Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-30

has married person VINO ls-weI-not
quite ladys'
Il do not 60 80 far as that, Col Stukely;
my brother has married woman of very
charming manners, whose antecedents
are profound mystery to me and all our
little world in Wiltshire
@Do you mean that Lady Darnel is not
received?' he gasped, after pause.
@She is received, but she is not liked"
answered Dora, leaning her pretty chin on
her tapering hand, and looking the image
of disinterested 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 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 OF
her marriage told the county; that is all |,
Allan's sister, have ever been told about
his wife Can you wonder that the county
people do not take to herr"
Il can wonder at their stupidity, il Lady
Darnel is half as charming as | imagine
her to be-" protested the colonel, warmly.
"She is very charming. Perhaps if she
was less attractive people would be less
curious, less inclined to suspect evil. So
handsome woman ought to be 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 pas
sions" exclaimed Dora, innocently. You
have asked me questions as an old friend
of my brothers, and l have answered
them frankly. Another time shall know
how to be diplomatic"
There is one fact l 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 conclusions" said Dora. "If this is
the way you Indian officers treat your
sepoys no wonder they sometimes mutiny.
Pray, have | said that l don't like Lady
Darnel,n
"Well, perhaps not in so many words.
Suppose we change the subject, and you
tell me about my little Oracle, my god
daughter and plaything? l hope l am to
see her this evening""
81 expect her every minute. There is
tennis tournament at the vicarage, and
she is one of their best players-could not
possibly be dispensed with-or she would
have 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, l
hope. My dear little Robin Goodfellow in
pettcoats-the widest, merriest lass, and
the Quickest little horsewoman in Wilt
shire! Don't tell me that you have made
a regulation young lady of her"
ave have done our best to make her a
lady, colonel, however you may disapprove
of the transformation. She ran wild at
Darnel for year after Allan's marriage.
Lady Darnel was ridiculously indulgent,
quite the cleverest policy in step-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?"
at was my duty, as Grace's nearest
female relative. At my suggestion my
brother took her to" Madame Sartoris fin
ishing school at Passy. 1t is hardly to be
called school. Madame Sartori is most
accomplished person, who takes few
pupils-a chosen few. Only girls of good
family are received, and they are trained
under madame's own eye. Twas educated
by her myself, and l can vouch for her care
and vigilance"
Poor Gracie I can fancy her under
Madame Sartoris vigilant eye. A wild
case. l can imagine Madame Sartori-
elderly, snuffy, suspicious. Poor Graciel
And how long was she subjected to the
Sartorian process?"
"She spent two years in Paris, with occa-
sional 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"
81 can not imagine Grace pretending any,
thing, unless Madame Sartoris process
has made her a new creature"
madame Sartori has transformed hoy
den into young lady"
ooh. what pity" sighed the colonel.
England swarms with young ladies': but
your true hoyden is rare growth. Il plant
that can only flourish in the genial soil of
a happy home, a gracious flower that
withers under the breath of the school
mistress. am heartily sorry you ever
sent my Oracle to school. | hate girls
schools"
Just then light, swift figure fitted
across the lawn, and bounded in at the
window, a figure all III white soft white
wooden stuff, bordered with pale blue, the
most charming thing in tennis frocks.
This was Grace Darnel a tall slip of girl.
with sunny, hazel and ripping auburn
hair, lovely mouth, and perfect teeth;
other features inoffensive; a true English
type.
"Gracie," said the colonel, after he had
taken both her hands, and shaken them
heartily for minute or so, contemplating
the fair young face with fatherly affection,
@Gracie, they tell me you have grown into
young lady, and that my little Robin
Goodfellow is gone"
"Then they have not told you the truth,
godfather. | shall always be Robin Good
fellow for you," answered the girl, smiling
at him.
And then after a little pause she said:
al am so glad you are come home, more
glad than | can tell you"
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 mutiny 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 worlds" re-