast without seeing one
familiar face, and started of.
81 don't suppose | will do, be.
cause my references are too far
away, and will | will not let them
know who ! really am"
How familiar was every turn and
by-way Of the little village and the
road leading of TO the Lodge. Lu
Giles eyes were so continually
blinded with tears that she hardly
noted the faces Of the few passers.
BY, and no one noticed her. Veil
ed, and in her plain black gown,
she bore little resemblance 10 the
beautiful Lucille Brayton, who, in
other years, had dashed gayly over
these roads on her pony or in her
phaeton, the admired of all observ'
ers,
At last the dear familiar tower,
peeping above the trees, rose in
sight, and then, only a few steps
and she was at the gates, stretch
ing Hospitality open, as in olden
time, with the smooth, white drive
rolling away beyond under the
shady beecbes.
~ must, I must control myself
she murmured, leaning for a mo-
ment against the lichen.covered
stone gate pillar, "But, oh, how
hard it is! And how little every,
thing i, changed l had hoped tc
fud it so. And yet how doubly
bor5 n r,oLoO - Ia hoorIU