Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-10-08
DISCOVERED IN TIME.

Some three miles back from our
eastern coast, just within sight and
scent of the salt water, lies a Suffolk
village, Wynford by name, of whose
scattered population four fths find
their living and center their material
interests upon that broad area they cal
"the land"
A sleepy parish? An unemotional
congregation of clodhoppers then? BY
no means, indeedl Wynford has decid-
ed opinions, brisk little quarrels, many
social grades of it's own, and has, more
over, its full quantum of human joys
and SORROWS; perhaps, hidden among
It's sober generations, some tragedies.
and to certainty now and then bit
of romance.
On Wynford Green, near the flint
lowered, thatch naved st. Nichoias's
cluster all the dwellings of the rural
upper ten, from the smart white villa OF
a late shopkeeper's buxom widow close
by the rectory to the red brick residence
of a vice-admirals relict-Mrs. Orde-
from whose easements ore can look
across the narrowing road into some
twenty acres of park, where stands the
chief house of the parish, "The
Beeches."
Here lived the lady of the manor
Not a stately, exacting dame, ruling
jealousy over tribe of bobbing, hat
touching rustics, but a young and beau
tiful woman, who inherited through her
mother position none ever needed to
grudge her sweet and noble nature.
Miss Temple, my daughter that is to
be, seems part of Wynford's very self,
Mr.. Murray" explained Mrs. Orde to
the newly come rector, on his first call
one autumn day. He was an Oxford
fellow, who, at sudden Impotence at
the barrenness of book-ife, had deserted
1t for the opposite extreme-a moderate
living in the depths of the country.
The people think so much of her and
she Of them that | fear it will be a
lamentable day when my son comes to
take her from us"
"Your-son?" repeated Mr.. Murray,
poitely-almost more than politely at
tentiye.
"Yes, from India. He returns soon
TO rob your parish of its mistress. You
had not heard this? Oh, well, I think
our clergyman ought to understand
what goes on among us. 1t makes him
more at ease, does it not" And with
the friendly view of furthering this
pleasant footing, Mrs. Orde chatted
complacently into accounts of the
neighboring family, and told how Mr..
Temple, we'll connected but of no for
tune, had married the heiress of Wyn-
ford Manor, who, sadly enough, had
died, when their one child, Agatha, was
born.
interpolated Mr.. Murray, puzzled by
femembrances of two attractive faces
near his pulpit, of which one had earn.
estly marked Tor so he fancied) every
syllable of his first nervous sermon,
while the other had wandered from
pointed attention, through smothered
vawns, into a comfortable little nap.
Surely see two ladies often together
both young; thought them sisters"
$50 they are-at least, half-sisters, -
explained Mrs. Orde; ''for Mr.. Temple
foolishly married again-a French lady,
little Agatha's governess; and Miss
Leonie is her child younger than Miss
Temple by five years. Poor thingl Her
father died long ago, leaving not the
least provision for her; for, of course,
he had only life interest in The Beech
es. So his widow and little girl were
simply dependent on the elder daugh-
ter. But the trustees we're liberal, Miss
Temple most unselfsh and generous
and they all lived admirably together
till Mrs. Temples DEATH"
(which was"-
"Four years ago, six mo1.ths before
our dear Agatha came of age. Tt was
Just when my son got his assistant
judgeship, Mr.. Murray-an excellent
appointment on the strength OF
his promotion, wrote home as he did
1t hos been long engagement, has ii
not? But Geofrey would never live on
his wife's income, without means OF
position of his own, so he determined to
keep abroad till he earned pension
but am thankful to say, the last three
years of his exile are not to be lonely.
Now you understand what brings him
home, Mr.. Murray"
Mr.. Murray understood Mrs. Orde's
modestly triumphant confidence only
too well By some process of reasoning
be had no mind to trace to it's source,
ne felt the revelation had spread a
shadow over his own life; and as he went
back alone, past the golden brown
beeches, to his solitary freside, was
half inclined to wish he had never vent
ured from the scholarly seclusion of
Corpus into the perils of a country
passionate.
And how was Mr.. Godfrey Orde's
return awaited by the tenants of the
manor-house? Seemed the days long
or short to Agatha Temple till he
came?
Why, scarcely could she tell. The
playfellow of her almost babyhood
the lad who used to bring his schoolboy
laurels for her praise-the youth who
had gone from her while she was yet in
her girlhood- wooed her as yet on