The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-12
Stranger Than Fiction.
CHAPTER III.
STILL MRS. CALCEY.

tam where MrS. .Wlfk1ns ana MrS. MI
son were living. A character for hon
esty, industry. and minding my own bus
nes-, could nave gotten easily enough
from gentlefolk who had known me
when ] was u girl and after | was mar
ried. But other points would be inquired
about, aud, having decided to follow
mothers advice, wrote to a gentleman
inFYorkshire who had attended to Mr..
Mas0n's law business, and whom I had
seen often while we were at Martinly
/ Hall.
His name was Ramsden. A fine-look-
ng old gentleman, with white hair and
! stately manners, but still kind and affa-
bic, who had constantly spoken some
word 10 we when he came III and out of
the sickroom.
By return Of post his answer arrived.
!: The letter was not in the least what any
one might have expected lawyer would
have written. He said in it how sorry
he was to hear of my trouble; that he
remembered me very well indeed; that
Mrs. Mason was not on the Continent
now, but living at village called Pur-
ling, not very far from London; that he
bad often thought of all the care took
of poor Mr. Mason in his grievous illness,
and he hoped l would excuse his sending
me a couple of pounds to pay my fare to
Purling or any other little expenses /
might be put to. He also said, if he
could at any time prove Of assistance, he
would be glad to help me. Poor mother
cried when she saw the post-ofice order.
She was astonished at his goodness, but
the letter did not surprise me. 1t was
Just like him. He was always ready to
do a kindness, and to put his hand in his
pocket.
"Now, Nell," said my mother, when
she had dried her eyes and taken up her
knitting again, "vhat you had test do is
to 60 up to Purling. 1t will be far bet
ter for you to zee the ladies than to
write; and you know the housekeeper at
the Chace said there was no time to lose
if you wanted the situation at Lady
Poplett's. 1t need not cost you much;
and If you don't chance to find them at
home one day, you can 60 ON to London
and sleep at your Cousin James's, and
come back to Purling next morning"
Purling was on our own railway,
though few miles eff the main line; 50
there was no difficulty in doing what
mother advised, particularly il got up
early and went off by the parliamentary.
But, 0, with what woful heart it was
stood on the platform Of our little sta
ton, and thought of passing over the
spot where my poor dear had met his
death! He was platelayer. That has
not much to do with my story, but still
it is link.
I had to wait long time at Clapham
Junction before the train for Purling
came down from London, and my head
felt dazed with the noise and the journey
and the shouting of the newspaper-boys,
and the sight of the people bu,tling by.
1t did not take very long togetto Pur-
ling, which had changed from village,
as Mr.. Ramsden remembered it, to a
mere suburb OF London. Houses, houses
everywnere--close to the station, run
ming up and down the green fields, bor-
dering the once pleasant lanes, where
great elms still here and there dotted the
few fragments that remained of the an
cient hedgerows. Why, mother could
never believe this was Purling, if she
came here, l thought; and then asked a
porter if he could tell me where | should
find Alnwick House.
"I don't know it" he said. "Who lives
thereY' I.r
"Mrs. Mason," / answered.
He shook his head.
ut is not hereabouts," he declared.
"There may be such place on the Com
mon. Keep along the London road, and
then turn a bit to your left, and that will
bring you to the Green. Ask at the
Black Lion, about a mile and half
ahead of you" ....
had not got down the steps, however,
after thanking him for his ciyility, before
was after me. ........ ......,.....
"Hi hold hard" he shouted. "My
mute says he knows the house you want,
1t belongs to Mrs. Wilkins, though Mrs.
Mason, her daughter, lives with her. 1t
is on the furtherest side of the Common,
right across the Green" -'
What he said did not surprise me.
Mrs. Wilkins had always been masterful,
and, though her daughter owned the
money, it was Just like her to insist on
doing the spending. At any rate, it
seemed as though should not have my
Journey for nothing. One or other Of
them would surely be at home.
The further | left the station behind
me, the pleasanter grew the way. Trees
arched their branches over my head; in
the wheat-felds the reapers were busy.
Now and again I caught glimpses of a
river; here / passed a great mansion;
there I stopped to look at some wsyside
cottage, covered literalIy--walls, win
dows, roof, chimneys-with ivy and roses
and clematis. l walked slowly, for ]
was still far from strong, and a sort Of
peace stole over me such as | had not
felt before since that glorious morning
when the sun of my life went down 10
suddenly in darkness. ts
Alnwick House did not seem to be
very well known. Any person who is al