The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-10-20

tartar. Sne was genuine Daier, DOri
and bred in Walthamthwait, and never
leaving it until she married Sir Frederick
Barchester, fast young officer who, having
come north on shooting party, fell in love
! with the beauty of Craven, married her,
and took her to his southern home. The
marriage does not seem to have proved a
happy one, for when, few years later,
Lady Barchester returned to her fathers
house widow, she, who had left it a
bright, winsome girl, had become a fierce,
hard woman, whose hand was against every
man, and, as she believed, every mans hand
against her. She brought with her her
two little girls, whom she loved with such
jealous passion that, if they smiled at any
one but her, even at her own father, she
would frown with anger.
These two girls grew up at the Manor,
entirely cut off from the world, until the
elder was nearly nineteen, when their
fathers relatives interfered, and insisted
upon their being taken into society beftting
their rank. Lady Barchester made gal
lant struggle to keep her children for her
self alone, and, at the end, it was only the
fear that they should be taken from her
Tentirely that induced her to accompany
them to town for the season,
The two northern heiresses created quite
a sensation in London, and little wonder,
for, according to the portraits Mrs. Metcalf
showed me, they must both of them have
been undeniably beautiful. The younger
Of the two was brilliant brunette who, if
one may judge by faces, had inherited her
mothers determination, if not her jealous
temper; the elder was cast in a gentler
mold She was one of those tai, willowy
girls who look as if gust of wind would
blow them away. Her face was wonder
fully lovely, with large, piteoqs blue eyes,
WHICH seemed as # they were appealing
appealing, too, in vain-foF SYMPATHY to
those around, by the strange magnetism
of contrasts It was the gentle Dorothea, not
the more brilliant Kathleen, who was her
mothers favorite child.
When, at the end of the season, the Bar
chesters returned to the Manor, Kathleen
was betrothed to the great catch of the
year, Sir Lionel Foster, the owner of large
estates in Craven, and member of good
old northern family. Lady RaFchester, far
from being elated at her daughters good
fortune, grieved over it as a calamity. She
did not hold with marrying and giving in
marriage, and openly declared that, if Sir
Lionel had not been Dalesmau, he should
never have married her daughter. Dora,
TOO, had found a sAitps, yaung artist
whose father, the leading Queens Counsel
of his day, owed his fortune and fame en-
tirely to his own ability.
Mrs. Metcalf, much as she deplored the
fact of Arthur Dacre's being only "a paint
ing fellow and of no sort Of family" was
forced to confess that he was fine, hand
some young man, who had already made
mark in his profession, and was, as she
styled it, ''very much thought of in Lon
don;" but as she naively remarked, "if the
King upon his throne had asked for Miss
Dora in marriage her mother would have
rejected him with seaFni" 80 there was lit
tie hope for one who combined the obnox-
ious attributes of parvenu, artist, and South
erner Lady BarohesteF seems to have
been determined that no one should come
between this daughter at least and herself
The young artist did not take the contemp-
tuous refusal he received much to heart.
Perhaps the fair Dora had foupd some
meaps' Of letting him knoy that she did
not share her mothers views, for he eoolly
wrote and told Lady Barchester that be
should renew his proposal when her daugh-
ter was of an age legally to decide for her.
self. This meant that the young people
must wait about eighteen months. But
Sir Lionel, who was friend of Mr.. Da-
cre's encouraged the match, and took care
that his sister-in-law should, from time to
time, meet the map she loved.
At length, when Dora was twenty-one,
she summoned courage to tell her mother
that she was resolved to marry Arthur
Dacre. A terrible scene ensued, which the
girls strength, already undermined by the
silent struggle of the two previous years,
was little able to endure; and just as her
mother, in fierce blaze of rage, was call:
ing down the wrath of heaven upon the
basehorn traitor who had stolen from her
her daughters love, Dora fell to the ground
with blood streaming from her mouth
she had broken blood vessel. Lady Bar
chester's remorse was as passionate as had
been her anger, and, ready to make any
sacrifice now that her daughters life was
in question, she hastily summoned Arthur
Dacre. Unfortunately, he was abroad, and
nearly month elapsed before he reached
Walthamthwait, In the meantime Dora
seemed to have recovered her usual health
and her mother had begun keenly to regret
the invitation she had sent.
:. "The day Mr.. Dacre was to arrive was q
terrible day for all of us, Mrs. Metcalf said
with sigh. ''Sir Lionel rode backward
and forward between Stony Place and the
Manor, trying to persuade my lady to be
reasonable, for at the last moment she haC
changed her mind and declared that Mr.
Dacre should not see Miss Dora. She
poor thing, was just a picture of misery the
whole time l felt sure they would xii
her among them. 1t was settled at last
though not without terrible hard battle
that Mr.. pacre should stay with Sir Lione
and from there come over to dine at the
Manor. When Miss Dora knew that sht
was really going to see him she was like ;
different being. She laughed and chattet
and sang as she came and helped me tt
look through her gowns, for she was bent
she said, upon wearing her prettiest thai
night I remember SO well, just as W,
heard the carriage wheels in the distance
she thgeW her arms round my neck anC
kissed me. Annie, she said, look through
all my things. should like to give some
thing to each of you tonight. And please
ran down with that gray travelling shaw
to Mrs. Roberts The one she was wear
ing on Sunday was SO thin there could
be no warmth in it. Give her my love
too"
"Now, at the Manor the dining room
door was never shut, as heavy curtain
hung before the opening. As soon as
knew dessert was on the table | stole dowI
stairs to have peep from behind this curtain
at my young mistress and her betrothed
There was no one but they and my lady a
the table. Miss Dora, who was usually SC
silent and sedate, was beaming with happi
ness and laughing and talking gayly, while