A SOCIETY QUEEN; OR, THE Fortunes of a Governess.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4769, 19 November 1886, Page 4

A SOCIETY QUEEN; OR, THE Fortunes of a Governess.

CHAPTER XXIII.

A SDBPEISE FOE MRS. SLATER. Thanks to a constitution naturally strong and a life of healthful labor and temperanco —to which we may add_ tho blessing of Heaven —Mrs Slater began to improvo from tho very hour her wound was dressed. The doctors tried to prevail on her to re- ■ -mam in bed foi two weeks at least, but us sho declared that such treatment would bring on "a fit of deadly sickness," they, in order to avoid such a catastrophe, let her havo her own way. As soon as she was able to movo about ■without positive discomfort, Mrs Slater paid and discharged the nurse, and at once assumed the management of her store. When she found how faithful Tom Dickery had been, and how well ho had done, she said to Annie: " Tom has got to bo a man, for ho has learned to resist, therefore I won't insult him by plaj'in' tho spy on him no more." "I am sure you have always been very kind to Tom," said Anuio, " and it should comfort you to know that ho fully appreciates it." " And it does comfort mo, Miss Annie. I'm as proud of Tom as if ho was my own son. Mebbo I told you that Tom's father and me was old sweethearts; why it seems only yesterday, though it's years and years ago. Funny, isn'c it, that a woman of forty-ono should think about love and them things ; and that reminds mo that it's nigh time Dan Dickory w;is back from China." Mrs Slater procured a hammer and nails, and going over to tho littlo trap door, sho said: "{The door might bo useful to peep through when I wanted to give orders; but as Tom might think I was watching him, I'll nail it up, and then I'll have one of them speakin' tubs put in, which'll answer as well and bo more high-tony." Having fixed this praiseworthy resolution in her mind, Mrs Slater called down through the trap : " Tom, I'll not use this no more;" and, to prevent any one else's using it without great trouble, sho proceeded to nail it securely up. She had just finished this work when Tom Dickery came to tho head of the stairs and called up: "There's a gent down hero as wants to see you, Mrs Slater." " What's his name ?" Tom encpiired from the man in front, then shouted out: " Forsyth." " Ask if he's a pleeceman." Tom did so and replied: " He's a detective, an' says he'll not keep you a minute." " Tell him that I'm very sorry, but the doctors forbid my talking." "He wants to know when you'll bo woll enough to see him," shouted Tom. " Never, if I don't feel more like talkin' than Ido now. If ho chanced to bo passing and elroppod in in six months or so, ho might find mo stronger." By this timo Captain Forsyth, still on the trail of Edward Best, had worked his •way by easy stages to tho foot of the stairs, from which vantago point ho imagined he could hold communication -without the intervention of Tom Dickery. "Mrs Slater," ho began. " Yes, sir." "You are a good woman—" " Thanks for the compliment." "And you want to elo right—" " Thank you again." "In the interest of justice, you should he willing to tell all you know about the man who tried to murder you." '' And so I would, if thero was only him to think of." " Edward Best's misdeeds can reflect on no ono else." " Who said they could ?" " I have every reason to believe that it was Edward Best who made the assault." "Aro you sure of that?" "lam." "Tnen convict him; but it won't bo C*t my evidence—" " Listen to reason, my dear—" "Thero; you're beginning to make lovo to me. ' My dear,' indeed 1 Captain Forsyth, I'm ashamed of you, and mc so weak that I can't speak another word." And Mrs Slater did not speak " another word" to him and so ho loft as he had como. "I feel," said Annio, when Mrs Slater had como back and closed tho door, " that the officers who have como hero to discover the man who would have killed you and mo, aro only doing their duty." "That is true, every word ot it, Miss Annio," said Mrs Slater. " But hero's tho question that I axed mysel' when I camo back to my senses: 'Shall I have Edward Best punished as ho deserves F' I wanted to say ' yes' to that, but I saw that his crimo would reflect on you, my sweet darling ; and so I agreed with myself that it was better to let tho guilty escape than have tho innocent suffer. If you wore married aud hael the future secure, then I could act. Ah, I know things about Edward Best that I heard at your father's bedside, and I may havo to tell them yet, but if so, it -will be to his loss, and the world that judges right will uot blarno you." " I cannot see how it is to end," said Annie, quietly. " I havo done all I could and lam powerless. But I fear that all my efforts only postpone the inevitable. There will come the disgrace I havo so dreaded." " Let the disgraco como if it will, my darling," said Mrs Slater, drawing Annie to her and kissing her again and again ; " let it come, I say, but not a stain will fall on you. Hark! there's Tom Dickery again ! What is he shouting about ?" There was a great uproar in the storo beneath, and from force of habit Mrs Slater went to the trap she had just nailed down, and she said as it resisted her strength : " I wish I'd postponed that job for an hour or two." Hearing her name called repeatedly, Mrs. Slater hastened down to the little work-room at tho bajk of tho store, and Annie, whose nerves were now at a constant high pitch, camo to tho head of tho stairs. 'She heard Mrs Slater give a cry of joy, and then sho saw her rushing into tho store with extended arms. Sho caught tho words : " Dan Dickery ! Dan Dickery ! Welcome home! Welcome home!" This was followed by unmistakable sounds of kissing; and Annio drew back, with the feeling that there had just been rovealed to her an additional reason for Mrs Slater's devotion to Tom pickery. It was evident that tho newcomer was Tom Dickery's father, the man of whom Mrs Slater so f rec_ lently spoke as '' an old sweetheart." Annie's joy at her good friend's joy was subdued by tho fear that the excitement might affect Mrs Slater's head; but the head proved to bo a3 strong as tho heart was tender. It was fully half an hour before Mrs Slater came up to the parlor, having in tow a hearty bronzed and bearded sailor of forty-nvo. " This is Dan Dickery ! " called ont Mrs Slator, when she had caught sight of Annie. " And, oh, Miss Annie, he's been made a mate! " "Ayo, aye! And if you'd follow suit and become a mate too, wjiy, it'd be smooth saliu' for the rest of the cruise ! " cried Dan Dickery, as ho came forward and took Annie's extended hanel. " I havo heard much of you, Mr Dickery," she said. " And lam very glad to welcome you home." "Thanks, Miss; thanks. And I'm hearty glad to get home again, I can tell • you. Ah, no one misses home sp much as the men who've got to be at sea. But when we are homo we do enjoy it," said Dan Dickery. And he raised his brown hands and looked at Mrs Slater as if ho seriously thought of embracing hor again. In her great joy, Sirs Slater forgot all about her injury, and, in honor of her visitor's arrival, she decided to close up the storo soon after dark. Dan Dickery declared that in all his ■wanderings—and he bud been in many lands since he hist sailed away from New ' York—ho had not sat down to such a supper as Becky Slator sot before him that night. And ho laughed and patted Tom on the hack, and told about the presents ho had for thorn, in a way that was as refreshing to Annie as a breath of sea air to the lungs of a tenement-houso invalid. " Why, Becky!" exclaimed Dan Dickery, catching sight of the piano, when all the lights had been extinguished in the store, and every light in the parlor turned up to its highest, " are you studyin' to play*tho pianer?" "No, it's Miss Annio's. And mebbe, Dan, fhe'd givo us a little music; fori remember, though it's yoars and years ago,

