Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-12-23

Into 1t, except upon sufferance. She knew
nothing and was not likely to know anything
Of that which she supposed was her own.
/ Even after she had attained her majority she
would probably have to go on living with her
| aunt, since there was nobody else for her to
/ five with. Sometimes she thought longingly
/ Of the Lavergnes; but she had no claim upon
them, and, after all, they were old and
might be dead before the day of her emanci-
/ patton should arrive.
| And so, having neither present nor future
that could be reflected upon without wretch
| edness, her thoughts we're naturally occupied
for the most part with the past; nor was 1t
4 strange that In that past the figure Of Gerald
| severne should fill q prominent place. She
did not expect ever to see him again; he was
| nothing more than a memory to her, and he
| could not be anything less than a pleasant
| memory. She remembered his bright, hand
| some face and his manly unaffected ways,
and how well they had always got on together;
and occasionally-just for a moment at a time
| she wondered whether, il she had been Lady
Somebody Something and an heiress, instead
of being what she was, it would not have been
| q very pleasant lot to be wooed and won by
such a suitor.
Then one afternoon she had bitter disap-
pointmsnt. She came in late, as usual, and
Is she entered the dingy little drawing-room,
Miss Ramsden remarked, dryly: "You have
missed visitor. A Mr.. Severne who says he
IL q son Of your friend, Lady Barnstaple, has
been here and waited a long time in hopes of
seeing you; but told him that you could
mover be counted upon. Iasked him whether
could deliver message for him but he did
not appear to have come upon any particular
srrand, except to give you his mothers love
and to mention that he was going to Scotland
by to-night's mail"
/ Well, there was no denying that it was a
disappointment After what Lady Barnstaple
had said, it was perhaps as well that she had
chGnced to miss Gerald; but she could not
help being glad that he had not forgotten her,
Aer could she help wishing that she had seen
him, If only for five minutes, it seemed such
an age since she had exchanged word with
. sympathetic fellow-creature.
This incident had the odd and unexpected
effect Of making Miss Ramsden Jealous.
Apparently 1t did not strike her to regard Mr..
6evOrne and his visit in the light in which
they would have been regarded by most old
women and chaperones; she saw only that her
news had made Chris sad and out Of spirits,
and throughout the evening she bewailed her
self at intervals accordingly.
| ANY stranger is preferred to your nearest
relations" she moaned. "You seem to be a.
communicative with other people as you are
reticent with me; and you make complaints,
have no doubt; though what you can truth
fully have to complain of I leave it to your
Own conscience to say"
She was haunted by an idea that her niece,
who complained Of nothing, had every incli-
nation to make complaints, and she was
greatly perturbed when Mrs. James Comp
ton wrote to invite Chris to spend a day at
Wimbledon.
THAT lawyer man." said she, ''is Just like
the rest Of his tribe. He expects to get the
value OF a shilling for every sixpence that he
lays out, and am sure he will try to per-
suade you that don't spend every penny
receive from him for taking charge of you.
Well you may tell him from me that IL you
are discontinued it is no fault Of mine.
have done my best; but I can't afford to give
you champagne every night upon the pit
tance that he allows mo. You may say what
you like against me, and have no doubt you
will say great deal, but you can't honestly
assert that haven't done all I ever under
took to do"
"I shall say nothing against you, Aunt
hebecca," answered Chris. 'I don't know
wbatyou are receiving, and shall not ask.
Besides, think you are quite mistaken
about my cousin. I suspect that he is only
too glad to leave me whore am, and that il
] were to say was dissatisfied he wouldn't
believe me-"
But Miss Ramsden refused to be coneili-
RtOd. you speak as if you had some cause
for dissatisfaction" said she. "What cause
have your Ifyou could tell me we might per-
haps get on better together"
Chris rather foolishly answered "WeIl, il
you ask the question, Aunt Rebecca, don't
think get quite enough to eat"
1t was perfectly true that she did not get
nearly enough to eat, and that what she did
get was often so bad of its kind as to be un-
Satable. But if that circumstance had to be
mentioned at all, it would have been far bet
ter to mention it to Mr.. Compton than to Miss
kamsden, who instantly burst out into fu-
rous invective. "You wicked, ungrateful
GIRL knew very well that you meant to
raduce me, and might have guessed that
you would hit upon some accusation which
can not be disproved. The pounds and
pounds that have spent upon the butcher
and peulterer since you have been herel
And OF course you took care to find out that
always pay ready money and have no bills to
show. Well, 1 am rightly served II had
had any sense I should have foreseen what
your fathers daughter would turn out"
Chris had an admirable temper but it was
not her way to refuse a fight when those
whom she loved were attacked.
'You can abuse me as much as ycu please,
Aunt Rebeccs," she returned "but will not
allow you nor anybody else to abuse my
"You will not allowI Do you consider that
q proper and respectful way to speak to your
Runtr And do you forget that you had a
mother as we'll as O father-a mother whose
fortune your father squanderedl Your
father was a selfish spendthrift. He was
ashamed Of his wIfe's relations, and of his
own relations, while he lived; but he was
not ashamed to leave you as q burden upon
them when he died. I shall not ask your
permission to give my opinion about such a
man as that when choose to give it."
by this time Miss Ramsden was very an
CRY; and so was Chris, who twice attempted
to speak, and then, breaking down suddenly,
burst into tears.
Peter, as has been already said, was not
upon good terms with the mistress Of the
house. He had thought badly of her from
the nrst and now he saw his worst suspicious
confirmed. For some minutes past he had
been listening with cooked ears to her
soreechipg, scolding voice; he had under
stood very well that his mistress was being
= GssaIled, and when he saw Chris sink back in
Z her chair and cover her face with her hands,
4 he judged that the moment had come for him
TO intervene. Accordingly he went straight
fer old Miss Ramsdsn's legs, whereupon q
very pretty hubbub ensued. Peter was
dragged on, and there was really no damage