Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-29

ter out and handed it to Henry.
 He received 1t from her mechanically. Vague doubts, which he hardly understood himself, kept him silent. It was impossible that the "change in her life," of which she had spoken, could mean that she was about to be married-and yet he was conscious of a perfectly unreasonable reluctance to open the letter. Their eyes met; she smiled again. aLook at the address" she said. "You ought to know the handwriting-but dare say you don't"
 He looked at the address. It was in the large, irregular, uncertain writing of a child. He opened the letter instantly:
 "DEAR AUNT AGNES: Our governess is going away. She has had money left to her and a house of her own. We have had cake and wine to drink her health. You promised to be our governess if we wanted another. We want you Mamma knows nothing about this. Please come before mamma can get another governess Your loving Lucy who writes this. Clara and Blanche have tried to write, too but they are too youlg to do it. They blot the paper"
 "Your eldest niece," Agnes explained, as Henry looked at her in amazement. "The children used to call me aunt when I was staying with their mother in Ireland, in the autumn. The three girls were my inseparable companions-they are the most charming children I know. It is quite true that I offered to be their governess, if they ever wanted one, on the day when 1 left them to return to London. I was writing to propose it to their mother just before you came"
 "Not seriouslya Henry exclaimed
 Agnes placed her unfinished letter in his hand Enough of 1t had lzeen written to show that she did seriously propose to enter the household of MT. and Mrs. Stephen Westwick as governess to their children. Henry's be- widerment was not to be expressed in words.
 ''They won't believe you are in earnest" he said.
 'Why nota' Agnes asked, quietly.
 "You are my brother Stephens cou1in; you are his wife's old friend"
 All tho more reason, Henry, for trusting me with the charge of their children"
 But you are their equal; you are not obliged to gain your living :by teaching. There is something absurd in your entering their service as governess."
 "What is there absurd in it? The children love me; the mother loves me; the father has shown me innumerable instances of his true friendship and regard. am the very woman for the place, and as to my education, must have completely forgotten it, indeed, if l am not fit to teach three children. the eldest of whom is only II years old You say am their equal Are there no other women who serve as governe-s, and who are the equals of the persons whom they serve? Besides, 1 don't know that am their equal Have not heard that your brother Stephen was the next heir to the title? Will he not be the new lord! Never mind answering me. We won't dispute whether am right or wrong in turn ing governess; we will wait the event. 1 am weary of my lonely, useless existence here, and eager to make my life more happy and more useful in the household of all others i'll which should most like to have a place. If you will look again you will see that I have these personal considerations still to urge be- fore finish my letter. You don't know your brother and his wife as we'll as I do if you doubt their answer I believe they have courage enough and heart enough to say yes"
 Henry submitted without being convinced.
 He was a man who disliked all eccentric departures from custom and routine, and he felt especially suspicious of the change pro- posed ill the life of Agnes. With new inter ests to occupy her mind she might be less favorably disposed to listen to him on the next occasion when he urged his suit. The influence of the ''lonely, useless existence" of which she complained was distinctly an infln- ence ill his favor. While her heart was empty. her heart was accessible But with his nieces ill full possession of it, the clouds of doubt overshadowed his prospects He knew the sex we'll enough to keep these purely self ish perplexities to himself. The waiting pol icy especially the policy to pursue with a woman as sensitive as Agnes. If he once offended her delicacy he was lost. For the moment he wisely controlled himself and changed the subject.
 My little niece's letter has had an effect" he said. "which the child never con- templated in writing it. She has just re- minded me of one of the objects that had in calling on you today"
 Agnes looked at the chiids letter. ''How does Lucy do that?" she asked
 "Lucy's governess is not the only lucky person who has had money left her." Henry answered. 'IS your old nurse ill the housea"
 'You don't mean to say that nurse has got a legacy?"
 ''She has got hundred pounds. Send for her, Agnes, while show you he letter' He took a handful of letters from his pocket and looked through them, while Agnes rang the bell. Returning to him, she noticed printed letter among the rest which lay upon the table. It was prospectus" and the title of it was "Palace Hotel Company of Venice Ninited)." The two words, "Palace" and "Venice," instantly recalled her mind to the unwelcome visit of Lady Montbarry. "What is that?" she asked, pointing to the title.
 Henry suspended his search and glanced at the prospectus. "A really promising specu- laGion," he said. Large hotels always pay we'll if they arc we'll managed. I know the man who is appointed to be manager of this hotel when it is opened to the public, and ! have such entire confidence ill him that have become one of the shareholders of the company"
 The reply did not appear to satisfy Agnes "Why is the hotel called the Palace hotelP |" she inquired.
 1 Henry looked at her, and at once pene- trated her motive for asking the question: "Yes." he said, "it is the palace that Mont barry hired at Venice, and it has been pur- chased by the company to be changed into an ehotel."
 Agnes turned away in silence and took a chair at the further end of the room. Henry had disappointed her. His income as a younger son stood in need, as she we'll knew, of all the additions he could make to it by successful speculation. But she was unrea- sonable enough, nevertheless. to disapprove of his attempting to make mon.y already out of the house in which his brother had died. In- capable of understanding this purely senti- mental view of a plain matter of business, Henry returned to his papers, in some per-