that you could sing as woll as the next ono," said Mrs Slater. "And I've not forgot tho way yet," laughed Dan. Annie sat down at tho piano and played, to the sailor's great dolight. He then wanted her to sing, and she replied : "I will elo so, Mr Dickory, if you sing afterwards." Nothing abashed, the sailor consented. Annio sang ono of Horrick's quaint, beautiful ballads, which caused Dan to call out: " Anchor ! Anchor ! Anchor !" Ho doubtless meant encore, but got the word twisted, as a sailor easily might. " The song I'm going to sing I picked up from a shipmet that died out in Borneo," said Dan. "Mebbe, Miss Annie, you might know the tune, and give mo a lift on the pianer. It runs 'bout liko this." And Dan braced himself back, and whistled the air, which chanced to be familiar to Annie. She ran it over, and ho declared that sho had " the right bearing," and then begged hor to "hoist sail and keep her weather eye on him, bo's not to drop to leeward." To show what Dan thought a very fine song—he cortainly sang it well—wo give it ontiro: SONG. Many waters I've sailed, Many strange lands I've seen. From the Ice shores ot Behring To Erin's bright green: But my heart over turner], As I journeyed around, To the olear bays and hills Of old Long island Sound, Chorus .' "Poaco, peace, troubled soul 1" Sing tin waters profound " Welcomo home ! Welcome homo I" Cry tho hills by tho Sound, On its wovea I have sailed, By its shores I have played, With a heart Use Montauk's eliffa, Bold, free, undismayed ; And I'vo hoi cd as I wandered, That eaoh land I found Might feed my heart hunger Fgr old Long Inland Sound. Mid tho Alps, by Swiss lakes. In the cities of Spain, Like the dove from thn Ark, l'vo sought rest all in vain. Where the Temple onco stood, On eaith's holiest ground, I havo eigliod for the hills By old Long Island Sound. Then back, take mo back '■ To my 1 omo by the shore Whoro I firßt caw God's sun rise, I'll wander no more, Though I die when I roach there, A rest I'll have found. Near tho loved ones that Bleep By old i org Island Sound. Choius : " Peace, peace, troubled heart," Sing tho waters profound, " Welcomo home I welcome homo !'' Cry the hilla by the Sound. Mrs Slater declared that tho song was "lovely;" Annie complimented the sailor on his singing ; and Tom Dickory, who by this time had come to think his father, by all odds, the greatest man in the world, declared that beforo tho week was out he wcruld master that song. And that Tom had a voice he shortly proved by singing "In the Bay of Biscay, O," with fine effect. (To be continued.J