The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-07-01
LADY HOLLANDS DEBT.

needle darted in and out of the pretty silk, catching some stray sunbeams on it's gleamlng point-sunbeams that l fllchered first on the gilded picture | frames then on the carpets wonderful b!de roses, lastly on the curly head 0f the little seamstress who sat sewing near the window. The easements were 1 thrown Wide open, and in with the sun- shine came whiffs of freshly mown lawns, sweat peas and syrings from the l old-fashioned garden outside.
 The summers beauty made the in- ! dustrious worker sing lightly to her l self though, heaven knows, there was
 not much cause for song in little Cissy 1 Blackwood's life unless it were that she was the belle of Molesley, and had the l brightest brown eyes and the suhniest curls you could wish for And it was
 only the village boys who discovered how charming and refined4 Cissy was and how melodious the@clear voice that l was now daring to carol within the I gloomy walls of Holland Court -
 MT. Anstey Cheshurst, second son of the widowered Lady Holland, found quite number of excuses which car ried him into his, mothers boudoir,
 where the clever fingers made up elab- crate toilets for his womenfolk. Ah! those presses, those hours of patient
 labor. Many a month had Cissy wait ed, and many a month more was she likely to wait for the money which was owing to her.
 Such a large sum that 1t was suffl- | ria al fn beneath Lady Hollands eyes as$ she planned and plotted each wakeful night on the difficult problem, viz, how to
 keep up Appearances" rank, Holland Court and a town residence on next to
 nothing a year. True, her eldest 1 daughter vas disposed of to a penni- Hess young baronet--oii deari that trousseau, how the money did mount I up-but there were still three damsels
 for sale. So far their education, smart
 dresses and lack of wearying accom- plishments had failed to have the de-
 sired effect and no one seemed dis
 posed to pay Lady Holland as a chaperon seeing what difficulty she
 had in settling her own daughters.
 Still, rich Miss Ingots, her present
 guest, seemed undoubtedly inn
 pressed with her unmarried son with
 his handsome bearing and ready
 tongue. His sole income, legacy, was
 only compared with the figure of the
 lady's fortune, his wild oats were well known Wellesley, but beauty covers a
 multitude of sins, so Miss, Ingots ap- proved of him, faults and all.
 V 1t.4
 aware of his mothers's intentions, took
 a wicked delight in alternately pet ting and teasing the heiress, delaying
 all efforts to secure this golden treas-
 ure with the most irritating coolness.
 He knew quite well how to charm Miss
 Ingots, and he knew. equally well how to fasinate pretty Cissy Blackwood un-
 til that simple maiden imagined him
 to be the perfect ideal of manly atrac-
 tion. And Anstey enjoyed himself
 thoroughly, increased the number of
 stolen interviews and lowed down ad- miringly at the lovely face that bright
 ened at his coming. He had always preferred wild roses to gardenia. ;,
 You must not come and talk to me any more MT. Anstey; it would vex her ladyship terribly if she found 1t out. Please keep away" said Cissy
 But her voice lacked emphasis and
 Anstey did ont keep away, Though , tolerably in awe of his lady mother ht . thoroughly enjoyed stealing match or
 her and the sedate Miss Ingots, wht < poor thing, could not, purchase Cissy,, , youth and sweetness-in spite. of tht | !. wealth. ss % 4 st'h@ < aj :, The first steps wede soon taken, oth
 CTS followed quite naturally. An : stey found out where the young seam r stress lived and was to be found at th z gate a great deal too often so Ciss. = said, but as she smiled irresistibly ul = at him while saying so the culprit wa n not deterred from coming again at tn | efirst opportunity.
 Anstey was honorable enough to fee n both worried and indignant on learning
 the extent of his mothers debt whel n Cissy confided to him how very mucl n she would like the money.
 = T shall feel quite rich then," sail V Cissy joyfully, ''for have quite a To s of money in the bank. You see I hay
 nobody to spend it on, for haven't e relation in all the world" &$@; |. Lucky little woman,' sighed An l. stey.
 I. "Ah, I don't know about that Yo, F. like to belong to someone and feel the - care about you.''
 e You know I care" F. e The remainder of the conversation - was incoherent. 1t Your account shall be settled in
 week or two,' my lady promised wit
 the air of one who confers an unspeak
 able benefit. T have overlooked it fo if quite long time, but there have bee l-l so many things to see to-"
 [; What kindness! What condeseen V sionl Cissy was surely to be envie e as she folded the costly brocade roun r my lady's gaunt figure. nurmuring in
 IAudil1las thanks with her Ynn1ith 8fIlll q