The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-02-13
Continued from last week.
THE HALF.CASTE.
AN OLD G0vERNESs'S TALE
FOUNDED ON FACT.
BY MISS UNLOCK.

you, Miss Pryor"
This seemed her only consciousness
of right and wrong-pleasing or dis
pleasing me. 1t argued well for her
being guided by the affections. | asked
her again about her father: somehow,
with a feminine prejudice, natural
though scarcely right, / felt delicacy
in mentioning the mother, But she
was the only parent of whom Zillah
would speak. 81 hardly know" 81
can't remember II don't care"
were all the answers my questions
won.
.sYou saw your father when he was
dyingYm | persisted. What did he say
II don't remember, except that was
like my mother. All the rest was mere
swearing, as uncle swears at me
now. But uncle did not do ii then
80 Mr.. LIE Poer was present.
Yes; and the ugly, horrible-lo looking
him in whispers, and uncle took me on
his knee and called me My DEAR He
never did so afterward"
| asked her one more How
long was this ag0?" and she said, "Sev-
eral years; she did not recollect how
many.o
/ talked to her no more that night,
but babe her 20 to rest. In fact my
mind was so full of her that was glad
to get her visible self out of the way.
She went, lazily and stupidity as ever.
Only at the door she paused. "You
won't tell what I've been saying, Miss
Pryor?-Youll not mention my mother
before them? | did once, and they
laughed and made game Of her,
uncle and all. They did-they---o She
stopped, literally foaming at the mouth
with rage.
Come i'll again; do, my poor child"
said /, gently approaching. But she
shut the door hurriedly, and ran down.
stairs to the kitchen, where she slept
with her dire enemy, yet sole compan-
ion, the seryant-maid.
Six months after coming to the Lee
Peers began heartily to wish for some
of my salary; not that had any doubt
of it-Mr. Sutherland had said it was
safe and sure-but l wanted some re-
punishment of my wardrobe, and be-
sides it was near my mothers birth
day, when | always took care she had
some nice useful gift. 1t quite puzzled
me to think what little luxury she
wanted, for she wrote me word Mr..
Sutherland brought her so many. lie
was just like son to her." she said
All mel
One day, when disconsolately exam
lining my last pair of boots--the wee
boots, that for foolish reason had,
were one OF my few feminine vanities
Il took courage to 60 downstairs and
ask Mr.. lie Peer "if he could make it
convenient &c., &c.
my dear Miss Pryor said he, with
most gentlemanly enlpTeSseDlellt, sif /
had thOught-indeed you should have
asked me before. Let me see, you have
been here six months, and our stipulat-
ed sum WaS------s'
/ thought he hesitatell on account Of
the deiicacy some gentlemen feel in
MISUNDERSTANDING with a lady; indeed |
supposed 1t was from that cause he had
never spoken to me on money matters.
However, j felt no such delicacy, but
answered plainly: my salary, Mr..
Sutherland said, was to be one hundred
guineas ayear.
Exactly so; and payable yearly, /
believer Mr.. LIE Poer added care
lessly.
Now, had not remembered that; but
of course he knew. However, looked
and felt disappointed. At last as Mr..
LIE POer spoke with the greatest polite
ness, confessed the fact that wanted
the money for habiliments.
''Oh, is that all? Then pray, my ex-
cellent young lady, go with Caroline to
H ut once. Order anything you
like of my tradespeople. Bid them put
all to my account, we can settle after
ward. No excuses; indeed you must"
He bowed me away with the air of a
benefactor disdaining gratitude, and
set off Immediately on one of his fire.
quent jaunts. There was no help for
1t; so accepted his plan and went to
H with Caroline and Matilda.
1t seemed q long time since | had
been in any town, and the girls might
never have been there in their lives, so
eagerly did they linger at shop-win-
dows, admiring and longing after
finery. The younger consoled the elder,
saying that they would have all these
sort of grand things some time. TITS
only four years." whispered she, just
four years, and then that stupid Zill
-" Here Caroline pushed her away with
an angry 'huShin and walked up to my
side with prim smile. thought It
strange, but took no notice, always dis
liking to play the governess out OF
School-hours.
Another odd thing happened the
same week. There came a letter to
Mr.. LIE Poer from Mr.. Sutherland. /
could not help noticing this, as it lay on
the mantel-shelf two days before the
former returned, and l used to see it
always when | sat at meals. His--Mr.
Suth5rland's | mean--was q fair. large
hand, which would have caught any
ones eye: besides, it was like old times
to see it again.
happened to be by when Mr.. lie Poer
opened the letter. He was so anxious
over 1t that he did not notice my pres
ence. Perhaps 1t was wrong of me to
glance toward him, but yet natural.
considering it was the letter of friend
OF mine. l saw little note inclosed.
the address of which was almost sure
bore my name. | waited, thinking he
would give it to me. l even made
some slight movement to attract his
attention. He looked up--he actually
started-but the next moment smiled,
as only MIR. LIE Poer could smile.
News from our friend, you seeln
said he, showing me the outside enyel-
ope. lie is quite well, and-let me
ter--'he sends his kindest remembran-
ces to you. A most worthy man is Mr..
Sutherland"
So saying he folded the epistle, and
placed 1t in his desk The little note,
which he had turned seal uppermost li0
quietly put unopened, into his pocket.
1t must have been my own delusion
then. Yet was disappointed.
At the expiration of my first year as
a goverHess, just as / was looking with
untold eagerness to my midsummer
holidays, when was at length to go
home to my mother--f0r the Journey to
London was too expensive to admit of
That happiness more than once a year
LIE Poer family, no less than that terri
HE 9rOurQa tvphue favar Mafilaa