Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-29
Love and Service

Love una eDCfOlCS
Really. Miss Latimer, this is quite
unexpected, | am sorry if you are not
satisfied at Eastcliffe. Perhaps, if you
will suggest any change you may de-
SIRE
The master of EaStcliffe was actu-
ally hesitating and stammering like
nm awkward schoolbOy. Yet, Nora
Latimer was not q formidable person
to confront, as she stood before Guy
Mansfield in the pretty mOrning-rOOm
at Eastcliffe that cold, crisp February
day, and stating that duty called her
home, asked for Il release from her
engagement as gOverneSs at EaStcli fe.
She looked like a fragile flower as she
stood before the big, brown-eyed man,
who was gazing upon the slight, black
robed figure, from his superior l. light,
yet with a strange embarrassment in
lis demeanOr,
Are your duties here too arduous p
he asked, abruptly.
Nora smiled.
"Arduous! They are simply q de-
light" she began, eagerly; then
checked herself and turned aside,
crimson blush creeping over her
pearly cheek. "It is not that, Mr.
Mansfield" she added; gravely. Your
little Flossie is a darling child, good
and obedient-a little sunbeam! 1t
grieves me to part with her; but
but"
Then, why do you go?" he cried,
hastily. ooh, Nora-Miss Latimer-l
beg your pardon-dOn't gOi l am
lonely man; Flossie loves you; even
the houSekeeper, Mrs. Stone, is deeply
attached to you. l will double your
salary"
'No, no, nor she interrupted, al
most tiercely. You pay me more al,
ready than my services are worth.
This is my first attempt at being gov
ernness, Mr.. Mansfield, and you know
[ am a friendless orphan. But my old
nurse, with whom / have made my
home is quite i'll, and has written me
that she would like TOTO see me-"
go and visit her, then, and retrlrn!'
he cried. "Oh, Miss Latimer, you will
return?"
l1CI nCdu uIOODCtI duI Tic UlOOU
surSed holly into hes. cheeks; but she
made no answer. Just then one of the
servants appeared with a message for
the master, and a moment later Nora
Latimer was alone
She turned and walked swiftly out
of the room, up the stairs to her own
pretty chamber. There she closed and
I,n l.
sorrow. How she wept, poor little
lonely hearted Nora! wept until she
could weep no longer.
"Thank heaven, he does not suspectr
she murmured, brOllenly. eff he knew
if he dreamed-this proud, rich Guy
ManSfield-that l am leaving his
house, which is a very heaven to me,
because | have learned to love him
to worship him-he would despise and
scorn me! But of course he does not
dream of such thing, and | am crate
jul that that humiliation is spared me!
But | can not stay here as gOverness
to his child, when Mrs. Stone says he
is about to bring home a second wife.
know l am wicked and altogether
wrong, but just can not. And this
letter from poor old nurse, asking me
to visit her, if possible, has come at
the right moment. | will go there and
remain for time; then, when he
sends for me, I can find some excuse,
invent some reason for declining to
return. L will write him all 1 have
to say. I can not tell himr
She bathed her face and re-arranged
her silky, dark hair; then seated her
self at her desk, prepared to write Mr.
Mansfield a formal resignation of her
situation. This is what she said:
Dear Sir: [ regret exceedingly that
circumstances render it impossible for
me to accept your kind offer. [ shall
leave for Buffalo tomorrow, if you will
kindly consider my notice given YOU
some two weeks since as sufficient.
Trusting that all is satisfactory, I re-
main, yours respectfully,
N. L.
LET me see,' thoughtfully: "that
sounds cold enough, and stilted enough
for anything. / have always signed
my simple initials to any necessary
communications to Mr.. Mansfield, and
so-Come inr'
Just then timid little rap at the
Love and Service 2
door startled her from her musings
The door opened, and a pretty house
maid appeared. She was a favoritt
and protege of Miss Latimer, and hel
name was Nora, also-Nora Lynn
The girls pretty face was pale anC
sad now, and the soft, blue eyes bore
traces of recent tears. "a fellow-feel
ing makes us wOndrous kind" anG
Miss LatimerS warm, tender hear