Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 1342, 18 August 1877, Page 20

A Sister's Wisdom.

: . f 1. don tiknpwt hljcanndt define ifc^fcorio §YS anyjangiblftreason f qr.my^uspioiqnjUT atjl.cannpt l briug,myself,ftqlbejievkß.liel« ls.yhatishe.seemsj"^, 7^ Lol -., t . : « wauh* ; , Ltinme Stanletgh spoke in a hesitating li manner,, locking up inherjbrother'iface^ir her. big, brother, she calledj hinjr-and wpllsl he deseryedjthe. title, !/i3l „, k ,,i^ b , ! SiXjfeeir .nv.hi^ stockings,, ibroad-ahoujtai; aese^,,jvrell-pr;Qportioned, J wa3 J R«id,Stanr3M W'gfe'f-ui ; , •_>!;■ r<,,-[ i, ,-f. / „ yd £>{-, [ htm • P:? V,a??very fgrayp now,, as helfctenedo <tp.hMsister's,speech. r , 1 „ r. jj!;1 in ■ She was afraid .of . Miss;jChureh,".,«ndiq she had- watched the.,.growing /intimacy between her and her brother with .troubled, •; forebodings,; -;., j.v l-i.^' r^u'a&t ■ I She knew too well his upright, -naianly?:, Bense,pf right and.wr.ong,- tQ suppjosftrfozj-j an instant that he wpuld. have, a'ujf.ht to do;;, ,with lna; Church,; had:. henot thought her, . fully worthy his,attetitions.j y .. j; v r , y- tPt , * 4 Well, Linnie, ypu may he, .rights ;i]U,« said, at last,)!' jfcTut of, all .the: wqmeapia ever.met, she sjbrikes me as being themoati-J. jWhple-spuled and. womanly. L. You: cannot;^ 4eny that she certainly appeara.so.r'ji 3-,>h . Vilknpwshe.dpeat.spj.'Reid.t' N«<Me' can ;deny : but, tha^she, se^ma .ladylike, and!) refined, jbut lithink-it is m:seeming.only.,- ff Don't be offended ; ypuknow r yovt are^aU,^ I ha^e, :^nd I;dpn'jfcjv?ant.itp.giye.yQU; up,,b -until! am satisfied^hat you' go into hands; n fplly.,. worthy, of L , .you. ., So don^rcommiV-l 1 ; yWrs^lfnow, will you 1?^ „ : ; v ,. .f ' n : I /^Youre.a littlp.jealous • witch, JLinniei.-d Cqmmitmyself \ n Bto^danger. , I surrendered to, the* bie;witch-;jj ing' charms of^Miss Linuie Stanleighj lpngj,^ ,-ago.- " , - „ , ,_. c t _< \i ,r U(7 t J() j ><v a , nj . : A ring at the door interrupted him^andi-K without wait^ig' for ,-h.im^to. fitfish^ Linnie ■ sprang up, and] brushing a Jsiss .against hia.-.t cheek, went slowly down' the, stairs. ; ■<, <<l '", "/I I dpn't,Uke,her;",;she told .herself f J again.- . "T .do hope.R^i^ wpn!t jfall ;in'3 'love i,^ith her, though.it/Wouldibe just,:: like'.hinii"^ 3 *,■>. v < 1 \.l J , -,-j'.i-o "A ]'• Salt's Miss Church,, and, she. is in theul drawing-room, .Miss,, .Linnie^' ...said t .,an,t servant, meeting her at theTfootof the-j r staircase. c " And she inquired for,you."nb r I /,'j i Think of angels, and you hear, the; F rustle of , their winga,' ". hummed Xitibie, ti as she tripped along the hall, , apid-then/U she opened the door .andt entered ,the,;i drawing-room., , , „ : \ -, '. -„ri>v hi \ A tall, regally/graceful form ' came; for- i) ward.to meet her/. misty with filmy, ilaceei it; and costly silk. ,; '•_ „;jLf j 1 A face faultless in outline,- surrounded by a mass of golden-brown- hair ; eyes clear and lustrous, with witching sweetness in their liquid depths. ' '" ' ' J Truly," Mias Church was lovely, an'd'J more— she loved Reid StanleighV l ' ' '. I She' came forward to meet Liiihie, Holding out one shapely jewelled nafldi (/ **■>'< '-f I"I have" |ari .uhexpedted' ' ,trip : 'to. im;\ <jountry, v sh'e'said, when they were i seated-! by the broad 'window,''" and 1 ! doVo^wan'V you to go: • Aunt'h'aa sent for ine s tb'c6me !F/ immediately,^ and ;I j 'shall take the j! SM." train.. Can't I persuade you ib ac'cbmpany I*1 ''* J Xirin^e 'Ipoke'd ' Put frdih tne'windS^'' her head restiiig.bn fierßahUi /l 'a :> mom'iat R ? before 1 replyingi" - «'-"- < W'! '• ■' * J"»r.T>.\

She had aUnoefpronvsed, when she bethought Herself of a previous engagement for that evening, and so, after a short call, Miss Church took her departure. Linnie stood watching her absently, as she. went down the street.

