Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-15

are profound mystery 10 me and all our
little world In Wiltshire"
DO you mean that Lady Darnel is n,,
received he gasped, after a pause
"Shc is received, Int she is not like
answered Dora. leaning her pretty chin on
her tapering hand, and looking the image
of disintcrested consideration People
are cold You know what county people
are-how suspicious Of any one outside
their own set, any one not reared on their
own soil, whose life they have not known
from the cradle People have been told
absolutely nothing about Lady DarneL
We do not know who her own people are
or who her husbands people were She
appears to be an isolated person, without
a relative or n friend-Clare, widow Of
Captain Stuart; no regiment; no locality;
nothing to identify that one particular
Stuart among the multitude that bear the
name That was all the advertisement nf
her marriage told the county, that is all |.
Allan's sister, have ever been told about
his wife Can you wonder that the CO Inty
people do not take to hery'
Il can wonder AT their stupidity, IL Lady
Darnel is half as charming rs | imagine
her to be- protested the colonel, warmly.
'She is very charming. Perhaps il she
was less attractive people would be less
curious, less inclined to suspect evil. so
handsome a woman ought Ia he able to re
veal her antecedents. or else"
she is your brothers wife, Miss DarneL
You at least ought TO respect her." said
the colonel, waxing angry.
MY dear colonel, why fly into a pas
sion," exclaimed Dora, innocently. "You
H., rs 1ll friay,i
Of my brothers. and | have answered
them frankly Another time shall know
how TO be diplomatic
There is one fact | gather from your
answers, and that is that you are at one
mind with the county in not liking Lady
Darneln
Was there ever such a man for jump
ing at cOnClusionss" said Dora "If this is
the way you Indian officers treat your
sepoys no wonder they sometimes mutiny.
Pray, have | said that | don't ike Lady
Darncly"
We'll. perhaps not in so many words
suppose we change the subject, and you
tell me about my little Oracle, my god
laughter and playthingf hope am to
see her this evening
Il expect her every minute. There is n
tennis tournament at the yicarage, and
She is one of their best players-could not
posSibly be dispensed with-or she would
nave been at home To welcome her god
father. You will find her very much i'm
proved, think
Not improved out Of her own self,
hope. Ny dear little Robin Goodfellow in
Dctticoats-the widest, merriest lass, and
The pluckiest little horsewOman in Wilt
shire! Don't tell me that you have made
regulation young lady of her"
I'VE have done our best TO make her Il
lady, colonel, however you may diSapprove
If the transformation. She ran wild at
Darncl for year after Allan's marriage
Lady Daruel was ridiculously indulgent,
quite the cleverest policy in a stcp-mother.
She let the girl do Just what she liked, and
Grace would have become the scandal Of
the neighborhoOd for her free and easy
manners and want of cultivation if | had
not interfered."
"Oh," said the colonel, you interfered,
did you,"
1T wss my duty, as Grace's nearest
female relative At my suggestion my
brother took her to Madame Sartori's fin
.shing school at PaSsy. II is hardly to be
called school Madame Sartori is most
At tcomplished person, who takes n few
pupilS-a chosen few. Only girls of good
samily are received. and they are trained
inder. madame's own eye. Twas educated
uy her myself, au,; can vouch for her care
md vigilance"
Poor Oracle! can fancy her under
Madame Sartoris vigilant eye. A wild
wood flower imprisoned in a Wardian
aase. can imagine Madame Sartori-
,lderly. snuffy, suspicious Poor Oracle,
And how long was she subjected To the
Sartorian processy"
'sShe spent two years in Paris, with Occa-
,ional holidays at home. The result is
eminently satisfactory to Sir Allan"
And are Grace and her step mother still
good friends;'
They are or pretend to be-intensely
fond of each other
Il can not imagine Grace pretending any
thing, unless Madame Sartoris process
las made her a new creature"
MADAME SartOri has transformed hoy
len into a young lady"
"Oh, what pity" sighed the colonel
England Swarms with young ladies; but
our true hoyden is a rare growth, plant
that can only flourish in the genial soil Of
4 happy home, a gracious flower that
vithcrs under the breath OF the school
mistress. am heartily sorry you ever
-ent my Oracle to school hate girls
schools"
Just then a light, swift figure fitted
across the lawn. and bounded in at the
window, n figure ali in white, soft white
wooden stuff, bOrdcred with pale blue, the
most charming thing in tennis frocks.
This was Grace Darnel, n tall slip OF girl,
with sunny, hazel and ripping auburn
hair, lovely mouth, and perfect teeth;
other features inofTensive: true English
type.
"Gracie," said the colonel, after he had
taken both her hands, and shaken them
heartily for a minute or 80, contemplating
he fair young face with fatherly affection,
Oracle, they tell me you have grown into
a young lady, and that my little Robin
is gone"
Then they have not told you the truth,
Godfather shall always be Robin Good
fellow for you" answered the girl, smiling
1t him.
And then after little pause she said:
Il am so glad you are come home, more
glad than can tell yo1."
She said this with an earnestness which
half suggested some hidden meaning. The
colonel looked at her scrutinizingly with
his keen, kind eyes-eyes that had looked
just as steadily in the face of mutiIy and
murder in the days that were gone.
Miss Darnel had glided from the room,
and they were alone together.
"why. Grace, that SOUNDS As if you were
not quite happy" he said, anxiously.
Who is quite happy in this world," re-
torted Grace, with touch of petulance.
1t is an Impossible condition. But am
very hapry at having you back again, god
father. There is no alloy 10 that gold"
My dearest child, do you not suppose
that am just as glad To return? And now
toll mo pyprythinp Remember what