Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-10-31

i
in. The Introduction q = STRANGER with
out references mi" Tie iu.,a.cy "a. tArt}uli'
ly c.tr!" wa. ~ Nj. Pos, viewed il, a
cr.>.S N d"Ai, Sic history. t'.-'.,Lr'. with
IL customary elasticity. al ,l''d it," T. tie
emergency. ami l.iu,"!' MOO: rim tN >.",c
Information behind tie cu.t.ili-iu L.n.r! :
best interests. il j. quite !ic..,!c,, TO s,y.
The talk az the ;wo ladies went on. WITH
out suspicion on esther SIDE that il was
overheard by a third person.
sydney explained AcI.ef.
If / had led harIjt: ,'ir." She said, II
might have been an, To MT MI Lln!"l s
kindness. concealed nn,h!n. from Linz.
He knew that iid no tI.rI.'i, to speak t"r
me; he knew tina: had been dismissed ll0m
my employment al TIE S"hn0.. Ca, Mrs.
Linley. everything :aid winch woD.d have
made other reopie suspicious "f me made
him feel for me. | began To- wondei whether
he was an angel or IMAM. Il he had not
! prevented it, | siI0j.d have fallen on my
knees before him. Hard looks and hard
words | could have endured patiently, but l
had not seen kind look. had not heard a
kind word, for more years than can reckon
up. That is all can say for myself leave
the rest to your mercy"
Say my sympathy Ms. Liniey answer
ed, land you need sayno more. But there
is one thing | should like II know. You
have not spoken 10 me Of YOU mother Have
You lost both your PARENTS
No.
"Then you were brought up b. your moth
cr?"
YES"
You surely had some experience of kind
ness when you were a child2'
A third short answer would have been no
very grateful return for Mrs. Linley's kind
ness. Sydney had no choice but to say plain
ly what her experience of her mother had
been.
Are there such women in the worldw
Mrs. Linley exclaimed. Where is your
mother now?"
I'm Amerca-I think"
you think?'
"My mother married again." Sydney an
swered. She went TO America with her
husband and my little brother six years ago."
And lett you belind?'
"Yos."
"And she las never written to you?'
''Never."
This time Mrs. Linley Kept silence; not
without an effort. Thinking of Sydney's
mother-and for one morbid moment seeing
her own little darling III Sydney's place-she
was afraid to trust herself to speak while the
first impression was wildly present tc her
mind.
II will only hope" she replied, after wait
| ing little, that some kind person pitied
and helped you when you were deserted
Any change must have been for the better
after that. Who took charge of YOUR
my mothers sister took charge of me; an
| elder sister who kept a school. The time
when was most unhappy was the time
when my aunt began to teach me. If you
don't want to be beaten and kept on bread
and water she said, learn, you ugly little
wretch, and be quick about it,"
"Did she speak in that shameful way to
the other girls?"
''Oh, no! was taken into Ter school for
nothing, and, young as Twas, | vas expected
to earn my food and shelter by being fit to
teach the lower class. The girls hated me.
1t was such wretched life that hardly like
to speak of it now. l ran away, and was
caught, and severely pueisaed. When l
grew older and wiser tricI to find some
other employment for myself. The cider
| girls bought penny journals that published
stories. They were left about now and then
in the bedrooms. / read the stories when l
had the chance. Even my ignorance discOv-
| cred how feeble and foolish they were. They
encouraged me to try II I could write story
myself; couldn't do worse, and might do
better. l sent my manuscript to the editor.
1t was accepted and rrintcd-but when !
wrote and asked him if lie would pay me
| something for 1t he Icfused. Dozens of
ladies, he said, wrote stories for him for moth
Ing. 1t didn't matter what the stories were.
| Anything would do for his readers, so long
as the characters were lords and ladies, and
there was plenty of love in it. My next at
tempt to get away from the school ended in
another disappointment A poor Old man,
who had once been an actor, used to come to
us twice week and get few shillings by
teaching the girls to read aloud. He was
called Professor of English Literature and
hetaught ont of ragged book of verses
which smelt of his pipe. l learnt one of the
pieces and repeated it to him, and asked if
/ there was any hope of my being able to go
| on the stage. He was very kind; he told me
| the truth. My dear, you have no dramatic
ability; God forbid you should go OH the
stage l went back again to the penny
| journals, and tried new editor. He SEEM
| ed to have more money than the other one !;
or perhaps he was kinder. got 10 shillings
from him for my story. With that money l
made my last attempt-l advertised for a
situation as governess. If Mr.. Linley had
not seen my advertisement might have
starved In the streets. When my aunt heard
of it she insisted on my begging her pardon
before the whole school, Do girls get half
maddened by persecution? If they do l
think l must have been one of those girls. l
refused to beg pardon, and was dismissed
from my situation withouta character. Will
you think me very foolish? / shut my eyes
again when woke in my delicious bed to-
day. Twas afraid that the room, and every
thing in 1t, was dream" Sne looked
round, and started to her feet "Oh, here's
lady! Shall 60 away?"
The curtains hanging over the entrance to
the library were opened for the second time.
With cOmpOsure and dignity the lady WHO
had startled Sydney entered the room.
"Have you been reading in the rbrary?"
Mrs. Linley asked. And Mrs. Presty an
| GWerod: mn Catherine. l have been LISTEN