Suddenly her face brightened. An idea had occurred to her— if she eottld only succeed in carrying it out ! — and the next instant she had run up the stairs and joined her brother. .."S^e* here, Reid," ahe said, sitting down beside him, her face all aglow. ' ' I want something of you, and I want yon to promise me beforehand that you will oaslsay. Will you?" " I promise."^ ■ " Well, then, what I want of you is this. Yon remember those costumes that we used, for our theatricals? Well, I want you to select some of them, and disguise yourself— l am not particular how — and get t» N— — -in time to take' the 5.20' tra^n, "You are not to. get in the train, but when you get to the station, you can torn about and. come home,, if yon want to. ' You see it is all very simple, and you. have promised, yon know." ' • iMr. Stanleigh looked at his sister in blank amazement.

" What do yon want me to do that for?" he asked.

M That is my secret. Yon will learn when you get back." - * * * * #

Xt wanted ten minutes yet to the 5.20 train, when an old, decrepid man, leaning oh a cane, and with a carpet-bag in hut band, hailed an omnibus. The old gentleman looked in vain for a* aeat, and at last deposited his carpet-bag on the floor and remained standing., HA ; very stylish young lady was sitting iear the, .door, her voluminous skirts spread out along the seat, .taking up more room ihab was really necessary. .She glanced coldly at him, but made no moTO towards occupying lesa room, and thevebicle.rolledon. , . . ' A' young gentleman: opposite, got tap in the very height of fashion, and wearing a f atupendoua pair of moustaches, had been -watching' the 'young*-lady, intently, and as he caught- her eye, he raised his. handkerchief, and drew it across His lips.' ; iTheJadysmile4 and dropped her,Qwn Ufa her lap, and then a aeries; of signals followed,. at sight of i which the old-gentle-, man straightened up remarkably for one of hu age, and the sharp eyes behind the' greets spectacles : flashed Ouiinously't *- ; the omnibus stopped.' -•' ' ; ' ' -The lady dropped her handkerchief, and the old genUaman' quietly picked, it" upj atid'put it in' his pocket, add thed crossing over to the end'of. the. station, walked off down the street. „'\- ' v v* ". .'- ; Half an hour afterwards -he ascended tUe steps of his house; and' passed up the stain,' where he proceeded to divest' hunt ■elf of a false beard, a grey wig,, and nmt|ry other articles, and then Reid : Stanleigh stood revealed. '• * - ' 'V.:,*'." „♦ ' . * . ,*" ! .*./"

■ "You missecl a great pleasure 'in not going, liinnie ; the ride was splendid, and such a cozy, home retreat as Aunt Church haa; You must know I enjoyed -myself immensely, or I- should never have prolonged my stay to a couple* of weeks." . * And' graceful Ina Church tapped her damtiy-DOoted foot upon the fender,- and clasped and unclasped the gold circlet on her wrist, -as ' she chatted with Linnie Stanleigh. ; That astute little girl had said nothing' to her brother -concerning Miss Church, dnde'his little bit 1 of masquerading two weeks ago, but something in his manner* had led her to think that her little' plan had sot been entirely nnsuccessfuL But. h«r brother had not vouchsafed anything concerning it, and Miss Linnie determined to let things take (heir own course.

"*■ I gather 'charms in perspective,' you know," she said, "for I intend to take atrip in, the country some time." ;" What's that?" said a well-known musical voice. " Anything new ? " 'And easy, graceful, nonchalant Held ■wintered in.

'•'Ab4good morning, Miss Church. I hare something of yours, if I mistake n«i*

And producing a. white pocket-handker-chief, he crossed the room and laid it in Miss Church's lap. . "You dropped it in an .omnibus on yonMray to the station, two weeks ago. I irat in the omnibus, and took the liberty. of picking it up. _ I fear you may have experienced some inconvenience from its loa.io case you wished to carry on another flirtation with a Btrange gentleman.'* " Wffia so ekborately polite, so oourt©ouafy cutting. Church; grew red and white. by turns, . and "stammered something unintelligible, and tried to smile, but it died away under-the stern disdain and contempt in Reid Stanleigh's eyes. Trjr~as she might, she knew the game wai qnded, and realized .what she had lost in not .winning the love of the only man ■he e^er cared for. - „/ • '. " And J cr*Mt-f alien and abashed, but outwardly haughty still, Ina Ohurch.took her leayefci^'ever from Stanleigh Place.- ' : y Truly,.' Linnie, it takes a woman to reag^wdooan ! " Mr. Stanleigh said, when he hidtolcl his. sister the particulars of hism&sqnarading. And forthwith he proceeded to worship «er ooze than ever, which was conclusive proof =o£. his good sense.

A Chatham convict made a daring attempt *o eacape while at work oc anew fortißcation at BontaL on May 13th. The warders fired at him, and he was ultimately recaptured. He wm at the time working in irons, in which he nag cms put for making a similar attempt a short time ago.