Page:Orange Grove.djvu/384

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white mother and her child, by laying any restriction upon the widest range of development the highest moral training could promote.

The children were soon removed from her control by the introduction of a governess to whom was assigned the entire supervision of their education. This was done without consulting her at all, and but for the strongest effort of self-control, her nerves would have again been shattered by this insult to her sacred relation of wife and mother. Realizing her helplessness to change the current domestic affairs were taking, she considered it the wisest course to get along with as few words as possible, always having regarded a family outbreak as one of the most painful things to be dreaded.

Soon after this Mr. Carleton started on a business tour which was to take him to New Orleans, and no little surprise was excited when it was discovered that the brunette was also missing, but whether they had left together, or she had taken advantage of the opportunity to secure her own freedom, all of them were equally at a loss to conjecture. One thing was ascertained that she did not leave the city with him, which was hardly to be expected under any supposition, as they would be much more likely to meet on the route. All her jewelry and the most valuable articles of her ward-robe were gone, and what were Chrissy's amazement and dismay, when by some unerring instinct she was led to her only secret drawer containing the only treasure now remaining of her master's former regard, a gold ring, and found it was no longer there! Her rage knew no bounds. She