Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-30

dragged weartly around with mono6- onous and unvarying sadness. My life has been desolate and dreary and I have found no pleasure in it.
 'When saw you the first time thought immediately of my daughter, and from some cause I felt that you might fill her place in my heart. Not as she filled it, of course, for no one could do that, but in 8 great measure. You reminded me of her, though you do not resemble what she- was, in the least, and liked you. I like you yet. have grown to like you better as have come to be better acquainted with you.
 "Now want you to remain with me and tighten my sorrow by your pres ence. I am a gloomy, sad, disap- pointed woman, but my heart is not en- tirely dried up. You can bring back to it some of it's youthful feeling and win from it a great deal of the love and light that have so long been shut up within. You can make me much hap pier than I've been for years, and want you to stay. It is for my sake I ask it, and not for yours, for believe all the happiness and benefit will be mine."
 I stayed. I realized that, however Mrs. Lawton might be disposed to view the matter, I was giving but a poor re- turn for the blessings she bestowed On me, and exerted myself in every pos sible way to enhance her pleasure. talked with her, read to her, and per formed thousand little services that thought would tend to bring her a taste of enjoyment fattered myself with the belief that my efforts to augment her pleasure were not vain. I was certain that she grew lighter of heart, and that day by day she gained new relish for life. Her face lost much of it's rigidity, and the cold look melted out of her eyes. Sometimes she chatted quite gayly, and now and then a soft smile played over her features.
 noted all these signs of increasing happiness with the greatest pleasure, for I loved my benefactress with my whole heart and it made me happy to see her happy. Every light or shadow that played over her face had it's effect on my heart, for my sympathies were so woven into her life that enjoyed or suffered what she did.
 Two years lived with Mrs. Lawton They were years full of quiet peace and contentment, although they failed to bring me that perfect happiness should have known but for my disappointed love. I still remembered Will Hanley and grieved that he did not love me.
 During all that two years heard nothing of any of those had known previously. At first I apprehended some trouble from MT. Bernard, for l feared he would seek me out, but in time became quite easy on that point . when weeks ran into months and heard nothing of him. By Mrs. Law tons advice wrote one letter to Mrs. Cornell, telling her had left MT. Der nard's service, and the town, and that was comfortably situated in a distant | place, but could not, for good reasons, | give my address. So I had no news o1 the Cornells, though I often called them to mind and longed to write to them. I am free to confess, reader, that \ often felt that was not giving the Cornells the proper treatment, by hid ing away from them after their con. duct to me. 1 thought their generosity 1 and uniform kindness demanded my | perfect confidence, and it seemed to me
 I was doing them a great injustice by
 withholding it. But Mrs. Lawton per.
 suaded me to act as did, urging that ! my safety demanded strict silence on
 my part, and was willing to be gov
 erned by her. I sometimes wished tc
 hear from Charles Cornell, and ire | quently wondered what he was think
 ing of me, and whether or not he ha6
 married. Of course his action in this
 last respect could be of no interest tC
 me, since did not love him and had re
 jected his suit, yet for some cause tool
 an interest in it, and hoped with all my
 heart that he had not married.
 had made few acquaintances in my new home, and no particular friends
 aside from Mrs. Lawton. We seldom
 had visitors-never, in fact, save an oc
 casional call from some village matBon
 who came chiefly out of curiosity to SCI the inside of the great mansion, or il the hope of discovering food for gossip , I lived on literature, making friends o the characters in story books, and wa I satisfied.
 . But at the end of my second year il the house it was announced that w } were to have a visitor. Mrs. Lawton' l nephew was coming to see her, so sh
 told me, and we made preparations t ? receive him. She told me nothing abou = her nephew, not even his name, bu
 simply announced that on a certain da ' he was coming. I asked no questions r feeling little concern in the matter, an I little dreaming of the great surpris Q i there was in store for me.
 r CHAPTER XIV.
 S MEET MY LovER BUT AL.As AK.Asi y I was upstairs the day Mrs. Law