Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-06-05
THE STRANGE PERFUME.

Lounging carelessly in an arm chair,
his eyes fixed on lady beside him,
with an open letter in her hand, was a
tall, fair-haired young man.
What have you there, mother 2" he
said, throwing is arm around her in a
caressing way. THAT smile makes
you positively young, declare"
Losing his father in India, when a
child, a small legacy from his god
mother had, with the most severe econ
omy, given George Roberts a liberal
education, while his mother had her
small pension alone to depend upon.
Long years had passed, her father was
dead, and her only brother, who in
herited the estate, had ever refused any
Overtures toward a reconciliation. Not
even In her widest day-dream had Mrs
Roberts hoped to behold her child
hoods home again. No wonder, then,
that her cheek flushed and her eye
frightened over the letter in her hand,
for it contained an invitation for her
self and son to spend the Christmas
week at Locksley grange. Though ex.
pressed IN cold and formal terms, II
was courteous, and the buried years OF
the past were not alluded to. The
young man took the letter, which she
gave him without comment, and, glanc-
ing through it to the signature, Paul
Edward Hollowes, looked up at his
mother.
g Your uncle, my son." she said.
A flush of indignant feeling passed
over the pleasant face. Was this cold
and naughty uncle, who had so long
ignored their existence, to summon
them to his presence by wave of his
hand2 By hard study and persever-
ance George had won a place at the
bar, bu5 he was content to labor, trust
ing to time. But it was with an inward
struggle, as he looked at the eager ex-
pectaGion on his mothers face, and
thought of her lonely life, that he con-
trolied his resentment.
''You would like to go, dear moth.
err" he said pleasantly
''Yes, my boy it seems as if I could
die happier it [ saw the old place once
more"
"Then we shall co." he said. 81
will make my arrangements for holi-
day, and we shall leave town on Wed
nesday, and with kiss he left her
The master of Locksley Grange, a
tall, erect, old man, of most imposing
presence, with snowy hair and whis-
kars, and brilliant, piercing, deep-set
black eyes, shaded by shaggy eyebrows
like fierce fires overhung with jagged
snow crags, his sister and her
son with stately courtesy, although no
light of love beamed from his eye to
the gentle woman who had been his
childhood's playfellow. One sharp
glance he shot at his nephew
as he made some comment on the
Journey, and then bade a servant ush-
er them to their apartments. When
the dinner bell sounded George con-
Quoted his mother-looking so fair and
gentle IN her soft grey silk, still with
the delicate flush on her cheek-into
the state drawing room, where they
were duly presented to the rector of
| Locksley and his curate. Still they
waited, and in a few minutes a Young
woman entered the room, of such un-
usual beauty that George Roberts stop
ped short in the middle of sentence
addressed to the curate, and never
completed it. She might have been
about II, with a slight form, graceful
as deer, hair of a pale gold, which
deepened into shadows of tawny
sheen under the mellow wax-ights, and
soft brown eyes, shadowed by long
golden lashes. A dark silk dress with
out ornament, displayed and heighten-
ed the delicately tinted skin and per
feet figure. She approached the group
t1mldly, and George, glancing at his
uncle, saw, to his, ,astonishment, O scowl
sweep over his face as his eyes res ted
on the fair vision.
6 Miss Kedar," he said, carelessly.
presenting the young girl TO his sister,
with wave of his ieweled hand " a
pennlless orphan whom I keep out of
charity, as her mother was an old friend
OF mine. She has made love match, y
he added with a sneer. "You can take
her IN to dinner" he said to his neph-
eW, with another wave of the white
nand, as he turned to his sister with
formal politeness.
George felt his indignation stir, as he
saw the deep flush rise on the young
girls face, and then fade to a marble
paleness. But she did not raise her
eyes to see the sympathy expressed in
his The dinner passed pleasantly
The rector was fluent and graceful
conversationalist, and the host excited
young Roberts to bring forth his
knowledge of men and things in his
manly, earnest way, by the display of
ms own versatile power to draw him
out. The young man had almost for
gotten the silent beauty by his side,