Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-13

I
year; you must make that do"
SO we arranged it all, but we found
the truth of Burns words
The best laiu schemes of mice and men
Gang aft agley.
think of this as | sit with the letter
in my hand, idly watching the sparkling
water in the fountain.
| suppose l must go to cousin Eliza
beth-there is nowhere else. think her
letter Is rather nice one; at any rate
she was fond of dad, and that will be
enough to make me like her.
Ii | am not happy there l need not
stay, and | dare say she might help me
to find some employment l should not
have the least difficulty in getting al
most any situation want, think, with
the arrogance and dissatisfaction of
youth. Why, can chatter French, Ital-
ian, or Spanish with the ease of a ma
tive, and draw and paint as well. AL
most anybody would be glad to have me
for finishing governess.
count my money to see what have,
for l. must soon be thinking of fitting
There is about twenty-five pounds after
everything is paid, and my next quar-
ter's dividend is due in a week or So
plenty of money for all immediate wants
not much for the future
| determine to make all arrangements
and start by the next boat for England
There is a great deal to be arranged
those last few days, but it does me good
and takes me little out of my sad
thoughts. l am used to travelling, so am
not as helpless as some girls would have
been if left to themselves in like situa-
ton. But l terribly miss dear dad, who
always took as much as possible off my
shoulders, and life seems very dark to me
Just now
few days afterwards | am standing
on the deck of the Ruahine, with my
hand on the taffrail, watching the Peak
of Tenerife recede in the distance. l feel
inexpressibly sad and depressed, for it
seems like saying goodbye to everything
love. 1t is hateful to leave dad there
all alone and come away by myself to
cherries England. ] could not keep back
the tears as / kissed old Carlotta and got
into the carriage that was to take me
from my mountain home.
We tore down the steep, winding road
at the usual breakneck speed, the three
great mules abreast and the drivers
beating them and urging them to still
greater exert;ons by their wild gesticu-
lations.
The town, when we reached it, was
stifingly hot and dusty, and am glad to
feel the cool sea breeze tanning my fore
head from the deck of the steamer.
The Ruahine is familiar to me, and l
feel sense of comfort in being aboard
her. We came from New Zealand in her
once, and the captain and officers are old
friends. The captains few words of
quiet sympathy as came on board were
almost too much for me, and / feel
thankful now for his kind consideration
in, leaving me alone.
l take no notice of any of the passen-
gers, and an entirely oblivious to their
glances of curiosity OF sympathy. sit,
a forlorn figure in my black dress, and
think there was never any one quite so
miserable before. / think of some words
dad once said to me-
man. he said. when die do not put
on black for me, for | hate i'll like to
think of my little girl always in white
and don't wear a glum face either. l
thinl, we owe a duty TO our neighbors,
and ought to do our best tc make this
world little brighter, whatever our feel
ings may be. II is selfish to be too self
conferred"
l think of his words rev as l sit in
my heavy black dress, the picture of
gloom and misery.
The voyage does me good, but still /
am glad when London is reached at last.
| meet a man | know on board the Rua-
hine, Capt. Ryves, but am in no mood
for renewing old friendship, so see as
little as possible of him. Still, do give
him my Cousins address in London, as he
is so anxious to call.
, / feel rather nervous and fimid as,
after going through all the usuai prelim-
inaries at Tilhury Docks, l find n4-self
in an old four-wheeler rumbling along
towards Kings Mansions.
Shall | like my unknown cousin, and
will she like me? l seem to know very
little about her except that she is ex-
tremcly rich and has houses in London
and Ireland. Her husband is dead, be-
lieve. but that is all know.
I wish now / had written to let her
know / was coming, but / did not think
of it until too late, and the ship came
in brought the mails, so my letter would
have arrived with me. l suppose it does
not much matter; very rich people do
not need to make many preparations for
their guests. But she may be out
IdSulUudDie peOpie OiteH nave LWO OF
three engagements for one night. I won
der if Cousin Elizabeth is fashionable
1 do not expect so, as / calculate she
must be good deal over go, as she was
nearly 40 when she married.
/ wonder what her children are like-if
she has more than one? They must be
men now, these unknown cousins of mine,
nearly 80 years old. l wish I knew
little more about them.
The cab draws up with a jerk and the
driver descends from his seat. / look
curiously at the house as he opens the
door and | get out. 1t is very lofty
one and has rather deserted appearance
with the shutters up and the blinds
drawn. 1t does not strike me as strange
though, as l am so used to the houses in
Tenerife, where the fronts have always
that shut-up appearance to escape the
heat of the sun.
/ / glance at the next door and see it
CAV with clean curtains and bright win