Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-06-08

"Impossibler' cried Mona, rushing to her
side. why she has only just been speak
ing to me. She often faints; send for the
doctorr'
"Ahl no doctor will do her any good.
poor lady; her heart is quite still" laying
her hand on it, land her eyes-just look at
them, miss-Open and CLASSY"
81 cannot believe it! Try and give her
this hastily measuring out the prescribed
quantity of medicine.
Ellen shook her head-and obeyed. 1t
was in vain. Wehner was dispatched for
the doctor. but before he came-Mona's
hopes we're over. Her grandmother. her
one real friend, was dead, She could not
doubt what that gray pallor, the deadly
stiffness, the stiffened form meant-still
she could not realize that she should never
hear her speak, never turn to her for
guidance, never attend to her little wants
again.
The doctor came quickly, and at once de-
clared that life was quite eXtinct-that he
had always anticipated a sudden death for
his patient Her heart was weak, and so
much emotion rs had tried her of late had
rendered all eXartion, all agitation, dan
gerous; and probably the effort to rise and
stand up, was the final feather which broke
the strained cord of life.
1t seemed to poor dazed Mona that Sir
Robert and Lady Mary Everard appeared
as if by magic. What s0lace it was to
throw herself into kind Lady Mary's arms
and tell her brokenly how deeply she
mourned the thoughtful-if tyrannical
protectress, to whom misfortune had linked
her so closely.
well, dear, you may rest assured that
the near prospect of your marriage soOthed
and brightenetLber last hours; an 4. it is a
great comfort 70 know she was in a happy
frame Of mind. Sir Robert has sent round
to Nh Waring. He will BE- here immedi-
atcly, 10 doubt, and will be your best sup.
port
"Oh! no, no! You ar, best. You knew
poor dear grannie so well, and she was sc
fond of you"
''Dtar old Lady. OF course, at such n
painful crisis. oil friends count for a great
deal. think, dear, You must come back
with me to Charles street. | cannot leave
you here alone"
"No, Lady Mary, l Will not leave the
house while poor grannia lies helpless here
| feel bound to keep by her to the last"
Warning as fast as a wcl-paid driver could
urge his horse. Mona was not in the draw
inErDom when lie reached it, and he was
somewhat disc unified when Lady Mary
came and explained that Mona was too
much overcome TO see him-that she was
in her own room.
Bat she will see me presently, will She
not" lie asked, appealingly. II thought
it might be a comfort to her to talk to me. {"
mo doubt il will be. At this moment
she is terribly upset"
1t was not till considerably later-after
Waring and Sir Robert had arranged the
details of the funeral, and all that apper-
tanned to it-that Mona was induced to see
her afIianccd husband.
Mona WAS ready enough to speak of her
sorrow. She was gently grateful for his
sympathy, but she would not sit beside
him, her head on his shoulder, and his
arm round her, nor did she permit course
of consolation compounded of whispers.
kisses and assurances that the whisperpr
would be brother and sister and grand
mother and everything to her. She was
SO daZnd and overwhelmed that Warning
was gravely uneasy about her, and it was
an immense relief to him to know that
Nine. Debrisay (whO had heard of the sad
event in some occult manner) was in the
house, and would spend the night with her
favorite pupil.
Established custom governs all things
tie deepest gricf-the widest joy The
drcary days-which fingered yet went 50
swiltly-spcd on, and poor Mrs. Newburgh
was laid in her grave, Her will, leaving
all she possessed to Mona, was duly read
her few Jewels and personalities packed
up. The former went with Mona to Uar-
roWby Chase
Mona took cold on her journey, and for
IA fortnight was very unwell-so fevcrish,
in fact, rs to wander in her speech, and to
cause her kind hosts Il good deal of anxiety
She was utterly lonely. She had no near
relative. The Eyerards We're more closely
allied by friendship than by blood to Mrs.
NeWburgh. She had heard of many other
cousins in her grandmother's life time, but
she felt they did not count
Pondcring these things, she grew af-
frighted at the stern aspect of the world
she was going to face, for, as she collected
her faculties and studied her circum-
stances, she grew more and more averse to
fulfill her engagement with Leslie War
ing. The great motive was gone, and an
irresistible longing for freedom, however
poverty stricken, seized her The idea of
so close a union with Il mere good-natured
sportsman, who in no way touched her
imagination, whose offensive affection
wcaried her, whose personal appearance
WAS unpleasant to her eyes, became in
tiaitely repuguant as she dwelt upon it,
1t was hardly fair to him either to let him
plunge into the irreYocabe in ignorance of
her aversion. Better let him bear tenn
porary pang now than incur the misery
long drawn out of an ill-assOrted, unSym-
pathetic marriage.
Her resolution to break with him grew
rapidly stronger almost before she was
aware she had formed it. Then she began
to see that she was enjoying Lady Marv's
kind hospitality under false pretenses.
She did not for moment doubt that her
refusal to marry Warning would bring
down, if not a storm of wrath-for Lady
Mary aud her family were far too we'll.
bred to he violently angry-but IN iceberg
of Misrepresentation. She must remove her
self from the shelter OF their roof before
she struck the blow that would give poor
Warning 50 much temporary pain. (She
felt sure it would be but temporary And
where could she go> There was no one
but her faithful Nine. DebriSay on whom
she could count and even she would be
very. very angry. Still her purpose grew
clearer and iirm2r rs her nervous system
began to recover the shock it had sustained.
Meantime, Mona had not been idle. she
wrote To her dear Deb" begging leave to
visit her. ~ She tclt herself an impeachment
to the party Indy Mary wished to assem-
bic, ANA also because she had more 70 say
than she could write
This brought Il speedy. raoturUuS reply.
Then Mona applied herself 10 compose,
rc-wrtte. and copy her difficult letter to
Leslie Warning.
1t was even a worse task than she an
.icipated. All her selfish longing FOR de-
iverauce was for the moment swallowed
up in sorrow for the pain she was about to
ntlict. