The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-08

menselyP
Helen laughed again. and this time blushed
little, but it was too dark for Roche TO see
her blush.
MAY l turn with youf" said Roche, the
next minute, 81 too like this hour, and the
stiffness. aud the mist, and the ghostly look
of the FIR trees But are you not afraid,
Miss Drummond, TO be out in lonely place
like this without any one to take care Of
youl Are you not afraid Of robbers or
ghostsf'
"How could robbers get into the groundsF'
said Helen, laughingly, land as for ghosts,
I'm sure they won't hurt, for never did
any harm to any one"
81 believe that said Roche, fervently,
and his tone aud manner were pleasant TO
the young girls heart.
This was the first walk that these two
youag people took beneath the dusky frs,
but it was not the last Before they parted
on this first occasion Roche asked Helen IL
she would meet him again tomorrow.
"We've had he jolliest walk, " he said, as
for few minutes they stood behind the
wall of one of Lady Ennismore's conserva-
tories before parting. "rhe jollisst walk l
ever had in my whole life, Miss Drummond
do you think you will CONS out at this
time tomorrow
hour" answered Helen, lightly, ''but /
must go in now-I want some tea before /
dress"
Roche followed Helen into Lady Ennis
more's drawing room few minutes after
this. Some country visitors were there
drinking tea, aud Helen was standing with
her sealskin hat in her hand, talking in her
usual bright animated way to these visitors,
They were the two maiden sisters Of the
Rev. Peter Prescott, rector of Mortonbury.
The Rev. Peter was a bachelor, aud Miss
Prescott and Miss Dorothy Prescott lived at
| the rectory house, which was half n-mile
ouu of the little town. They were two
elderly, faded ladies these, full of good
works, but jealous withal OF their reverend
brother. Mortonbury was a good living,
and Peter was simple abont women his sis
tiers said, so neither widow nor maid was
very welcome OF the rectory They
| guarded Peter as jealously as the cat does
her kittens. Peter was on the wrong side
of 40 certainly, but the Misses Prescott
knew perhaps from experience) the deter
mination or designing females In want of
| husbands. They therefore watched the
rector with lynx-eyes.
The Rev. Peter, indeed, was no doubt well
worth looking after in the way of matri-
| mony. The rector of Mortonbury was in
| the gift Of great ducal house, and while
| at College Peter Prescott had had the good
| fortune to risk his own life one day in a
very gallant and successful effort to save
| theslife Of young Lord Algernon, who was
the second son of the great ducal house,
and who would certainly have been drowned
but for the bravery OF Peter Prescott.
Lord Algernou did not forget this. Peter
| got his first curaoy in manufacturing
| town, and labored there in his quiet and
unobstrusive way for many years. Then,
| at the age of 80, old MIR. Moon, the rector
| Of Mortonbury, retired into the sparsely
filed graveyard Of that town, where people
rarely die, except when full of years
Upon this event occurring, Lord Alger-
non reminded his father, the duke, that II il
had not been for Peter PRESCOTT, that the
duke would now have had no second son.
! The duke accordingly desired the rectory OF
| Mortonbury, worth over two Thousand q
year, to be presented to the Rev. Peter Pres
colt, who was still contentedly working
among his knife-grinders.
Had Peter suddenly been elevated to the
peerage he could not have been more sur
prised. Years and years had passed since
he had fished Lord Algernon out of tbs
waters of the Cam, and he had never seen
him. Two brace Of grouse had certainly
| every year arrived at the curate's humble
lodgings in Sheffield, with Lord Algernon,
compliments, but this was ALL Peter used
to smile to himself sometimes when he got
the grouse, remembering the white ngon,
| ished face Of the young lord in his death
throes in the river
But Peter made no sign and asked nc
favor. Lord Algernon had forgotten hin
| he supposed, and the Sheffield ourate was q
very humble minded man, aud was content
that it should be so.
| Imagine then his utter surprise when tbs
| duke presented him with living worth two
| thousand a year, and when he received @
kindly, well expressed, aud grateful letter
| from Lord Algernon.
| "Do not suDnosa > vYrnta his Iordeh IN
that have ever for moment forgotten
| your great bravery, when at the risk Of
| your own life, you undoubtedly saved mine
| But l waited to tell you this, until some
thing worthy Of you fell out They tell me
Mortonbury is good living. and that there
is a nice rectory house attached. May you
live IN it long, nv dear Prescott, and IL the
| rector of Mortonbury will honor me occa-
sfenally with an invitation to visit him
nothing will give me greater pleasure than
| to clasp once more the honest hand which
plucked me 50 calamity from the grasp Of
| DEATH"
A tear dimmed Peter Prescott's grey and
serious eyes when he read this letter. He
| had been unjust to this true hearted gentle
man, he was thinking, and to be unjust was
| greivous to the soul Of Peter. He sat down
and wrote few words TO his noble friend
| cold, even stiff words, perhaps; but had
| Lord Algernon seen him with his long, lanls
| figure, and with his lean hands clasped while
he prayed in heartfelt accents that all bless
ings might fall on Lord Algernon's head
| Lord Algernon would have understood bet.
| ter the mans simple and tender nature.
As it was Lord Algsrnon felt that he had
| done his duty and paid his life debt, and the
Rev. Peter Prescott was congratulated on all
sides. His parishioners presented him with
an address and a silver salver; his vicar
| fawned upon him. and as for his vicar's
daughters-well, Peter felt more at ease
| when he saw the last of Sheffield.
But he went away with the good viii OF
| all men. Women had scarcely looked at him.
| he was poor, be was lean, he was ugly;
| therefore what charms had he in the eyes OF
womens They mostly look to the husk and
not TO the good grain within. But il he had
lovers among them he had no enemies. "He
was good creature" they said, and none
of them had heard the story Of his having
saved Lord Algernon until the unexpected
| gift OF the rich living told the tale.
But If this gift grati1ed the simple, kindly
heart of Peter, words cannot describe how it
gratifed and delighted the somewhat mar
row and soured hearts of his two maiden
| sisters
These ladies were then living together in
small country town, in poor, little house,
where their father. the late Rev. Peter
Prescott, has been perpetual curate over
| forty years. They were leading only very
neager and struggling existence, though
/ their brother, the curate at Shelf
field, invariably contrived to spare