That Dancing Girl.

Bruce Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 1933, 17 February 1888, Page 6

That Dancing Girl.

C^ ; Or»mld"M««ey "Was the son of s :a; poor .;:'i.;^bonntry doctor, and he had to eotne to Lpndon \ - to make his own fortune; • There wa'» no in:■.V dueement for him to follow.' his father's busineesi «o he had to go into trade : and spent hie V days on a high stool making up accounts for ::,,>•< large exporting firm. ;" , ; . ■ -,-';.■": ' : '.._:f:^J\- ■■>'■.:. *>'■ . Wmle he was waiting to become a partner ;j' in the eoncera he lired with his aunt tTr3ula A '""-^-Jloney,- who compelled him to keep early ';' hours and to regulate his habits with mathemade exactness to suit her fancy. ; . ? , Oswald was not a sentimental youth nor ' easily impressed, but coming home from work . one night he stopped for a moment to watch a merry group of girls dancing in the parlour "/j. ,- of one of the villas he passed. There was one ! tall girl, with dark eyes and black hair, who teemed to be teaching' the others a Spanish; ■ dance, clicking the caßtanets as an accotnv- panimerit. Oswald went on his way, but the r memory of that girl went with him. ' He was enthusiastic that night at the table about ■v ■ what he hßd teen, but: Miss Ursula would hardly listen. ; \'~\:' :i[ j ■..;.. . . -v ■ *'iut, tut! the subject is distasteful to me. Beach me tbe paper. Have you read; the report, of the Social Science meeting ?' . :. ; She read* : ■■■.■• . .■ . ■■ „- r *".>■ ■ • Oswald larily moved about the room. ■; * Beally !'< she cried, 'I cannot endure your aimless fidgets. Has Herodias bewitched .■■_; you?* \ ;; ■;■> ' : :';;-■■ ■■*... ■■;.■ •'.■/.;•= -v: f -_ „, 'It is the dance, aunt, that has bewitched „ m«. If I only knew tke name of it I daresay I would exorcise, my demon.' ..'■-■ . '.Arininnet !'\ /'■'■'' .'.'.'■/,■ ■ -'.-■ ■ The young man laughed lightly. Then he described what he had seen. '■ .;■■' 'Castanets!' said 4 the old ''lady sharply, : r I supposes©/ * Tarantf lla-^-a witch's darice.V * A. fairy's dance, if .you will,' i Another silence fell; and Miss Ursula either dosed or ruminated— she certainly did not. ■ read, for the paper had got turned upside ■ down in her angry contempt, and she never ; , righted it. ••>.-•! Presently she said suddenly— ■ * Where did you see that foreign folly ?' 'The dancing in Lansdbwhe Villas. There were four fair girls and one dark one. Do you know any girls answering that desciipjtionP' He tried to seem careless, but failed. ;. 'I may or I may not.' , f f Then perhaps '-rhe. took the " miy not ' for simply being words thrown in for his . . .behalf, and therefore heeded them not — ' perhaps you may someday come across Herodias , —I beg her pardon for so misnaming her.' 'Do you mean to say that you do not know that Drayson's head-clerk lives therein. Lansdowne Villas P' . « Well F . Not at that house surely ? ' Oswald actually flushed. ' I am ignorant of which your house is.' The old lady jerked her head as she Bet her gold spectacles more tightly on her nose. ' I know that he has taken some Spanish girl to educate with his daughters — a nice thing for his wife to have a young Popish minx undermining her family.' •i' ' The family seemed happy under the prooeM,' carelessly said Oswald. ' Pshaw I He'll repent, it. Mark my words.' ' The daughter of one of our correspondents, I suppose/ mused the young man. 'Suppose nothing,' commanded Mies ht Ursula, grhniyf^opTyouUl^iepentpinjjworße dust and ashes than poor Mrs fieddison. I'll • hare no Papistical dancing niece brought here —mind!' • , , She only strengthened that vague term of fancy of which we have spoken. Such things may exist slumberoußly for a long while, but. just give one flick of opposition Co the fancy and it starts into a full growth at once. Oswald Money before long was a welcome guest, at the house of his fellow-clerk. The old clerk would continue in clerkdom ; but I ' Money, all the world knew, would rise to maeterebip either in* Drayeon's ' or in connection with * Drayaon's '—a man may be glad enough to welcome such a fellow to his house ■ when there