The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-12-28
CHAPTER VIII.
Continued.

DdCK 10 neF size. her nearL began TO
warm toward him.
81 am Miss Doris Hatton," she
said, and / came here to amuse and
help you-if may. ut is for you to
say whether / shall stay or go.
He made grave survey of her.
you shall stay!" he said, land
give me all my medicines till papa
comes back"
i hope your papa is not far away"
said Doris, tenderly.
He shook his golden head.
Il don't know"
where is his mother, nurse?"
murmured Doris, aside. Nurse flung
up her hands
"Oh, miss, don't mention that per-
son here!"
is she dead?"
Much worse" in a whisper. "Mr.
st. George divorced her years ago.
The child is like her, and for that rea-
son his grandmother isn't over fond
of him."
Doris kissed the boy suddenly on
the forehead
NOh, you mustn't think" continued
nurse, in the same guarded tone,
@that he isn't well cared for, miss.
His father just adores him, and he's
INDUCED to ruinous extent In
deed, we're all his slaves, and the
whole house is at his beck and call.
II am glad Of that" said Doris,
involuntarily "Can l read to him,
nurse-is he interested in games, or
any other pastime that appeals to the
ordinary child?"'
You can read" answered nurse,
'but if he doesn't like your way, or
the turn of the story, he'll fling the
book at your head. Romping hurts
his back; and at any other sort of
game you'd better see that he always
wins, miss, or he'll turn, like the
swine in Scripture, and rend you"
Wistfully Doris searched the boys
face. Its high-bred lines and marble
pallor were exquisitely beautiful.
Basil, she pleaded, "do you want
to be friends with me? Then tell me
now can amuses you-how make my
self useful to Mrs. st. George and
your nurse?"
He leaned his little, sharp, velvet
clad elbows on her knees.
do you know any stories?" he
asked, solemnly; mot the kind nurse
and grandma like-not any out of
books; but such as papa tells, about
a fairy queen, who went away from
her kingdom, and could never find
the path back to it."
Il think have heard of her." an
swered Doris, very gravely. did
she want to return, Basil?"
Yes, but the gates were all locked
behind her, and the roads were
turned in new directions. So, try as
she would, she could never. never
some back" he answered
How sad! And you like to hear
about her lost majesty"
Basil nodded
My papa talks of her often. /
want you to tell me her story, too"
With light heart Doris returned
to the Wingate house. She had es-
tablished a firm friendship with the
| reformed boy, and Mrs. st. George
had engaged her as his daily gov
erness, at salary far exceeding the
girls expectations. She told Miss
Wingate all that she had seen and
neard at the Back Fay Avenue house,
and the deaf lady listened thought
fully.
My dear, she sighed, at last, "the
shadow of Philip Trevor seems to
pursue YOU everywhere When he
ded from this city the mother of that
deformed boy beautiful woman and
a society belle, was the companion Of
his fight"
"Oh, Miss Wingate!"
Yes, Trevor was much older than
Mrs st. George, but he was a fas-
einating man, and a great favorite
with women. She left husband,
child, wealth and social position, and
went with him. 1t was through the
sarelessness of his beautiful mother
that little Basil received the spinal
injury which has made him what he
is. He is heir TO great fortune, and
| have always heard that his father
is devoted to the boy"
Doris sympathies were enlisted
and she flung herself whole-heartedly
into her work Touched by the
child's white, wistful face, she in
vented new experiences for the fairy
queen who had lost her kingdom.
The roads leading back to that for
feited Eden she reconstructed; she
broke down The memorable gates, and
brought the queen to her own again.
Basil clapped his thin hands with de-
light at the happy turn given to the
story.
But his demands upon her were
ceaseless-he taxed her invention to
the utmost Mrs. St. George left the
child wholly to his new governess
and never appeared in the nursery.
Teddy Craven watched Doris with
anxious eyes. Jacqueline, in her
glorious beauty and naughty self
sufiiciency, began to fade into the
background OF the young mans
mind. and this star-faced sister came
steadily to the front. Her low, APP
pealing voice drowned the memory
Of Jacqueline's clear bell tones.
When Doris cried in despair, 81
know no more adventures Of that
dreadful fairy queen-what am / to
DO now?" Teddy raclSed his brain for
a time and then answered:
Cant you cram the little beggar
W.