Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-02-27

De exceedingly OD41Scu II ShO "Ouu Gail
upon her this afternoon at three o'clock
to meet Miss Grahame and discuss
matter of the deepest consequence"
"Well, my Lady Scarborough" Miss
Balderstone muttered to herself, "I did
not think even your chronic impudence
would have carried you as far as that"
and forthwith in little flutter of indig-
nation she ran to her desk and penned
the following caustic reply:
"Miss Balderstone presents her kind
regards to Lady Scarborough and she
will be at home at three o'clock this af-
ternoon, when she will be glad to re-
ceive her ladyship end Miss Grahame to
discuss the matter OF consequence al
luded to in"
She had just got thus far with her let
ter when the door was burst open and
Kate Grahame, wild with grief, flung
herself into the teachers arms.
''Oh, shall diel shall die" she
moaned. "The dearest, kindest, noblest
friend-Miss Balderstone, he is dead!'
The gentle lady soothed the girls
passionate outbreak of grief, and she
had no hesitation in taking from her
unresisting hand letter which she
read with much surprise and disgust.
DEAR KATE; You will be shocked to hear
that my brother, Sir Harry Grahame, died Of
Jungle fever on the 9th Of January last at Kist-
nun, a town in the Ghauts mountains. The diff
hculty OF communication prevented the sad
news reaching US at an earlier date Lady Scar
borough agrees with me that under the c1rcum-
stances you had better delay your preparations
for leaving Miss BalderStone for the present.
Yours sincerely, HoNoRIA GRAHAME."
What does it all mean?" Miss Balder-
stone asked herself. "But," she added,
81 will soon know" and, not trusting
herself again with a pen, she sent a
verbal message that she would wait on
Lady Scarborough at the hour men
toned in her letter, breach of social
etiquette which caused that grand per-
sonage much righteous indignation.
When, however, Miss Balderstone's
neat brougham drew up at the door of
Scarborough house, the respondent hall
porter, on reading her card, confessed
that ser led'ship his at 'ome" and called
a footman to summon the groom Of the
chambers to conduct her to the blue re-
ception room.
Both of Harry Grahame's sisters were
in mourning-not, of course, in grand
state, but in the embryo modification
of Grape and cashmere.
Csc good Of you to come" simpered
Honoria.
''For of course we could not leave the
house to call on you," my lady ex-
planned.
But Miss Balderstone cut their COM
pliments short by abruptly stating
"that her visit must be brief, as Kate
Grahame was in no condition to be left
in the charge of servants"
"What!'' Lady Scarborough ex-
claimed. "Kate I'LL What in the name
of goodness is the matter with her?
She seemed to me to be particularly ro-
bust and healthy"
"You cannot expect high-strung,
sensitive girl to receive such a com
munication as yours without being
FRUSTRATED" Miss Balders.one said, in
dignantly.
''Oh," Miss Honoria shifted, 81 sup
pose you think she ought to have been
shown more consideration, but you are
not acquainted with all the particulars
of my dear brothers sad cath"
''Or that he died without making
WILL" added her ladyship.
(Which makes all the difference in
her position" continued Honoria.
"All the difference in the world"
echoed her sister.
Though it may make difference in
her prospects," the schoolmistress said,
spiritedly, 81 fail to see how it puts her
outside the pale of Christian sympathy.
Her loss has come upon her SO sud
denly
Really Miss Balderstone," Lady Scar
! borough said, severely, ''I do not think
it is necessary to carry the manners Of
the school-room into the parlor. You
are so accustomed to criticize in your
own household, that am afraid you
forget that your opinion of right and
wrong may not have the weight it de-
serves in the outside world. Nay, do
not go. We have much to discuss yet.
You see Kate is fortunate to have fallen
into your good graces, while 1 am
obliged to confess that she has failed to
awaken the slightest interest in the
hearts of either my sister or myself"
Besides" pleaded Honoria, ''she is
no kith or kin of ours. OF course, it is
all very proper for her to deplore poor
Harry's death-it would be very I'M
grateful of her if she did not-but as
for her being treated as one of the fam
lily, it is perfectly preposterous to dream
of such a thing" -
''Nor do 1 believe that anything more
| neeu DC done LOT ner, cnlIneO IN ncr
ladyship. ''She has good education, a
good outfit of clothes-and in tais mat
ter cannot but feel thankful that the
admirable rules of your establishment
preclude the wearing of costly mate.
rails, for what she has will be quite
fitted to her new sphere-and with a
few pounds in her pocket, she is better
equipped to start in the world than half
the girls of the middle classes who are
left orphans at her age"
"What can she do?" Miss Balderstone
pleaded. sacrificing her personal indig.
nation to the chance of securing some
provision for her favorite pupil.
brought up as she has been, it will be
doubly hard for her to face the world