are four fair young daughters with an unseen future before them. Alas and alas for the Reddison hopes 1 It was Carolina, the dpaniah girl. She was as full of grace and of all sweet charms in the clear light of championship a 9 she had been through the misty October light. She it was for' whom Oswald Money angered his aunt. Yes, without doubt be had offended her beyond any retrieving. She soon knew all, and she spoke some few of her strong words. She turned Oswald out of her house, and she altered her will. Things happen strangely in this world which looks so utterly commonplace. Three years went by. Oswald was working hard, and would rise by his own worth and capability. Lina had left the Beddieone, and for six months went to stay at Brighton with some relations of her own who were in England. By-and by, she was of high rank, and her father was Don 2C- — > She was a girl strangely particular in the matter of lovers ; she would need perfection. But all that could wait until she west home, when the relations returned to Spain. Perhaps she had some sure perception Of .that perfect lover, though as yet no one had declared himself to her under that name. So } Oswald had his ideas of manly honour —he was not rich yet. Miss Ursula Money became ill, and she also went to Brighton. One day, driving along the King's Road, her horses took frigh; at some hideous clang of so-called music, and an -accident happened. The old lady's collar- : .bone was broken. . Things are done with barbaric freedom at such times ; they carried her into the house occupied by a Madame Molinez. She might have been carried home almost as easily. Weil, she; was not, and here came the ordering of fate. italic dark girl, whose touch was gentleness itself, and whose voice was music, lbougij|fc; bore waat once Mise Ursula would ■ have condemned as a foreign ring, nursed her, , or helped to nurse her. aCbe girl was Lina P . Miaa Ursula thought her name was Molinez, and that Bbc was a daughter of the lady who so courteously . Loused her — the invalid. :. 'While this was going on, Oswald Money got bis promotion— would he except the post . of manager of the branch house at Lisbon, becoming thereby a partner in the house of @f?Drayston & Co. ? ;• Accept?— of course he accepted at once. " He wrote a letter home, and he went off at once to Brighton. He knew enough ol benor Molinez to be able to call at his wife's house.:;'- : ■': '-;■■•■ . ■-■ ■■' i ■ ~ ■ ■ r ■ - Miss Ursula was weak and fretful. She ; heard Bounds about the house, and she missed , her sweet young nurse. ■. . ...: '„ 'Wrhyao you not stay with me? 1 she called, when Liua. came back after, a iong absencs. The girl was flushed, and tears of gladness : : , shone in her eyes. '. • What is it ? Axe you ordered back home ? You do not want to go? Come aiid stay with me in London.' Xhe old lady spoke ■harply, but not unkindly. {,' Yes, I go,' she said. 'But many things «re changed} I do not go to stay at my father's houie '— — ,\\ marrying nonsense!' snapped the

, t Lisa laughed, .then •he^directiy afjter began 'to cry. -*'•'* ■> ' I will not cry !' she burst out \ ' I am -too hppßy i b Q t ah ! ho* can I tell you all P I will make you angry with me — hate me I' ' Bfcuff ! Who are you going to marry P• Is he a .gentleman P — is he an Englishman f— is he, rich P f , , , • • 'Yea— yes— ryes. AH three — yes. t Butyou do not think I oare about the last-r-do you ?' 'I do. Lovers are fools,' growled Miss Ursula. 'Is the creature in the ho u re?' •Yes.' , , . Lina's face was a study of b-iDUnt purpose. She clasped her hands energetically. 'Bring him tome.' ' And you will enj he is good ! You will say that 1, Lina, am good, too P You will not be angry with me P You will not say, ' Bah ! 1 will have no foreign niece ?' 'Ah!' ; Lina was gone. The poor old lady was, weak ; she fell acrjing, and bo they found her — they, Oswald Money, her nephew, and L : m X— -— , her future niece. ' You !' she. cried, and she brushed her unusual tears « away. ' Ton/ and she shook her hand at Oswald. ' She's taken me .in altogether, and — and— there ! give me a kiss, child I 1 . ',