The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-12-01

l
tlves who had not seen the mother |
and daughter since year before !
the death of Mr.. Conyers. OF
course, they knew nothing about
the guardianship, and cared less. !
They all knew who Mr.. Mannering
was, and nothing could be more
natural than that he should have
confded his nephew to the care of
Mrs. Darlington, the wife of one
of his very Oldest friends. So, all
through the pleasant summer, Les
ter Warne, under one pretext or
another, remained at Beechcroft.
When autumn came, Mrs. Bar
rington decided that Elsie health
required change, and the advice of
a physician, and so took her down
to the house in New York. The
plain English of all which was
(though the mother did not know
it) that she was herself weary of
leading q retired life, for Mrs. Bar
rington craved amusement and ex-
element as much as if she had
been eighteen.
Of course Elsie did not go into
society, or receive beyond seeing
intimate friends in a very quiet
~-sy. Biit. Mrs. Darlington went
out constantly; it was q sacrifice,
but she submitted to it for her
daughters sake.
Il never have shrunk from my
duty, Elsie, and l never SHALL"
she reiterated, over and over.
"You cannot remain a recluse for
ever your age. Unjust 60 about,
in the meantime, and keep people
in remembrance of the fact that
you exist, else, when you appear
in the world again, you will be
utterly forgotten. I am sure you
understand my motive, child"
Eyes, mamma" Elsie would
answer. Then her mother would
kiss her, and sail off to opera OF
ball, majestic in velvet and dia-
monds; and if she could catch
Warne, would take him with her.
But that young gentleman show
ed strange dist,sste for what is
called "society." He liked best
to spend his evenings in Elsie s
drawing-room. Of course, he liv-
ed at hotel, but, under one pre-
text or another, he managed tc
dine six days in the week at hel
house, reading to her, or talking
while she netted, or embroidered
or drew, or went on with whatever
employment she might chance tt
have on hand. He went out will
Mrs. Darlington, if he could no
avoid it, but usually managed tt
find some excuse for getting bacl
to Elsie before the evening wa
: over.
. Mrs. Darlington never wearie'
= of talking of his perfections t
Elsie, and Elsie said, eyes mann
ma, 40 nothing more, till, some
, times, Mrs. Darlington was seize
{, with tho idea that her daughte
:. did not really appreciate 18th
boy" and used fairly to reproac
her with Indifference.
: "Because," said she, "after al
;, grown man though he may be, h
g is your ward, and you ought
: care; and, Elsie, strong as I
= looks, my own opinion is that h
.s chest is very delicate. His grea
y aunt died of consumption whe
) she was twenty. Twas tiny chi.
ut the time, but I remember it vel
lie She was a beautiful creature, al
r he looks very like her"
le But Elsie never seemed mut
n concerned, and frequently MI
Darlington grew fairly vexed wi
10 her Indifference. The time car
r. when Lester Warne, too, had re
pit son, or thought he had, to feel d
ed satisfied with Elsie's condu'
r. They had been the best of frien
ng all winter; as frank and free
,e- their intercourse a5 if the tie
ell tween them had been that whi
Ter unites brother and sister.
,e, 1t was early spring when Wal
ere first noticed this inexplica'
gh change in Mrs Conyers. In ano
rs. er month she proposed to go bs
lat to Beechcroft, andsa month af
'ay that he would reach his ridiculo
1er ly prolonged majority, and
the twenty-ffth birthday.
on Quietly as she lived, Warne
Or more than once had an opportu
1s; ty of being jealous. A man d
an not need to love q woman in or
lis to be jealous. The merest
md will be annoyed if any femin
hey on whom he considers that he
ISL special claims, venture so mucl
of IN anpear interested in the CON