The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-02-09
HOW A BRIDE WAS SNATCHED
FROM GRAVE


to often 60 into the portrait gallery
where the pictures of her ancestors
hung, and pause before one of hand
some young man IN cavalier dress. The
painting possessed strange fascination
for her, and as she grew toward woman.
hood she said to herself:
The man | marry must look like Lion.
ell Erie.
If she could have had her own way
this might have happened, but her faith
er, Sir Lionel, had made different plans
for heI, and in spite of all opposition in.
sisted that she should wed Lord Rock
borough, rich young nobleman
In vain did Nellie protest that she
did not love him. Her father wanted to
see her settled in life before he died and
insisted that the marriage should take
place. As the time approached for her
nuptials Nellie was miserable and took
to wandering in the park. 1t was dur
ing one of these rambles that she sud
denly came upon young man leaning
against tree. AS he turned she saw he
was exactly like the picture she had 50
much admired,
l am afraid am trespassing, lie said.
My name is Lionel Erie. II you are Miss
Erie we are cousins.
| did not know had any cousins,
Nellie faltered.
Because your father and mine are at
odds, he replied. You see we are poor,
with shake of the head. am only a
bank clerk off for holiday, ,;and had
the curiosity to take peep here.
Then l shall not see you again. said
the girl sadly, loath to lose sight of her
ideal hero, He held out his hand. Good
by, and was gone.
The wedding festivities were such as
befitted Sir Lionel Erles only child and
the lord of Rookborough. The social life
-of such a marriage, where the bride felt
no love and the bridegroom more sin
cere regard for his wife's possessions
than for herself, went to swell the
measure of other social lies and no one
was Mortified by it save our poor little
heroine, and she wished she had never
been born.
So the happy pair went off amid the
usual shower of rice and slippers to
spend their dismal honey moon and
learn day by day the bitterness of being
tied to one another
Years went slowly by to Nellie, Lady
Rookborough There were no children
to cheer her dreary home and her hus-
band was with her but seldom. He had
become devoted to horse racing and
such like sports, and passed his time
among those whose tastes suited his
own rather than with the gentle refined
woman, the very look of whose pure
eyes was reprUach to him.
1t was the tenth anniversary of their
marriage when news reached her that
her husband was dead. He had been
killed by the accidental discharge of a
gun at birmingham.
How could she pretend grief at such
an announcement? Her one feeling was
that she had at last regained her free
dom, and right glad was she to deliver
up the burden of Rookborough Hall to
the next heir and go and live with her
widowed mother in the old home of her
ancestors.
I Settled down there again as in her
girlhood, free to roam as she would
through the familiar rooms and long
picture gallery, Nellie almost forgot the
sad years of her marriage and the
thoughts and dreams of her youth came
back to her. She felt again the happy
romantic girl of 16 as she gazed up at
the pictured face that from her child.
hood she had loved and worshipped.
One day, as she was medtating on
that human likeness of this portrait and
her once strange meeting with him, a
thought suddenly flashed into her mind
and she hurried off to Lady Erle's room.
Mother, my cousin Is sir Lionel Erie
now Why does he not live here? 1t
should be his now.
Your poor father settled it upon you,
Nellie, answered her mother, 1t was
not entailed fortunately.
Nellie openel her eyes wonderingly,
Her nature was romantic rather than
praciical she understood little about
the laws of property, and since her
fathers death two years ago. had never
once given n thought about what the
heir ought to inherit, Her cousin was
always more of a beautiful dream to
her than a reality, the human form OF
her pictured hero rather than her faith
er's successor to the title. But now that
the fact of his having inherited the title
became clear to her, that the ancient
estate should go with it she felt to be
only right and just.
1t is not right that | should have all
and he nothing but the bare title. she
said to her mother, He is Sir Lionel
Erie, remember, and should have the in.
heritance Of his ancestors.
You are as fanciful and romantic as
when you were a girl, Nellie. 1t is for
tunate that your father has caused the
whole property to be strictly entailed
on you and your heir alone, The will
was made at the time Of your marriage.
Then since l have no children my
cousin is my next heir. You aud l will
go and live in the dover house; mother,
and shall have Erie Court given over
tolhim al once,
1'he spoke with so much determina-
tion that Lady Erie had no argument to
bring forward. Nellie wrote to her cous-
in by that nights post. The answer that
came back was in this wise.
Do not think that do not appreciate
your wonderful goodness, but cannot
ACCEPT your offer. AS told you the