The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-10-22
PLAIN MISS BARST0W.

Lamotte requested, and that lady began:
II am a widow, as of course you per
ceive by my mourning. Ny poor Arthur
died fiHs years ago, and left rue this ss-
tate and comfortable income. Ny only
brother is a bachelor, and spends his
winters in the city, BUT hissummers with
me- expect him here next week. He
Is wealthy and much sought after, and
have had terrible time protecting him
from the snares sst for him by evcry old
maid and young miss. in the neighbor-
hood. I had one pretty governess, and I
firmly made up my mind that | Igouin
never have another. There shall be no
more running round the garden noon
light evenings and culling buttonhole
bouquets. Do you know, Miss Danyers.
l actually caught that sly Miss Garfield
in the very act of pinning rose on my
brothers coat! Of course paid her d
months salary in advance an1 sent her
off. am obliged to have governess
for my two poor darlings, bat it shall
never be said that my only brother was
sacrificed on my account to one of those
sly, deep, pretty governesses. No, l
have had enough of them. l suffered
from nervous apprehension all the time
Miss Garfield was here. Another week
the sly thing would have been my broth
er's wife"
"I don't think 1 shall trouble his peace
Of mind" said Lucille languidly, in
wardly laughing at Mrs Lamotte's tribU-
lations. II am sure we will not wander
in the garden and pick roses together"
''Oh, 1 am sure there is no danger with
you," said Mrs. Lalnotte.
Several days went quickly by, Lucille
being charmed with her new life. She
completely won the hearts Of her two
little pupils, and found both interest and
amusement in teaching them. She had
now regular duties which she was obliged
to fulfill, and found life much more
bearable than at Barristown.
One morning when she entered the
breakfast room she started back as If she
had seen an apparition, for there in an
easy chair, his handsome head on his
hand, his blue eyes bent on the carpet as
if in melancholy dreaming, sat GeoGrey
Wayne. He was evidently entirely a.
home, for, hearing q footstep, he looked
up, saw Lucille, and rising from his
chair came forward, saying:
'Miss Danvers, am sure. | arrived
very late last night, and saw my sister
but few moments, yet she found time
to tell me of you and the love Maud and
| Willie bear you"
He did not recognize her then. Why
| should he? She had been in full dress
at both places where they had met, and
her hair had been dressed with flowers
and sprinkled with gold dust. Of course
she looked vastly different now in q plain
dress of dark muslin and her luxuriant
hair in simple coil. And of course,
too, Geoffrey Wayne would never think
of finding in his sisters governess the
sister of his fancee, whom he had been
told was at Barristown.
Before Lucille could collect hel
thoughts sufficiently to reply Mrs. La
motto entered, evidently not at all dis
turbed at finding her handsome brother
and her homely governess together. Lu
cille saw by the way she joked anG
laughed at Geoffrey about matrimony
and the snares spread for him that sh'
knew nothing of his engagement to EN-
lily.
Mr.. Geonrey Wayne had come to pas
the summer with his sister as usual
but to the lady's astonishment he die
not enter with his usual zest into hel
plans for croquet parties and archery
matches. Lucille noticed that he wa
grave almost " melancholy, and whel
letters came from Emily would go off
the little arbor at the foot Of the gardel
and sit for hours smoking gloomily.
Lucille was sitting alone on the from
piazza reading one evening when littl
Maud came running excitedly to her.
''Oh, Miss Danvers!' she cried, almos
out of breath, ''coms to Uncle Geo1
frey. A horrid horse kicked him in Il,
leg, and it is broken. Peter and SaI
carried him into the paIor, and Pete
has gone after a doctor"
Lucille hardly waited to hear all tb
child said, for at the first inti1nation sh
received that Emily's. lover had bee
hurt she started from her seat and hui
ried to the parlor.
) Geofrey was lying on sofa with hi
brcws contracted by pain, his handsom
face white with suffering Lucille, tax
ing bottle of cologne from the mante
drew chair close to the sofa, and bega
. bathing his head very softly and gently
He did not open his eyes, however, an
it was only when his sister came runnin
in wild with excitement that he spok;
Then he begged her to be quiet, and sal
his accident would not amount to mucl
But Mrs. Lamotte would not be quieted
. and wept and moaned until the doctor
coming sent her from the room. ST
professed herself utterly unable to nur:
her brother.
{ 81 feel like fainting when go into
, darkened room," she said. "My feeling
completely overpower me when I s.
him lying there so white and still. Mi
Danvers, help me in this. / know ca
trust you am sure am not doing
dangerous thing. You are not pretty al
sly like that horrid Miss Garfield, al
you are the very one who can read az
amuse poor Geofrey. Promise me "
will do So"
: Lucille, with bitter pang at her hea
c as she thought that Mrs. Lamotte cou
indeed trust her to pay to Emily's fina
Gee any little attention he needed.
But Mrs. Lamotte was wrong in thin
ing it not dangerous thing to thro
: these two young people 80 much togeths
o AS Geoffrey felt the touch of the Cos
soft hands on his head he learned to a
mire them. As he listened to the 10
sweet voice, which appeared never
weary when reading aloud to him.
} learned to love it. As he saw the hu
9 dred different efforts Lucille made ca
\ day to interest him and render his CO
fnement to one room less dull and II
some, he learned to worship her.
forgot her plain face, and contrasted b
,t character only with that of Emily.
1 For he no longer loved the girl
whom he had bound himself. He b
been infatuated with her marvelo
beauty, caught in the coils of her shi1
!. mering golden hair and musical laug
. and he believed his infatuation to