Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-02-26

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cluster into her hands, she held them
! to her face in a mute caress.
After a while she turned her eyes
upon Mabel, with a look in them
which startled the girl by its intenis-
ty.
She was not like Mabel, who was
slight and pale, and who looked even
more childish than her years, with
only her heavy mass of rippling curls
| and her dark, appealing eyes 10 re-
deem her face from absolute plain
ness. She had evidently once been a
woman of queenly form and magni-
fcent beauty. Even now her great
| fever bright eyes and hollow cheeks
bore a wlerd, specter-like semblance
of death, but it was delusive.
eMy darling" she whispered, ''you
have brought me blessing, and you
shall be rewarded. Tomorrow l will
throw pride to the winds, and dictate
letter to my father which shall re-
store my child to her rights. Oh,
Mabel, nature is an unerring teacher,
and in your love and obedience to me
[ have, at this late day, learned a
lesson of duty. / was, when young,
carefully educated in all but that
most important Of. lessons to a child,
flial 0bedience. 7 was brought up to
think that my own wishes must be
gratifed at any cost; and when [ met
and loved your father, instead Of
waiting patiently to gam q consent
which my indulgent parents could
not have long withheld TO our union,
we were married clandestinely. My
one effort at recoaciliation was not
ul-and-and- But, darl-
ling, I ana too weary to say more.
Another day | will finish my story"
But when the morrow's sun shone
into the room, it was to rest, like a
veiceless benediction, upon clay cold
form, and upon a motherless girl alone
with it and her sorrow.
At first the desolate child-for Mabel
was but fourteen-was conscious only
of her bereavement. But soon came
a thought which brought with it such
keen pain that it aroused her to in
slant action. Her darling mother
must not be laid away to rest In the
Potter's Field.
She would go the kind old gentle
man who had given her the flowers,
and ask him for hel o in this trying
hour which had come to her young
! life. She found him at honae.
"Oh, STRIP sh3 said piteously, ''my
mother is lying cold aud still, with all
the sweet life gone out of her beautiful
body! You are kind and rich. I know
it is a great deal to ask, but If you will
keep them from laying her in charity
grave I will pay back every penny you
spend"
The pleading, tear stained face, the
childish, yet wOmanly ways of the
self reliant little creature thus pledged
to fulfill a duty which would entail
long hours of labor, and days of an
chorite abstinence before it could be
accomplished, touched chord in Ran-
dolph Gwinne's heart.
"Go home, little one," he said
gently, land mourn for your dead.
Do not fear; I will see that all need
ful rrangements are attended to-"
After all was over Mabel settled
down again to her mOnetonous routine
Of work. Every week she scrupulously
laid aside portion of her earnings
and carried them TO Mr.. Gwinne, who
took them from her with apparent in
difference.
The child had made a contract with
him, and out of respect to her the
man of business carried it out to the
letter
At last the final payment was made.
AS Mabel turned to go, after thanking
her benefactor, his voice recalled her
to his side.
''Little Mabel, he said, st have
been an interested spectator Of your
manner of life since you and I made
our bargain. have seen your cheeks
grow pale for want of the food you
persisted in denying yourself, that
you might bring your weekly hoard
TO me, and [ wondered If one SO young
would be able to carry out SO high a
resolve. You have succeeded, and all
your life long you will have it to re
member. Now. your part is done, and
mine begins. Give me your hand, my
child, for Randolph Gwinne respects
you. More than that he loves you well
enough to ask you to be his adopted
daughter. Come and make your home
with me. You shall have every ad
vantage that bountiful means can pro
vide. You win have no objections,
Chauncey, my boy, will you?" as hi:
grandson came into the room.
a few words explained MS meaning
and Chauncey turned his handsome
eyes indiGerently toward the hesitat
ing girl. 1t was not the first time they
had met-as Mabel was conscious in
every fbre of her sensitive being, but
Chauncey did not remember her.
So the careless but good-naturec
"Of course, grandfather, one more
or less does not matter ia this great
house." sank deep inJo Mabel's mem
ory, to rise again to the surface anG
influence her future long after Chaun
cey had forgotten them.
So it was that Mabel was domicilec
at the Gwinnes. A governess was
engaged for her, and music and paint
ing lessons soon occupied the tine no.
engaged in her studies. Thus yeal
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