Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-08


thls?'
Nothing" said Lily, In brazen way
(she would never have spoken 10 her
mother In that tone II she had not been
encouraged). but NJ IS Blount ie not
a stranger. She loves Harry and Harry
loves her. and she's broken-hearted, ana
she's Ill. and she's nearly out of her
mind. and nobody ever says KIND WORD
to heri Even now that he's dying. and
they can't have each other. you treat
her es II she were dirt Pc r. poor.
Emily Let me go to herl Now that
Harry'e dying, she's got nobody-not a
soul In this house-but me!'
Wen. indeed Who'd be a mother, II she
could foresee what would come OF II?
To have this blow. on the top OF all the
rest and al such a moment ! felt quite
sfnrned At first l could only stare al
could not speak: then ! said; GO.
erd pointed to the door. For
h1r no more.
.a1 as che was gone / turned 10
fneul Phyllis. nut my head on
liaer. and sobbed like a baby.
Nnyilis," / cried never you get
fatt my dearl Never you nave
children. TO suffer through them as !
suffer-
She was wiser than !. however. She
said she didn't think 1t was altogether
the chAOrcns tault
admitted Il at once You are quite
right" | said. "and / wac wrong. 1t
is not the children's fault is the fault
OF that hateful creature. who has set
them both against me. First Harry, then
Lly--the very one she was hired 70 i'm
prove and trainl Fancy governess
calling herself a governess, and =. a.
to boot corrupting an innocent young
girl. a mere child. with all the details
Of a clandestine love intrigue! What in
famyl What treachery!' was beside
myself when thought Of IL. Any mother
would have been.
But Phyllis was not a mother, and she
was but lukewarm in this matter upon
which | felt so strongly. Indeed, | was
half inclined TO fear that she, too, had
become infected by the evil Influence
among us, until | found that il was Dr.
luke who had been putting ideas into
her head. DR.. luke is undoubtedly very
clever. and we were enormously Indebted
to him; still, / have always felt that he
was too fond Of giving his opinion upon
things that were altogether outside his
province 1t appeared he had been tell
ing Phyllis that II was very bad TO-
Harry 10 have any trouble on his nina
and that IL was absolutely necessary o.
we would give him his full chances oi
recovery. 10 remove any that we knew
of which could be removed.
after all" said Phyllis, In tone that
showed how he had talked her over, shes
a ladylike person enough, and very clever
We must admit that"
"Cleyer. indeedr / retorted. ITO have
caught a man like him. And looking all
the while as demure and innocent as
nun-as II butter wouldn't melt IN neT
mouth. oh, Phyllis. 1t would blight his
career forever ,.
Perhaps. not" she rejoined, tolerant
" for she was too young to know; ou'
even So | would rather have him blsH'
his career than die"
"Ohw / cried. And you SPEAK as
| wanted him to die.
Here Tom came In. and when she saw
her father she got up TO leave US
together | was glad indeed 10 nav
him TO myself. for few minutes. We
at any rate. understood each other. lie
had his faults. dear fellow, and l often
get impatient with him; but he loves me
he thinks the world Of me-he doesh
question my judgment and criticise my
conduct as the children do. was going
TO tell him about Lily, and about whai
luke said to Phyllis; but when he TOOK
me into his great, strong, kind arms
was too overcome TO utter word.
could do nothing but weep. Nor could
he We thought how we had toiied anc
shaved to make our precious boy the mar
ne was-how we had nursed him through
his baby Illnesses, and piDched ourselves
10 send him to the public school ana uni
versity and been so proud OF his beauty
and his talents and his achievement
and looked forward with such JOY TO tn
name he would make in the world; and
how we were to lose him, after ALL just
as we were looking for the reward Of
our love and labor-and In this truly
awful wayl Tom said II was quite GER
tain now that he would die. Blood-pois-
oning set in; there were swellings IN
some muscles Of his body to prove tia
fatal symptom, as every one knows. II
only needed 10 spread TO an internal or
gan. and the machine would stop at
once.
and the sooner it's over the better
Tom sobbed, land the poor chaps suf-
ferings AT an end All, Polly, old girl.
little we thought Of this when he wa
born. and we were az vain as two pea
cocks over mimi Do you remember tho
christening dinner, and the speeches. ano
how he was brought in and handed round
to be admired.
"Oh. don'tr' ] walled, in agony. Re
member il, Did / not remember II? Anc
hundred thousand heart-breakin'
things"
best we could, and go back to our dread
full duties: ne to see that the doctors had
a proper lunch before they left, e
renew my watch in the sick room-to see
the last, as l supposed OF my dying
boy.
On nv way came upon Jane, III
cook. hurrying along the passage, with
a basin Of hot broth. Harry was no
allowed meat food, so l stopped her 10
ask what she was doing with II.
Taking Il to Miss Blount," she replied
and / fancied she did not speak quit
so respectfully as usual. THAT poor
young lady hardly touches her meals
and it do go TO my heart TO see her lool
so III. l thought perhaps, drop Of gooo
soup'd tempt her."
Now. | didn't want to get the cha
racter-which ] am the last person to dc
serve-of being a hard woman. i am
not one Of those vulgar creatures tina
one reads Of in novels who don't know
how TO treat a governess properly. To
me Miss BlOunt was as much lady az
myself. and I had always made II
point OF considering her In everything
Pesides Il was not the time for anrosi
ties. An was changed In view OF Harry
approaching death. She could not inJurf
him any more So l took the little ira,
from Jane. and said 10 her: Go bach
to your kitchen and attend TO the doc
tors lunch. / will take the broth I
Miss Blount. and find out what Is the
matter with her"
The girl YVES in her bedroom. When
she saw me she jumped up as scared as
II had been an ogress come TO eat her;
but when l first opened the door she
was kneelrg against her bed. as II say
ing her prayers. Certainly. she did look
iii. She had had a verv nice compl xion-
no doubt poor Harry had noticed it-and
her eyes were good; but now ner SKID
was like tallow and her eyes all dark
and washed out and they had a curious
empty expression in them that did not