Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-07-08
THE ATHELSTONS;
 OR VICTOR AND vANQUISHED.
BY MARY CECIL HAY.

her answer with snbdued eagerness.
 "Not yet, Mir. borden. IhRve prom ised to wait here until the carriage pass es to High Athelston. had two or three errands to do in the town, but cannot walk any farther. I am quite tired now"
 "You are still staying at High Ath- elston ?" inquired Mir. borden.
 "Yes. We shall be there a few days longer. So you did return to your du- ties this morning, Mir. Jeffrey, after all ?"
 Bright and quizzical was her glance at Jeffrey; and he answered gayly, know ing SO little what had brought her there.
 "I felt that my leave had expired. I would not, on any account, abuse Mrs. Esdaile's lenity, though Sir Neil Athel- ston was good enough to persuade me (and Col. Stuart seconded him) to stay as long as his other guests"
 "Sir Neil is always hospitable," re- marked Marjorie, lightly. "Good-by, Emily, I am sorry l cannot walk with you"
 But Emily borden was not sorry at all, and Marjorie smiled as she read this fact, and watched Miss borden walking away gladly at Eustace Jelfrey's side.
 "Now," said Marjorie to herself, drawing great breath of relief when they were gone, "now it will be all right"
 When she turned in from the door the postmaster had gone again to the letter box. Though he was only @ Rshopkeeper in a small town he was too courteous to be standing near her after having over . heard the excuses she had uttered. She finished the address on the envelope, writing with intense care, in fine, point ed letters, exactly as her sister would have done.
 "Is this it, Miss Castillain P' asked Mir. Mathers, holding Louisa's letter to- ward her, and critically comparing the handwriting of the two addresses.
 "That is it," che answered, with catch in her voice. as she saw him ex- anime the writing.
 He put the letter, without another word, into the large envelope she had addressed to herself then he stamped it and replaced it in the letter-box. "Now, Miss Castillain," he said, evi- dently glad to have pleased her, yet as evidently not quite free from self blame, "you will receive that letter by to-mor- row mornings post, and will, of course, do what you like with it. have not let 1t out of my hands, but am glad to say have been able to accommodate you. Your parcel shall be sent up at once," he added, with quick tact, "for I see the boy coming down the street. |" But though he had said this to set her at ease, he knew that he would not for anything have missed her few earnest words of thanks. The boy came in, and was dispatched at once (and rather demonstratively) to Hawkedale, with Miss CastillAin's books and Miss Cas- tillain herself sauntered to the door and gazed down the steep street. But she had done this several times before she saw the beautiful bays, in their daz- zling harness, trotting in from High Athelston, Nell himself driving them, and Ridley, with folded arms, beside him.
 Mir. Mathers came out to assist Miss Castillain to her seat, and she thanked hHm with one of her bright, quick smiles. But Col Stuart had left his place at the back of the long, luxurious wagonette, and there was no need of other help for Marjorie. Ridley closed the door behind them; Louisa signif- cantly moved aside her dress to lot her sister pass Neil looked around from his high seat and asked: "All right?" Mar jorie nodded up at him from the seat which she had been forced to take, and then the bays went stepping on daintily up the street and out into the London road.
 "What an odd colncidnce l" ruminated Mir. Johnson Mathers. as he turned back into his shop. "Im glad to have been able to do it for her in some sort of man. ner, but I don't suppose there's any one else in the country for whom I could have done it. And that's not because she's going to be Lady Athelston, of High Athelston, for it's not for my lady or Sir Neil that would have done what I've done to-day. And she wasn't ashamed of thanking me there hefore them all just as she would have thanked any one of them. She's always that way. If she had been 50 only just because had done what she asked me to do, I'd not have thought of it one second, or valued it one grain but she's always soi being, l take it, lady in her heart, apart from her money and her position, and all that. She little thinks how that 6ndliness and pleasantness which came natural to her have returned to her to- day in this favor which she begged oi me. I'm glad, continued the postmas- l GoAp bAo0 phO NAOOS AOA know. It comes straight from the good ness of her heart, and it's pleasant to think she imagines that whatever we dc for her comes straight from the goodness of ours"
 Next morning, with very skillful haste, Marjorie put into her pocket unopened the one letter which the High Athelstor post-bag contained for her, and after breakfast started alone across the park. She had promised to meet Lima Chester near the cottages in Neither Lane, but before she reached them, Eustace Jel frey, riding with his pupil, overtool her.
 els not this beautiful autumn day Miss Marjorie ?" he said, dismountinC his softe1t tones, as he walked on beside her.
 "Why, Jack" she exclaimed, only acknowledging Mir. Jelfrey's greeting