England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Short stories, English
Time the healer! As Mrs. Todhetley says, it may well be called so.
Heaven in mercy sends it to the sick and heavy-laden with healing on its
wings. Nearly three years had slipped by since the departure for Canada
of Valentine Chandler; four years since the tragic death of Oliver
Preen.
There are few changes to record. Things and people were for the most
part going on as they had done. It was reported that Valentine had
turned over a new leaf from the hour he landed over yonder, becoming
thoroughly staid and steady. Early in the summer of this year his
mother had shut up her cottage at North Crabb to go to Guernsey, on
the invitation of a sister from whom she had expectations. Upon this,
Julietta, who lived with her mother, went on a long visit to Mrs. Cramp.
Clementina had married. Her husband was a Mr. Timothy Dawson, junior
partner in a wholesale firm of general merchants in Birmingham; they had
also a house in New York. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Dawson lived in a white
villa at Edgbaston, and went in for style and fashion. At least she did,
which might go without telling. The family in which her sister Georgiana
was governess occupied another white villa hard by.
Close upon Juliet's thus taking up her residence with her aunt, finding
perhaps the farm rather dull, she struck up a flirtation with Fred
Scott, or he with her. They were everlastingly together, mooning about
Mrs. Cramp's grounds, or sauntering up and down the Islip Road. Juliet
gave out that they were engaged. No one believed it. At present Fred
had nothing to marry upon: his mother, just about as soft as himself,
supplied him with as much pocket-money as he asked for, and there his
funds ended.
Juliet had now returned from a week or two's visit she had been paying
Clementina, bringing with her, uninvited, the young lady with the golden
hair. That hair seemed to be before my eyes as a picture as I walked
along. She was Timothy Dawson's young half-sister. Both the girls had
grown tired of staying with Clementina, who worried herself and everyone
about her just now because her husband was detained longer than he had
anticipated in New York, whither he had gone on business.
* * * * *
Mr. Frederick Scott had said "Bother" in contempt when he first heard of
the visitor with the golden hair. He did not say it long. Miss Cherry
Dawson cast a spell upon him. He had never met such a rattling, laughing
girl in all his born days, which was how he phrased it; had never seen
such bewildering hair. Cherry fascinated him. Forgetting his allegiance
to Juliet, faithless swain that he was, he went right over to the enemy.
Miss Cherry, nothing loth, accepted his homage openly, and enjoyed the
raging jealousy of Juliet.
In the midst of this, Juliet received a telegram from Edgbaston. Her
sister Clementina was taken suddenly ill and wanted her. She must take
the first train.
"Of course you are coming with me, Cherry!" said Juliet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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