Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-09-01

- ~ lly 10 engage mysei1 70
4.AA Magnus Bradshaw. He
9W< was a nephew of my Aunt
Peabody's husband, who intended
making him his heir, and as in addi-
ton to this he alread possessed a
handsome property. he was considered
a desirable part.
He was good looking and gentleman
ly, but sickly, dull, and, to my idea,
wholly uninteresting.s Still, I had not
at this early age strength of mind suf-
ficient to resist the united persuasions
of my family, and the marriage was
arranged to take place in about two
years, during which time Magnus
would be completing his education on
the Continent, where his mother &C.
companied him.
Unfortunately for my own happiness
I in this time became acquainted with
Philip Waring, whom I soon learned
to look up to and admire as the perfec-
ton of all manly excellence.
And now the two years of Magnus'
absence were completed, and he wrote
that he was about returning to Eng
land to claim his bride. But, he added,
his physician having recommended his
spending the winter in Italy, he pro-
posed to take me thither Immediately
after the marriage. He hoped there
would be no unnecessary delay or prep
aration, and would prefer having the
wedding as private rs possible.
This last clause was q great disap-
pointment to my mothers sister, Aunt
Forester, who had arranged to have
the wedding from her own handsome
residence in London.
However, 1 should at least have a
stylish t~rousseau, and so she took the
trouble of coming all the way to our
little country town and taking me home
sary preparations.
AS, on u arrival at my aunt's resi-
dence, we entered the hall, her two lit
tie daughters came joyfully rushing to
meet us.
Here, Christine" she said, turning
to me-"here are my darlings. Have
they not grown? And this is their
governess, Miss Dane" .
I turned and saw a girl standing
quietly at the foot of the staircase
looking on with a smile at the scene.
She was SO exceedingly pretty. with
her delicate, regular features, golden
hair and exquisite complexion, that /
was quite taken by surprise. I could
see through her quiet manner that she
was aware of this effect upon me, and
that she enjoyed it.
what a remarkably pretty govern
ess O have, Aunt Lottie," I observed
when, an hour after, I stood at her
dressing room window looking into the
garden. where the children were al
play, while Miss Dane, with a bit OF
needlework in her hands, walked slow.
ly up and down, "and how graceful
and ladylike she is"
eyes," my aunt replied, with a smile
"and do you know, Christine, we think
her wonderfully like yourself? No
eyes, but her features and something
in her ways and expression remind III
of you. You might easily pass for sis
ters-she is a little taller and older
perhaps"
Occupied in my bridal preparations
at first saw but little of Sophie Dane
But one day, when a dress had come
from the modiste which did not exact
ly please us, the goyerness happened
to be present, and on being half-care
lessly appealed to, she at nce pointed
out the defect and how to remedy it.
What sympathy and liking I had TO
Miss Dane-and she was not one VIII
appeared to care much for either-soo1
received a sever check, the occasion
of which was as follows:
One evening a servant, in handin;
tea, awkwardly upset a cup of tea owe
my dress, and l went up stairs t
change it.
Suddenly opening the door of m,
room | was surprised to see the gov
erness standing before the dressin
table, absorbed in reading a letter
She started, flushed and hastily thrus
it in her pocket, then said, with wha
appeared only a natural embarrass
ment:
"Please excuse me, Miss Christin,
but in passing your room it looked S
quiet that I thought I might ventu1
to slip in and read a letter from m
mother"
I should not for a moment hay
doubted her, but that in my hast
, glance at the letter I had recognized
as one which I had received that eve
ing from Magnus Bradshaw, and la
c%arelessly left upon the dressing tabl
I said nothing at the time, and ne,
morning the letter was discovered b
hind the table, where it appeared acc
dentally to have slipped.
"She is a snake in the grass" { sa.