The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-03-23

frost, and the sun rose in that slight haze
which In England so surely lOretells q
fine day, The beautiful old Grange, .iusj
sufficiently moderated for comfort, was
the very House fofan ideal EngliSh Christ.
mas. The fine old oak.rooIed hall was
bright with holly wreathed about the old
armor and twined over the old family
pictures and above the crossed swords Of
tue two Benwick brothers, who had been
Cavalier and Roundhead. s"Peace on
earth, Good VIII TO Men, was beautiful
in large green letters Margaret was &c
be kept quiet all.dayr but the doctor had
given permission for her to DO carried
down to the drawing'room In the evening
when the children were to have theil
presents. All the rest were to walk 10
church, which was inst across The park
and, as they were all ready to set out
Tom thought hG had never seen Laura
look prcttier in her childish days. Her
widows cap and black Grape seemed ia
be especially becoming TO her light
hair, blue eyes and bright, fresh color
II was her first walk since the accident
and she found 1t so pleasant that she
willingly consented when, aitef service
Tom asked her to walk round by The
Ashley farm road with him. The air was
keen and crisp, and they walked briskly
on, scarcely speaking until they reached
tho top Of the steep hill, where they
paused in tho sun, under the shelter Of q
hedge, to take breath and look at the
view. Beneath them on one side lay the
Grange, the lawn intervening between
the house and the trees Of the park, leay.
ing 1t plainly visible. The smoke rose
high into the clear air from the piCtur.
esque group of chimneys, and the gray
stone was beautifully softened by the
great masses Of ivy. The sun poured
down on the front OF the house and the
terrace, where Jessie and the Fcnwicks
were running up and down with Mop, the
skye terrier, at their heels; and they could
even sec the green wreaths festooned in.
side the mullioncd windows. On the
other side lay the Ashley farm lands; then
the beautiful valley, the blue Mersey, and
the Cheshire hills beyond; and far off to
the right n cloud Of smoke-the only blot
on the clear-showed Liverpool.
"Fenwick tells me-" said Tom rather
suddenly, "that.Ashley farm Is for sale and
do YOU know, Laura, l have an idea Of
giving up New Zealand and settling down
here?'
"Oh Tom do; how charmingp began
Laura; but something in Toms manner
stopped her us he came and stood before
her, and looking into her lace, said grave
~:
"Laura, it is for you to decide. Ihave
loved you all my life. If you will marry
me We will live here iinotI shall go back
to New Zealand in the spring. What
shall 1t bc9'
There was deep silence, broken only
by the cawing OF the rocks and tho wills
Ito Of q distant train, then she lifted her
blue eyes 10 his face with childlilie look
OF perfect trust, and taking her little right
hand from her mutf, she put it into his
broad palm and said simply:
"Tom, stay"
Neither Of them, l fancy, will ever for
get their walk home from church that
Christmas day, and before they got back
to the Grange, two things, at least, were
stiled TO Laura's entire satisfaction. Her
theory about Fanny Maioribanks was ex-
ploded forever, and she knew now 10 a
certainty for whose sake it was that Tom
Ferrars went to New Zealand.