The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-02-19

child's seant and rusty black.
"She IS very pretty" she said to
herself, the first time that the girl ap-
peared in one of those plain, neatly
fitting gowns-"very. | wonder II
Hugh noticed it?" -,
Upon the whole she was just as we'll
pleased that Hugh had gone back to
Germany.
Lucille had begged from the first
day, to be allowed to take charge
of the little boys, and as the latter
took to her very kindly, there was no
objection to her doing so. And grad
uaily she pleaded to have sundly
other duties assigned her, until Mrs.
Valentine had perforce to acknOwl-
edge that she was most willing. most
anxious not to eat the bread OF chart
| ty, and that which was certainly not
the least good thing about her, con-
siderably useful to herself.
The little Partisan household had,
therefore, settled down upon a calm
and comfortable basis when Beverley,
with the suddeness which usually
characterized his movements, reap
peared.
He never came to Paris at this sea
son OF the year, and Mrs. Valentine
reminded him Of the fact with some
sharpness.
"Oh, l thought I would try it," he
said, ~Carelessly. And he remained on
without any very definite purpose
that Mrs. Valentine could see, day
after day and week after week.
Mrs. Valentines temper began to
grow very uncertain as time went by.
Her brother did not, perhaps, notice
the fact, but others did, and Lucille
chief among the number.
One day the gathering storm broke
loose. Beverley was sitting in his Sis
ter's pretty boudoir when the latter,
with an uncomfortable irritation, ask
ed him how much longer he thought he
should keep Miss Nentnor.
"Why," queried Beverley, "has she
shown any desire to co."
"She? No" cried Mrs. Valentine,
impatiently. But you don't expect
the girl to go on living in p6rpetuity
this way, do you? understand, Of
course, that you thought we might
give her q home until other arrange
ments could be made tor her. She
must have some one friend or relation
some kith or kin to whom she can
turn for p]rotection!"
"She has no one, Clara" said Bev-
erley, coldly, land you know it. She
is earning her living with you, as the
poor girl would have to do elsewhere.
You need a nursery governess for the
boys"
"Let her be nursery gOverness some
where else!" cried Mrs. Valentine, ex-
~asperated.
"You have taken a dislike to Miss
Ventnor, Clara" said her brother,
slowly. "Why?"
at is you who have taken an unac-
countable liking to her. Ibelieve you
are in love with the grit"
"Clarai'
Beverley's voice contained a note of
warning. He had turned pale. But
Mrs. Valentines prudence had forsak-
en- her.
Eyes, indeed, / think So. Blanche
Conway is forgotten at last it seems"
The words were scarcely spoken be-
fore Mrs. Valentine could have bitten
her tongue out for uttering them.
She was frightened and sorry. 1t
was a very sore spot in her brothers
memory that she had touched. She
was going to make such blunderIng
amends as she could when heportiere
vas hastily drawn aside, and they
both saw Lucille Yentnor on the
threshold.
~ have heard every word" the girl
began. There was not q vestige of
color in her face, put her voice was
steady and her gaze brave and direct.
81 did not mean to; but / was going
through the next room, and l stopped
before / knewit. Forgive me. and LET
me go. You have been very, very
kind to me, / shall neverforget it. But
/ must net be the cause of misunder-
standing. | see now that / should
not have stayed SO long"
She paused suddenly and put her
hand to her head.
Never mind, child-never mind"
said Mrs. Valentine soothingly.
She was rather startled at this de-
nouncement to the scene she had
brought about. But Beverley said
very quietly:
Enough, Clara. Let Miss Ventnor
do as she thinks fit.D
And Lucille turned and left the
room.
perhaps it is just as well that she
did hear" Mrs. Valentine reflected
when her brother, too, had gone, leav-
ing her alone. IF / can only get her
away quietly now, and before any
thing happensl"
She did put her fears into a more
precise formula than this OF anything
happening" Had she been called up
on to particularize, however, she
would have said impatiently that "ol
course it would be extremely trying to
have Hugh at this late day marrying
an obscure and penniless girl twenty
years his JUNIOR
Meanwhile. Beverley had gone to the