The Irish standard., 1892-09-03

/.
have come to apply to you"
She looked me over with great DELHI
GRAFTON, her features retaining their
cold immobility, undisturbed by even SO
much as ripple either of pleasure or
displeasure.
WELL" she said at last, in her slow,
majestic, deliberate way, what kind
of employment do you want?"
ST want any kind that will give me
decent support, replied
s'Then you have no preference" she
questioned.
81 am not in position to have pref
erences,'' answered. ''With me it is
not question of what will do, but of
what can do, Have you need Of my
services in any capacity"
She did not speak at once, but for
little while stood silently gazing into
my face, vacant, PARKWAY look in
her eyes that impressed me with the be-
lief that she was not seeing me at all
and that her thoughts were not on me.
She did not answer my question, and
when she spoke it was to this effect:
''Come into my room, will you? I
want to talk with you moment.
eyes, ma'am," replied, at the same
time following her into the great hall,
thence into nicely furnished but dark,
dismal room.
She seated herself, and bade me draw
chair near her.
Now" she began, tell me all about
yourself-your name, your parentage,
your life experiences and everything.
my name is Agnes Owens" | re-
piled; land my mother is dead, and my
father is married again.
said so much and stopped. was
chary Of saying more to 81 stranger.
$50 your mother is dead?" she OBJ
served, her voice a little more gentle
than it had been. HAS She been dead
long?'
''since my infancy" answered.
''Indeed? Then you have never known
a mothers love?"
':Never; but I've often felt the want
Of it."
SIT is strange" she said, musingly.
zone feels the want of a mothers love,
the other the want Of an object to shed
that love upon
There was a short pause before she
resumed, and when she spoke again it
appeared as if she had awakened out Of
a deep reverie.
s'Your father is living, then?" she
questioned.
"Yes, ma'am."
s'Why do you not live with him?"
because my stepmother was very,
cruel to me, and I could not bear the
sufferings she inflicted on me-"
s:Was your father cruel, too?'
'sHe was never kind, and he always
believed what my stepmother told
him.
eyes, yes; know how that is I
have experienced it all, but it's been
long time since, of course But could
YOU not remain at home and suffer less
than you suffer in this friendless way Of
iving?"
'tNo, ma'am; I could not remain at
home at all. My stepmother ordered
me to leave, and my father, who was
present, did not interfere. l was driven
away"
"Driven away?" Mrs. Lawton repeat
ed, meditatively. ''Cruel, heartless
wretches!" Then after the lapse Of
moment, she asked:
"How long have you been from
home?"
Several months" answered.
land how have you Jared during
those several months?"
''I have not been happy"
''Have the people you had dealings
with been kind to your"
'Some have and some have not"
''Where did you live before you came
hcre?"
II would rather not tell that, Mira.
Lawton, If you please. l have good
reasons for wishing to keep it secret"
She watched me with intense interest
for short time.
Miss Owens,'' she said, directly, II
do not wish to pry into your secrets.
have no right to do 80. Yet how am
to assist you unless 7 have your conf
dence? You are stranger to me, and
before take you into my home l ought
to know something of your past life
The intimation that she was thinking
of taking me into her home filed me
with thrill of the widest Joy, and in
stantly my heart warmed to her.
'sMrs. Lawton,' I cried, II would
willingly reveal to you everything con-
nected with my past if felt that my
safety would admit of it. Mine is Pc
culiar and trying situation, and to re-
veal the incidents of my existence for
the last month might place my happi-
ness and my very life in jeopardy"
II do not know what your situation
is, of course" she replied, 'but can
assure you that you have nothing to
fear from revealing your history to me-
if it is clear, as am sure it is. 1t we
are to be friends and companions we
must have mutual confidence and trust.
From that moment, I trusted Mrs.
Lawton fully. felt that no harm could
possibly result to me from making her
acquainted with my history from first
to last. I was anxious to make the rev
elat1on to her, too, for hated secrets
and dreaded the possibility of being
misjudged.
s.M-s Tawtf,r, % said stvOl are q