The Red Cloud chief., 1892-04-29
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but Cnere Is nOLnlng. ana 1 QlOn Z care
to waste our valuable time in talking of
Aaron"
81 wanted to hear about him for
James sake" she said meekly. "No,
not for James sake" she added sudden
ly, in a frmer voice. Il always liked
him, Michael; and when l remember
what he has done for you. l am very
grateful"
"How you. exaggerate trifies:" he
cried, irritably. Let me put the case
clearly before you, and then, perhaps,
i! yon will see it in the right light. Aaron
Fenlake is one of the foremen in Bat
tersby's works. He knows that a clerk
is wanted who can write fluently in
several languages, and he tells me OF
the vacancy. apply. and soon con
vince the firm that / am tit for the
post. Surely, may be pardoned If /
don't go staggering under a heavy load
of gratitude I o the end Of my days. Do
you suppose that Aaron's good word
would have got me into the Office, if l
had not been the man that ! amp"
"Oh, / know that you can do any
thing, Michael" said her earnest lips
and eyes. but poor Aaron is devoted
to you. and he is such a good fellow"
well, Olive. we can't discuss hts cx-
ccllence now" replied Michael, stand
ing upright. Its nearly time for me
to start, and you arc going to give me a
cup Of tea first"
swell, Mrs. Hooper will give yop the
cupof tea, she said, keeping back a sigh.
"You will like her tea better than ours.
She is very good to me, and want you
to see my friend, Lucy Cromer."
Lucy Cromer? Oh, all, yes, that's
the niece who has come to live with
her." he answered as they moved away
from the gate.
On the other side of the quiet road
there were two cottages sheltered
under one broad roof of thatch.
Their walls were covered with moss
and weather-stains, and the little dia-
m~ond-paned easements were set in
wreaths of creepers. And, although
there was as yet no wealth of foliage
to dress up the lowly dwellings with
summer beauty, they had the pictur-
esque charm that belongs especially to
HaceS rustic n dccayed.
4 There was a large piece of ground,
half floyer-gardcn and half Kitchen
garden, in front of the two cottages;
and the only division between the gar
dens was a row of flints showing out
white against the dark mold. At n
of the doors stood 4 young woman,
with a fresh, modest face, who held ont
her hand timidly rs Michael APP
preached. He greeted her with an air
of friendly patronage.
SLOW do You do, Jane? Glad to see
you looking so WELL" he said. and then
stalked in through the other doorway.
The room which he entered, followed
by Olive, was very low, with q heavy
beam across the ceiling. A fire was
burning brightly in the prim old-fash-
toned little iron cage, and between the
fire and the window stood a small sofa
covered with faded chintz. Propped up
with cushions, another young woman
was sitting in the corner Of the sofa;
and she, too, extended her hand to
Michael, but her manner was not timid
as James had been.
Il am glad to see you. Mr.. Chase; l
have heard a great deal about you," she
said in a faint, sweet voice.
Something in the look and air of the
speaker surprised Michael so much that
he lost his usual self-assurance. He
stood awkwardly before Lucy Cromer
for a moment, and thcr. sat down
neekly in a chair near her couch. How
was it possible that this woman could
be the niece of plain Mrs. Hooper, who
had lived in Eastmeon all her days? In
her letters Olive had told him that her
friend was pretty, and he had expected
to see a commonplace little person. pcs
sessed of ordinary good looks. But no
commonplace girl was here.
Lucy Cromer was a long. slender
woman, with the kind of figure that
sways and bends with q reed-like grace.
Her face was long, too; she had large
gray eyes that were now preternatu-
rally bright, a delicate aquiline nose,
and fair hair which surrounded her head
with a golden halo. A dark-blue wrap
per, of some soft material. set off the
exceeding fairness of her complexion;
and, simple as the robe was, it was
UldCc III Il Stylc tldt Is SclUOm seen IN
villages or country towns Your first
glance al Lucy sufiiced to tell you her
days were numbered: your second con-
WINGED you that she was waiting
eagerly, perhaps impatiently, for the
end.
There arc souls in whom God accom-
plishes His work quite alone. Neigh
bors came sometimes; but Lucy cared
little for visits, and the simple country
folk were afraid Of her. The clergy
man called, and was baf1ed by her gen
tie indifference and her curious unfit
ness for her humble position. What
was her history? Even her aunt seemed
to know very little about Lucy's life.
The girl had gone to be maid to an old
lady, who had taken a fancy to her and
raised her to the post of companion.
And then came a quarrel and changes;
Lucy had left her situation and had
found work in a florists shop in Regent
street. There she had displayed great
skill in arranging bouquets and fash
ioning wreaths and sprays; and had
kept this place until her health failed.
This was all that Mrs. Hooper had to
tell ABOUT her niece. She was a lonely