Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-14


He rang little doubtfully, and stepped
back into the street to watch for the move
ment of some answering light. No light
appeared. but footstep sounding within
doors, he moved once more towards the
entrance The door opened, and a shrilI
voice, speaking in the local pdtOjS, asked
his business. He had no sooner opened
his lips in answer than the voice lost its
tone of acerbity.
''Give yourself the trouble to enter, NJ.
lie Captaine; will find a light in mo-
ment." a footstep went shutting along
the darkened corridor, and the voice
shrilled, Mad -nlOjselIe LeeIa, Uoict Mon
sieur, Uotre papa q1tt drriuer' At this
there was joyous shrek from some upper
apartment of the house. And child's
steps came ny1ng down the stairs.
PA, Pa. Where are you, PAP"
"Here my darling" said Medhurst, from
the doorway: and the child, rushing i'm
petuously towards him, gave an actual
leap into his arms, and Rugged him by the
neck in an ebullition of JOY which was al
most wild in its intensity. When the wo-
man who had opened the door returned
with a candle Medhurst was still nursing
the child in his arms, and she, clipping
him with both hands, was leaning a flush
ed face over his shoulder.
''This way Monsieur" said the woman;
and he followed her upstairs, carrying the
child, who took his hat off with laugh,
and Rugged him closer afterwards. Up
stairs, he was shown into a sort of room,
where there was a smell of garlic in the
air. The floor was paved with hexagonal
tiles, not peculiarly clean, and was IN
carpeted. The scattered furniture was
shabbily pretentiOus, and the wood fire
very meagre. The girl Of one or two-and-
twenty, sallOw compleXioned, but not I'M
handsome stood in waiting attitude by
the table, with piece of embroidery in
her hand. She was dressed in decent
black, and had dependent and carewOrn
aspect. She curtseyed to Medhurst on his
entrance. and then, seeing herself unno-
ticed, resumed her seat.
Medhurst dropping down on to a sofa,
took the child upon his knee, and possessed
himself of both her hands
You didn't expect to see me, Lillas" he
asked.
No" she said, pouting "You haven't
written for fortnight. Madam has been
nasty again She was horrid this after
noon, and neither Mademoiselle nor 1
could eat our dinner All oil and garlicl''
one gave Il SlullltIr I6tli IGdI anu lIdIl
mimicry; and Medhurst looked disturbed.
Never mind, darling" he said. you
sha'n't stay here any longer. We're going
20 Monte Carlo together, and there you
shall stay at an hotel"
when shall we go?" cried the child,
springing to the ground, and Selling him
by both Iappels of the coat
LAS soon as you can get ready" her
70 a,,GyvaraI fIfI'hara iS q train N an
hour and half"
"Wiu Mademoiselle go, toof"
Certainly"
The child turned excitedly upon her gov
erness and poured out the news upon her
in voluble French.
Come awayr' she cried Come at
oncel Let us pack up. We shall miss the
train"
II suppose you have not much luggage,
MademoiselIe?" said Medhurst The young
lady shook her head with rather sad and
meaning smile. Run away, LiIla?" said
the Captain; land begin to pack. Made
moiselle will follow in moment. l have
some business to do with her, and you can
be getting ready the while"
The child reaching out her arms to him,
he stopped and kissed her, and she raced
enthusiastically from the room
al owe you years srlary," said Med
hurst. II will pay you now, and you can
give me receipt tomorrow. | think I
owe you something for your patience and
forbearance, and if you will accept this I
shall be obliged" He offered her bank
note for five hundred francs, and she ac-
cepted it as if she were too much dazzled
by this unexpected good fortune to he yet
Hnitn olaur, q onr1t stNVil1 va, m
Tomorrow" he continued, land buy what
ever may be requisite for Lila and your
self l want you both to make good ap-
will be ready will be back in time fory you.
In the meantime, | shall be obliged if you
will send the Iandlady to me-"
The governess withdrew, aud the land
| lady shortly afterwards appearing, had
| her claim settled and gave receipt for
| it. Then Medhurst betook himself to the
| street, Dad wandered to and fro for a time,
within hearing of the murmur of the sea
| upon the beach. He was not conscious of
his immediate surroundings; but he saw
| quite clearly the sunlit gardens of Monte
| Carlo, with himself and the child both ir-
| reproachably attired, strolling there hand
| in hand, with the governess, also ire
| proachably attired coming on at a little
| distance in the rear. There was some
| thing in this picture altogether delightful
| to the fatherly affections: but there was
| something more than that. The group
| looked cminently reputable. The British
| father with the pretty daughter and the
| sedately respectable young gOveruess in
the neighborhood looked very little dan
| gerOus, indeed. He was likelier to make
| acquaintance so, who might be of use to
! him. He caught himself at this mental
| exercise, with such a sudden swiftness
| that he gave groan of shame and anger,
| and, turning abruptly on his heel, he be-
| gan to walk rapidly, as if to carry himself
| away from the sphere of that reflection.
| But he had never used himself to scout his
| worse or to encourage his better moods,
/ and by-and-by he resigned himself.
Am to be without the child because I
| shall look the more respectable with her?
Was it my intention in coming here to
make decOy of her?"
She would make a sort of decoy, all the
same, and in minute or two he had rec
onciled himself to the picture which at
the first glance had so Mortified him. Be
fore the time drew near for their depar-
ture he found a carriage plying for hire,
aud was driven back to the house. The
child, already dressed for the journey aud
full of Impotence to begin with, fiuttered
round him with a restless and excited en-
ergy, sometimes Selling him round the
neck from behind his chair and impetu-
ouslv kissing him. and sometimes seating
herself on his knee and sitting quietly for
about a minute at a time with her head
upon his breast. Since his wife's DEATH
eight years ago, Captain Medhurst had
been very little accustomed to give or re-
ceive Caresses. He felt awkward, in his
manifestations of affection now: but more
than once the child's abandonment of Joy
touched him with an unexpected keen
ness They would never part again, he
told himself. He would make some sort
of fight with the world, and would re-
habilitate himself in the eyes of those who
knew him. In a very few years the little
girl would be a woman, and then there
would be no hiding rrom ner the equINUcaL
position he occupied, or the disdain in
which he was held by people who still
lived in the circle he had left. After all,
he had only done on very little money
what many people did who had great
deal tie had never been detected IN
sharp practice, and no man could lay a
finger on any known episode of his life
and say, Herein thou art a rogue If
he, in his own interior knowledge of him
self, could have guided the accusing fin
ger pretty often, it made no difference.
- IS J. -t,1 yNe