River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-09-09

You have the air and manner of gen.
tleman while she -
/" Forgive me, madam, for interrupt
ing you, but am sure you are yourself
too much a gentleWomdn to say any-
thing derogatory of the person i have
selected for my BRIDE"
He quite took my breath away, he
was at once so proud and 40 polite.
" | am twenty-six years of age, ma
dam, he went on, and | know nv
own mind, and have an independent
fortune. There is no sort of use in
opposing our engagement, even il your
kind heart would permit you to do so.
The chief object of my calling npon
you was indeed To request a personal
favor of you in connection with our
approaching nuptials. Annabel tells
me that she has neither father nor
mother, nor indeed any friend in Lon
don except yourself"
That certainly was my belief, f." said
|, "until lately"
Mr.. Trevelyan only smiled at this
significant reply.
Well, madam, this being so. and
you having reason, believe 20 be
satisfied with Annabel Brown as TO her
moral qualities, come to ask of Won
the great favor of giving her away at
the altar.
give Annie away and to you, a
perfect stranger Never I"
My dear madam, 1 honor your
scruples,' returned the young man
with a bow land must say, for grace
OF manner | have seldom seen HIS
equal; but this is the address of my
lawyers, and this of parish clergyman
in your vicinity, who will both vouch
for my responsibility and good family.
Beyond these facts, and that / have
sufficient means, Independent of pro
fession, to support a wife, | don't feel
called upon to speak"
/ Mr.. Trevelyan seemed such very
nice young man, and / had such true
regard tor Annabel, that. absurd hs the
proposition of giving her away % him
at first seemed, ! finally came in to il.
and about three weeks afterwards.
lney were married by a special license.
/ She was not at all pulled up by her
good fortune, and though he gave her
great sum for het truusseaii, she ex-
pended it with her usual quiet good
taste. Annabel Brown was adapted to
any position in life into which she
happened to be thrown that did not
require energy or powers of converse.
| ton, in which she was eertainle deh
cient and ont bf the fifty maid
! servants that | have had in nv service
from first to last, she was the only one
of whom | could say as much.
But how" my readers may 7 ask,
did Annabel get on after SHE became
Mrs. Trevelydn =
That ! can't tell you, but / can tell
You what happened to me III c6nse
quence, which is tic terrible part of
the story.
A stately carriage drove one day up
to my door, and my new maid Ga very
different one from dear Annie) came
running up the stairs in great excite
ment "Oh mum, please, mum, there
IS lords coach at the door, and Ter
ladyship wishes TO see you.
WHAT'S her name q" demanded |
quietly for i did not wish this grin
ming idiot 10 suppose that / was never
called upon by members of the aristo.
crazy.
:. Here's card, mum; the Lady
Haliss something or other"
1T is not your business to read
visitors cards, said I, stifiiy. "Show
LADY Alice Trevelyan up"
The similarity OF name with that of
Annabels husband of course struck
me Mt once yet was totally unable to
conjecture her business with poor in.
significant ne. l vas not long However
left IN do'tbt. 4 tall, bony stifr-backed
woman If about sixty years of age
presently sailed into the room.
" Miss Twitter, L believe ~ said she.
The same" replied I, politely.
I" viii not your ladyship take a seat I"
Certainly not answered. she,
snappishiy. 81 n,ersly came 70 sse
th" sort c. person by whose nefariou
assistance ny unfortunate nephew has
been entrapped into matrimony. This
IS the house - ii 2" SAID she, looking
round my little drawing room IN a
deprecatory way, where this con-
spiracy was Matched ( In this vile hole
you baited your trap, did you, for that
innocent boy Z"
II am quite at loss, madam, to
know what you mean, said / Though
began TO guess), Except that Won in.
tend to be offensive
. You are right there, woman she
relolned, acidly, "if you should never
he right again ih your life. IL is the
only consolation left to me, after the
rum Of our house, to tell You TO your
lace what | think of you. You are a
treacherous, designing creature YOU
entered into fraudulent conspiracy
Yes, know it's actionable, if there's IA
witness; but If you dare come near the
bell, I'll knock you down. say, You
eonspired to seduce the affections of
my nephew, the Honorable Arthur
Irevelyan, heir presumptive to the
Earl of Manllands. L don't
say you did 1t yourself; |
wish You had, because then the
probability is that the disgrace would
only have lasted your lifetime: Won
employed youthful accomplish, who
passed Us your maid servant, il seems,
and whose fatal charms overcame poor
Arthur's scruples. II is my belief that
l..fl, IL a.. 4.