The record-union., 1897-02-07
CINDERELLA.

tId SS-ilulpSu, w NHIlS-SOSCd tiSCS- I0S
sparkling in the moonlight with quite
Christmas s-card effect The Elizabethan
picturesque old house added to the ro-
nance of the scene. Christmas was kept
up gaily at Osnnanton; and ruddy lights
shone out from many window though
1T was close upon midnight.
In some of the rooms pretty girls sat
by blazing fires, brushing fair locks or
dark, and gossiping merrily. Young men
fingered in the smoking -room-it may
be not gossiping, but engaged in eonver-
sation on profound topics connected
with politics or philosophy. The elders
were probably slipping costly into their
first sleep; while the servants had glad
ly put out their lights and disposed
themselves seriously to slumber-as folk
who must make the most of too short
night.
In poorly furnished and fireless room
at the top of the house sat a girl, young
and pretty, but with no Christmas joy
sparkling in her dark eyes. She was stin
dressed; and as she crouched on the
edge of her bed, huddled a shawl about
her to keep off the keen cold, and read
and reread a letter which she had taken
from her pocket.
1t was love letter. but Theresa's
tears fell upon the warm protestations,
and blurred the emphatic declarations
of conStancy. What is the use of Dicks
making me miserable Icy saying how
miserable he ISL she said TO herself
We can't marry on eighty pounds
year and we can't even see
each other until l get free from slavery
| will be free-some day. Anything
would be better than Lady Barfield's
shabby patronagei | wish | had never
come here! but of course | thought that.
relations would treat one decently
| wish-oh, how | wish! that
something nice could happen If there
were only fairies in these days.
Theresa smiled at her own folly; and
then sighed at the impossibility of any
thing mice" happening. Then she
kissed the letter and put it away in
little box; and, shivering with the cold,
began to un.dress, when suddenly loud
peal al the hall doorbell echoed through
the house.
What can il be?" she exclaimed, and
flew to the dormer window and flung it
open. She was just in time TO see a
coach drawn by four horses. with far
ing lamps which made dazzling light
on the white ground, turn away from
the entrance The driver, large with
many layers of thick coats whipped the
horses and shouted hoarsely to them;
and the coach vanished down the moon
lit avenue between the black and white
trees.
1t was very strange. Theresa knew
that no other guest was expected. The
house was full. Who could have arrived
at midnight and without any warning?
She ran down the back stairs into the
entrance hall, where she e.eard voices.
The white moonlight which streamed
in by the oriel window put to shame the
gimmer from the spluttering candle
held by Thomas, the footman, who,
having been kept up late to supply 1he
smokeroom demands. had been the first
to open the hall door at the imperious
summons of the bell Right in the
moonlight stood the oldest figure The
resa had ever seen. A little old woman.
dressed in shabby finery Of about
quarter Of a century ago. looked calm
ly at Thomas, and, blinking tired, light
blue eyes, said: Young man, tell Lady
Barfield | am here
But before the sleepy and bewildered
Thomas had turned to go Lady Barfield
herself FASTENED into the hall, followed
by her son and one or two young men
with cigars in their hands. BY this
time, also, quite gay little crowd of
girls in dainty pink and blue dressing
gowns had collected on the landing
above, and We're peeping over the ban
listers. with a low ripple of laughter
H.
and spoon bonnet" which were once,
before they were born, the hight Of
fashion.
Lady Barfield hastened forward, an
nOyance plainly expressed on her aris-
tocratic features.
who are you? There must be some
grave mistake. You must have come
to the wrong place" she began with
mingled surprise and ton. For
Lady Barfield hated the unusual to
occur, and was keenly sensitive to ridi-
cule. The half-smothered laughter of
the girls on the staircase irritated her
from the first
The stranger clutched her black bag
with large hands clad in black, worstel
gloves, and shaking her head. with it's
high bunch of brilliantly hued flowers
answered slowly:
There's no mistake, ma'am. Amt
you Lady Barfield?"
Before Lady Barfield could speak
Theresa had caught her by the sleeve
Of her gown and said in a low voice:
1T is Cousin Jane, from South Africa
You know Aunt Barfield 7
have seen her photograph and / know
the bonnet"
Frederick and Patricia (who were
at their mothers side heard the fright
full words, Cousin Jane" and shud-
dered. But Lady Barfeld rose to the
occasion. That she was a woman of
tact everyone knew who had seen her
steer her husband-a rich brewer. with
out the shadow of an ancestor behind
him-into the very thick of the best
society; and in this contingency her
presence of mind did not fail With a
smile of ineffable sweetness she turned
to Theresa, and said in a clear, high
pitched voice, which reached the gig
Cling girls on the staircase:
"Oh your old nurse. What a strange
time to arrive, We were all quite
startled Well, we must see where to
bestow the good woman.
Patricia, Frederick and the rest of the
family breathed again, and felt that
their mother had gripped the situation.
Patricia ran to tell the girls that the
funny old woman was Theresa's nurse,
who had come to pay her visit. and
had been delayed by the snow, and
sent on from the George" in a coach
and four-poor old thing. She was
quite dazed by the adventure.
The young men returned to the smoke
room TO finish their cigars. and Thomas