Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-10-22
PROUD MRS. BRANDIETH.
CHAPTER THE FIRST.

CHAPTER THE FIRST.
she was proud old woman. Many
West Indians are endowed with more
pride than is good for them, and she
was an instance. Perhaps it was the
blacks, or the climate, or living on an
island where there was no aristocracy
save that which was constituted by
money. She was very rich, there was
no doubt about that; and she had a.
very Lovely daughter, there was also
no doubt ofthat--a fair-haired girl, with
large dreamy eyes, and fair skin, and
lips that suggested a pout, yet broke
into the most enchanting of smiles
now and then~-not very often either;
perhaps because the girls life has been
lonely, us all only child's often is, and
perhaps because she was half afraid OF
her mother. Her happiest days had
been her school days; she had been
sent to England for her education,
and when she returned to the narrow
circle, and the stiff uncompro missing
mother, who since her husbands
death had managed the estate herself,
and was absorbed in the produce OF
sugar, and the politics of Government
House, Alice felt lonely and weary
enough. Yet Mrs. Brandleth was
very proud OF her beautiful daughter.
and waited serenely, convinced that
the day would come when a wander
ing duke, or perhaps a str ay prince
sent over to improve his knowledge
of tropics, would fall in love with her,
and insist upon laying his name, rank
and fortune at her feet. Having this
conviction strong upon her, it was pro-
voking when one fine day Alice in
formed her, tremblingly enough, that
she had engaged herself to Hugh
'Irevor,a young surgeon who was vain
ly trying to get a practice in the island
for the population was more in
cllned to trust it's broken bones and
epidemics into the hands OF the older
practitioners.
"1fyou dare to think OF such thing"
she exclaimed, "I'll leave every penny
away from you. and what is more, I
will let you starve rather than give
you shilling" after which comfort
able assurance, having no money and
nc. prospects, the pair prudently
got married on the sly, and trusted to
'luck."
Luck betrayed the trust and never
came near them, or only luck Of the
worst description did; so they realized
all they had, and, after one unavail-
ing appeal to Mrs. Brandleth, deter
mined to leave the west Indies and seek
for better fortune in England
ri should so like. to see my oh
friends again; yes do let us 60, Hugh
dear, besides we can make bette
FIGHT with poverty there than here"
Alice said, thinking wistfully of her
school days, and little bitterly ofthe
manner in which her tropical &C
'quaintnnce had cut her since her mar
riage. So with only 1900 in the world
they set out for England.
lit Is no use trying in London,
Hugh said, eve should only be lost in
the crowd, and allowed Go starve qui-
city. Wen 90 TO- some: small seaside
place, or country village, and set up,
and hope for the best. Unless there is
some one there before us, patients
must come in time''-a reasonable
supposition when one considers that,
in the long run, disease and death are
never inconstant long together any
where. .s.51t - 49,
"Let us 60 by the sea, then," plead
ed Alice; SO they went to the Drayton-
on-Sea, a small seaside place where
fsherfok abounded, and where there
were hills around, with here and there
houses scattered about, all. inhabited
by the probable patients Of Hugh
Trevor's future.
There was no surgeon at Drayton-
'on.Sea before Hugh Trevor went there,
but railroad came soon after they
settled there, and very soon after that
a surgeon-an older man, with long
experience-came and practiced more
tor love than fees, for he was well of,
and 30 the bright future the Trevors
were seeking was still far away.
ooh, Hugh! what shall wedo?"poor
Alice said, looking up with troubled
eyes at her husband. Their second
child was just born, and their last
bank note just changed. v
"Never mind, my darling" he said
braveiy, "better days will como yet"
"Shall / write to ma1nma?" she ask
ed. +. ..& III: #sily 55a8 s s9
mo, he said; but she did, only to
have her letter remain unanswered.