Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-12-10

ly before dinner, Miss Desmond ar,
rived, she was received with compare.
tive cordiality.
81 told them to send down the omnl.
bus, as it would be more convenient
for your luggage" said Mrs Saville,
after they had exchanged greetings.
my luggage consisted of one dress
basket" said Miss Desmond smiling.
Considering that my stay MAJ be but
short, did not like to bring more
That was prudent. Now am 60
ing to dine. early-that is ,at skin
order to take a drive afterwards; the
evenings are the best part of the day.
That first evening was trying. Mrs
Saville was very silent, but SO long as
they moved smoothly and rapidly
| through cool dewy woods, fragrant
fields. and gentlywinding lanes with
rustic fences and picturesluelyb broken
banks, the silence was not oppressive
Miss Desmond had plenty to think of
the struggles and difficulties of
youth spent in genteel poverty; the
vanishing of many dream that even
az twenty-five life had taugh' her must
be resigned; and, through all, the en-.
during hope which In such strange ma
lures is too deeply rooted to be scorch-
ed by the noontide heat or withered
by the midnight blast-the distinctive
consciousness of her own tenderness
and loyalty, which gave vitality to her
belief in the possibility of happiness,
The quiet beauty of the country, the
soothing tranquility Of the hour, gave
her an exquisite sense of rest which
she thankfully accepted.
Returned, however, and shut up in
the lamp-it drawing-room, silence did
become oppressive, and Miss Desmond,
remembering her employers hint, felt
reluctant to break it.
II suppose you do needlework? Girls
like you generally have something Of
that kind in their hands"
II do a good deal, and l have some
that can appear in drawingroom."
II used to do fancy-work myself"
said Mrs. Saville "for 1t is intolerable
to sit idle; but l find l dare not trifle
with my eyes, which l have always
tried too much However, must do
something. l cannot sit with my
hands before me while you read"
Knitting is not bad for the eyes, "
suggested Miss Desmond.
81 have always despised it as pure,
ly mechanical, but now | shall be
obliged to adopt it. Do you know how
to knit?-can you teach me?"
Yes; l did a good deal of knitting
when l was in Germany"
"Oh! do you understand German?
81 could make my way in Germany;
but l cannot read German aloud as
do French"
and l do not understand a word oi
the language. l was only taught
French and Italian. All, what a po
tent epitome of mankind's opinion, the
rage for that uncouth tongue as soor
as the race that speaks 1t succeeded
Success is the measure of everything.
II cannot think so. We have NJ
plumb-line with which to fathom tn,
depth where future triumph lies hid
den under present failure"
That is no argument" returned
Mrs. Saville. Now, Miss Desmond,
am going to my room, and dare sa!
you will be glad to do the same
breakfast in summer at eight. Good
night"
The next few days enabled Mrs. Sa
vile and her newly-established com
panion to fit into their places. "She |!
less formidable than | expected
thought the latter. Il must keep con
stantly before my mind that she is OF
her trial with me, as l am with her
am not bound to spend my life here
nor have l given up my freedom. Sh,
interests me; for, hard as she seems
| believe she is not without heart
Shall | ever be able to find it?"
!, That girl is not so tiresome, aftel
all. She is not bit afraid of me,
mused Mrs. Saville. How hate anc
despise folly and cowardice they gen
orally go together. There's a grea
deal of style about her, yet she mus
have been always stepped to the lip,
in poverty. If | had daughter lik,
her, should want the first statesman
in England for her husband. Bah
what folly! II | had had a daughter
she would have been as Indifferent t.
me as the rest, and would probabl,
have married a groom to spite me- A!
no one cares for me, l had better con
centrate my affections on myself. Peo
pie may be Indifferent to love, they ar,
never Indifferent TO power; and money
is power, especially If backed by com
mon sense"
: SO the knitting and reading went OF
: successfully, and Mrs. Saville wal
| h,,t 4.