The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-10-04
TIE HALF-CASTE.
AN OLD GOvERhEss's TALE.
FOUNDED ON FACT.
bY MISS MuLocK.

ellluHl su0 u many excuSeS, Tor,
though the whole family dressed shah
were the meanest of all. Still, nothing
but positive rags can excuse a woman
for neglecting womanly neatness. l
often urged despairingly upon poor Ill
lab that the coarsest frock was no apol-
Ogy for untidy hair; that the most I'M
pleasant work did not exclude the pos
SibiHty Of making face and hands clean
after 1t was over
"Look at yours, my DEAR said L
once, taking the reluctant fingers and
spreading them out on pline. Then l
saw what l have often noticed in the
Hindoo race, how delicate was the
shape Of her. hands, even despite her
hard servants work. | told her so; for
In a creature SO crushed there was little
fear Of exciting vanity, and l made it a
point to praise her every good quality,
personal or mental.
Zillah looked pleased. MY hands
are like my mothers, who was very
handsome, and a Parsee.n
do you remember herr"
"a little, not much; and chiefly her
hands which were covered with rings.
One, q great diamond, was worth, she
told me, ever so many hundred rupees.
It vas lost once and my mother cried.
/ say 1t a good while after on my faith
er's finger when he Vas dying" contin-
ued she carelessly; and afterwara add
ed mysteriously, II think he stole it,
Hush, child! hushl 1t is wrong TO
speak 20 OF a dead father" cried l,
much shocked.
rs it2 Well, III not do it if it vexes
you, Miss Pryor.
This seemed her only consciousness
of right and wrong-pleasing or dis
pleasing me. 1t argued well for her
her again about her father: somehow,
with a feminine prejudice, natural
though scarcely right, | felt a delicacy
IN mentioning the mother. But she
was the only parent of whom Zillah
would speak. II hardly know II
can't remember 81 don't care
were all the answers my questions
won.
"You saw your father when he was
dyingYm | persisted. what did he say
to yon?n
II don't remember, except that L was
like my mother. All the rest was mere
swearing, as uncle swears at me
now. But uncle did not do it then"
SO Mr. LIE Poer was present.
Yes; and the ugly, notwithstanding
man they said was my father, talked to
him in whispers, and uncle took me on
his knee and called me My DEAR He
never did SO afterward.n
1 asked her n more question-s1How
long was this ago?" and she said, s'Sev-
erRl years; she did not recollect how
many"
talked to her 40 more that night,
but bade her go to rest. In fact my
mind was so full of her that I was glad
to get her visible SET out of the way.
She went, lazily and stupidity as ever.
Only at the door she paused. "Gou
won't tell what I've been saying, Miss
PryorY-You1l not mention my mother
before them? / did once, and they
laughed and made game of her,
uncle and all. They did-they-n She
stopped, literally foaming at the mouth
with rage:
Come in again; do, my poor child"
said l, 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 servant-maid.
Six months after coming to the Le-
Foers' | 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 i wanted some re-
Punishment of my wardrobe, and be-
sides 1T 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 MIR.
Sutherland brought her SO many. 'sIIe
was just like a son to her. she said
All me!
One day, when d~isconsolately exam
lining my last pair of boots-the wee
boots" that for a foolish reason | had,
were one of my few feminine vanities
Il took courage to go downstairs and
ask MI. LIE Poer "if he could make it
convenient &C., &c.
My dear Miss Pryor" said he, with
most gentlemanly efnpressement, 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-h
I thought he hesitated on account Of
the delicacy some gentlemen feel in
misunderstanding with a lady; indeed L
supposed it was from that cause he had
never spoken to me on money matters.
However, l felt no such delicacy, but
answered plainly: My salary, Mir.
Sutherland said. was to be one hundred
guineas a year."
Exactly so; and payable yearly, l
believer Mr.. LIE Poer added care
lessly.
Now, I 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, l confessed the fact that l wanted
the money for habiliments.
"Oh, is that all? Then a my ex-
cellent young lady, go with Caroline to
H at 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, ard
set off Immediately on N OF his FREE
quent %iaunts. There was no help for
It; 80 l accepted his plan and went to
Ii with Caroline and Matilda.
1t seemed a long time since I had
been in any town, and the girls might
v have been there in their lives, SO
eagerly did they linger at sliop-win-
f1nery. The younger consoled tie elder,
saying that they would have all these
sort of grand things some time. Its
only four years. whispered she, just
four years, and then that stupid Zill
IleIS CdIOllilt ptSieu ilGT AWAY Win
an angry ''hushln and walked up to my
side with a prim smile. / thought it
strange. but took nc notice, always dis
liking to play the goyerness out Of
scho0l-hours.
Another odd thing happened the
same week. There came a letter to
MI. LIE Poer from Mr.. Sutherland. [
could not help noticing this, as it lay on
the mantel- shelf two days before the
former returned, and / used 10 see it
always when | sat at meals. His-Mr.
Sutherland's / mean-was a 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. lie was SO .inXious
over 1t that he did not notice my pres
ence. Perhaps it was wrong Of ME to
glance toward him, but yet natural,
considering it was the letter of a friend
of mine. / saw a little note inclosed.
the address of which j was almost sure
bore my name. | waited, thinking he
would give it to me. / even made
some slight movement to attract his
attention. He looked up-be actually
started-but the next moment smiled,
as only Mr.. LIE Poer could smile.
News from our friend, you see!'
said he, showing me the outside envel-
ope. Ike is quite well, md-let me