Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1890-10-17

morrow"
And the picnic by the mountain
spring, whereat Mr. Daggett was to be
instructed in the mysteries of Madran-
ello's recipe for salad-dressing, never
came to pass.
The old housekeeper in the Fifth
avenue mansion stared when she opened
the door to Miss Blessington, who had
driven up to the front steps in cab,
piled high with luggage, in the purple
dusk of the summer evening.
SIS my uncle at homo, Priscilla?'
"Well, Miss Kate" stammered the
astonished old lady, ''he just amt, and
that's factl"
"Gone to his club?"
''No, Miss Kate, not ezackly."
''Where Is he then?"
Didn't you git his letter, miss?"
questioned the old woman.
81 have got no letter. He isn't sick?"
mo, miss, but he's married!'
"Married?"
Miss Blessington sat down in the big
hall-chair.
"My uncle? And to whom?
''To Miss Nina Grey!"
"Nina Greyr' gasped Kate. "Pris-
cilla you must be dreaming. She's
younger than am"
81 amt, miss, no moren yourself.
He sailed for Europe on Saturday, with
his bride. Dear me, here's the letter now,
in the rack. l s'posed it had been
mailed week ago."
A cold, clear, cutting letter in which
Mr.. Orlando Blessington expressed his
conviction that in rearing and educat-
ing his niece he had done all that
could possibly bo expected of him.
That he had just been married to pretty,
little Nina Grey, his partners young
est daughter, and that hereafter he
hoped that Kate would find it convep-
lent to shift for herself, as Nina pre-
ferred no divided rule in the Fifth av-
enue mansion.
Poor Katel
Once, twice, she read the letter over
before she found herself able fully to
comprehend its cold, cruel meaning;
and then, with her eyes blinded with
tears, she turned to Priscilla.
II may stay hero tonight, / sup
pose2" she said with quiver in her
voice.
'.As long as you please, Miss Kate!
cried the old woman.
NO." she returned moro firmly; this
is no longer my home. Only-only l
have nowhere else to go, just yet, and
all this seems so sudden"
Mrs Daggett could hardly believe her
eyes, the next week, when Miss Bless
ington came back to the old farmhouse
among the Berkshire hills.
you are surprised to see me-" said
Kate, with a faint smile, "But-but
things have altered with me. My uncle
has married a girl younger than myself,
and turned me in a civil sort of way,
to be sure-out of doors. / have got to
work for my living now. And there are
so few things, short Of genteel starva-
tion, that woman can do! So l
CHANGED to remember what you said
about a school teacher being needed at
the Hadden Cross Roads public-school,
where nobody liked to go, because it was
such an unhealthful location, and the
scholars all so rough and stupid. But
beggars mustn't be choosers, and l
thought that perhaps Charley-Mr. Dag
gett-could see the trus tees for me, in
a day or two"
Certainly" said Mrs, Daggett "And
you're kindly welcome, Miss Blessing
ton, back to the old farm"
But Kate cried herself to sleep that
first night in the sweet old room, where
the sweet-brier bushes sent up so subtle
a fragrance, and the walls were papered
with blue-aDd- white stripes.
$50 you are back, Miss Blessington9"
said Charley, when he met her, the
next day.
YES am back"
'And you want to go to teaching2"
"Yes"
But I once heard you say you detest-
ed school teaching"
$50 do"
Then why do you teach?"
Because" confessed Kate, crimson
ing, there is no alternative"
You would rather teach school than to
be farmers wife?"
"1.haven't said sol" said Kate, biting
her lip, And it's very wicked of you,
Charley-Mr Daggett, l mean--to taunt
me So"
"Katep'
"Well-Charley?'
"Will you be farmers wife, notc?" =
"0f course will be-if you ask meP"
because there is no other alterna-
tive?"
"No-because love you, Charleyp
So they were married; and Kate has
been heard TO declare that the kindest
office Uncle Blessington ever did her
was to send her back to the peaceful old
Daggett homestead.
For" she says, "a farmers is the
most independent life in the world
next to that of farmers wifa"-Iane
A. Lewis, in Y Y. Ledger