Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-01-05
"CHRIS.N


tunity In tho days OF her povertyi but the
generosity would be less evident now. His
coming forward now-should he be per-
suaded by his mother to do so-would only
show that he thought $4,000 worth a small
sacrifice Of pride.
Toward morning she fell fast asleep, but
did not get nearly as many hours Of rest as
persons OF her age require; so that, In spite
Of all her efforts to summon up cheerful exc
preston, It was q somewhat weary and
drawn face that she took to Lady Barnstaple's
villa, in the garden Of which she was met by
Lady Grace.
"I saw you from my bedroom window, and
Thought I would come down and intercept
you," Lady Grace said. "There are some
people in the drawing room who are going to
stay to lunoheoni but we needn't so In yet.
And how have you been oil this long time.
chrisT And why have you never written to
met"
'You never wrote to me-" Chris remarked.
"wen, no." answered Lady Grace laughing;
"that is true. did mean to write, and was
often upon the point OF doing It; but
always put it OF because-well III exc
plain to you 0fterwsrd why didn't write.
Do You know that you are not looking at all
we'll, Chris7"
II have rather headache this morning."
said Chris; otherwise there's nothing the
matter with me-" Then she expressed her
congratulations and begged to be told all
about Lord Forfnr though her friend assured
her that there was really nothing to tell.
"Forfar," Lady Grace declared, 'is q COM
monplace young man. as you must have
noticed, and am a commonplace young
woman, as you know; SO that we shall get
on we'll together and live happily to the end
Of our days, hope. Our relations are pleased
with US but they are not very much inter-
csted In US, and indeed one couldn't expect it
Of them. We are not interesting. Now you
| are very interesting, Chris, and that's why
want to talk to you about yourself"
| But Chris, who was by no means anxious
to talk about herself, insisted upon categor-
icAl answers to o number Of questions relat-
| ing to Lord Forfar and the approaching we'd
| dingj and IL was not until the two girls had
been seated for half an hour On the shady side
Of the mimosa that she found herself COM
PEELED to take her turn Of submitting to cross
/ examination.
"Iavo you no news to give NOR" Lady
Grace inquired. Nothing about Mr.. Rich
i ardson, for iAetmCsr
"I suppose, from your nsking that ques-
tion," answered Chris, "thAt you know was
once engaged to him. did not exactly wish
| Il; but circumstances brought 10 about. The
engagement is broken on now"
"oh. am 80 glad Mamma told me that
there was o sort Of half-and-half engage
ment."
She promised not 70 betray that secret, I"
remarked Chris, parenthetically.
"I am sure she hasn't told anybody but
me. And so It IL really at an sndi I am de-
lighted to hear It; for I have never thought
him At all nice. and lately have been told
| some very unpleasant things about him."
Ohris not feeling called upon to mako any
rejoinder, a pause followed, after which Lady
Grace resumed; There is somebody else who
will be even more glad than am TO hear that
you ore not going to marry Mr.. Richardson"
There isr' said Chris.
cas- II you didn't know that as well as do.
Only perhaps you don't know quite ns we'll as
do what q good steady fellow he 10, and
what real piece Of luck it is for any girl to
be cared for by him. Even my father. who
isn't given 70 praisng his children, admits
that Gerald IL paragon. He has always paid
his own bills; he has never got into scrapes
Of any kind"
81 have no doubt that he is perfect" inter
rupted Chris, laughing a little Constrain-
edly; "but must take great care not to be
dazzlod by his perfections. Lady Barnstaple
very kindly warned nae about that when was
at Brontstow. She said no might admire me,
and Of course should naturally admire him
but It would be very sad thing If we were to
allow this mutual admiration to go too far, be-
cause Lord BarnstapLe would mover hear OF
: 1t but to telegraph to Aunt Rebecca and take
to my heels"
eyes, know" answered Lady Grace
TRANQUILITY. Mamma meant to DO kind and
really think that under the circumstances
she was kind. However fond people may b
of one another, they can't marry upon an in
come which won't support them. But nov
tho circumstances are altogether changed, yor
? see."
b are by way Of knowing the world assure
/ me that capital Of 100000 makes
a ell the difference. But then I, too
in my humble way, have ideas as to what will
!. do and what won't. Perhaps I don't alto
gether like to be told, with more three
y hundred year, we can't look ct you, anC
the sooner you take yourself on tho better
but II you can really bring US as much as thre
or four thousand o year We shall be willing 4
do business with you. Perhaps may fame,
that It would be wiser to keep my threc thou
sand year and my liberty"
"That Is very unfair, Chris" Lady Grac
declared. Gerald never asked or though
= about your money. My father would hav
thought about Il, of course, Just Us fathers do
but Gerald would have been only too delighte
to starve with you in q garnet. He told me a
about It the day you loft Brentstow, and
promised that would befriend him If
could"
"You didn't do a great deal to befrien
;, him." remarked Chris, who could not hel
e being pleased and Modified by this revelation
what could dol I gave him your ad
II dress In London, which thought at tho tim
II was rather wrong Of me, and he called upo
you and didn't see you. After that"
u "well, what after thatr" asked Chris, II
= kle anxiously.
az don't know; thought perhaps 20
would be able to tell me. Gerald had to r,
turn to Paris before his leave was up, an
since then there has been q change. 3
seemed to think that there was no chance fC
him, and fancied that he might have hear
something about Mr.. Richardson. Somethir
. more, at least; for I confess told him viii
Ihad heard from mamma"
ct am glad he didn't tell you," said Chri
meditatively; "but don't think there is ar
n harm 10 telling you the truth now. ra
away from my aunt. She poisoned my de-
Peter, and I felt that couldn't live with h
after that; 90 made my escape fromLondo
meaning to come on here to the Lavergne
who I knew would receive me. Unto
49, a. .kns, AZ. d. Ia a