The Wilmingtonian., 1888-01-21
MY ADVERTISEMENT.
Continual from last reek.)
IV

teeper. Somehow, it suited her
'etter than the everlasting black
and-white get-up. 1t was a pleasure
10 look at her, she was so sweet and
fair to the eye; and still remained
ihe Perfect housekeeper. My friends
soon got tired of chatting me, except
Sir Giles. And he made up for it
~ behaving very handsomely always
to Christine, for whom he had ap.
parently conceived great liking.
As for Christine's lad Chandos,
he young dog took great fancy to
ne, and we were much together.
bought him pony no larger than a
good-sized Newfoundland and taught
lim to ride The lad seemed to be
chock-full of fine instincts and apti.
tudes, and took like hero to the
saddle, the rod and line, and the
water. As for the bees, l believe
he had got name for nearly every
one of them. He would call them
and they would come to him. He
loved them, and l fancy they loved
him. He was never happier than
when they we're playing and hum
ming about him. l became much
attached to him.
Things were in thiscondition, when
one day early in September Chris
tine said to me 81 should like, Sir,
to go up to London for a few days
if you can spare me-"
, "Oh, certainly. When would you
like to start 7"
"In the morning, if possible. Ny
only sister is sailing for India in
few days, and l have to take Chan
dos"
81 think you had better leave the
boy here. l will look after him"
ooh, but he is going too, Sir"
"Going-where.
"With his mother to India, She
has decided little hurriedly; only
got her letter"
"What in the world do you meana
You are not going to India 2n ~
"oh, no." she answered with
laugh.
"But you said he was going with
his motherS Are you not his
mother 81
"oh, dear, no. And yet in
sense l am. l am his godmother,
and have had the care of him since
he was baby"
"Did'nt you tell me he was your
son when you first came" | gasped,
"Indeed l did not, Sir"
swell, anyway l took him to be
your son."
"And you also thought my hair
was turning gray, Sir" she answer
ID, softly, with a most ludicrous
note ofreproach in her sweet voice,
laughed outright.
"Well, since you are not a mother
perhaps you are not widow ?" l
said bitterly.
GA widow. No, Sir. l am not.n
"Good heavens! Have you ever
been married, may l ask ?" | cried
with a painful sense of the unre
liability of things in general.
"No, Sir, l have never been mar.
RED"
/ looked at her in silence. Her
eyes were down-cast, and her face
,uffused with bushes ! had right
1f course, to be very angry, but
,he quality of mercy is not strain
I'd She never looked more pic.
than she did at that mo-
nent.
After a silence of marked dura.
lion l said /: ~ believe advertised
FOR widow and child, did not?"
"Not exactly, Sir. You said you
would not object to a widow with
one child, which is, | think, differ
ent thing. You assumed that was
4 widow and that Chandos was my
child" she answered gently and in
tone that suggested that she was
sorry for me and would not press
the point.
l saw smile lurking in the cor.
ners of her mouth. l did hope she
would not laugh right out at me, for
in that case | had sensation which
told me plainly enough | should join
in her laughter.
"Still, you will admit" | said
gravely, "that you gave me, or al
lowed me to receive, shall say, the
impression that you were widow
with a child, and you allowed me to
remain under that false impression.
l might not have engaged you had l
known the real truth"
She hesitated a little before she
said: : 81 thought from your adver.
tisement that probably you preferred
a widow; and as l had the care of
Chandos, | thought it very favor
able opportunity. Widows, with
one child are not often in request,
Sir. / wanted to be free. was
tired of living on my brothers bom.
tv As a brother I do nnf fbinly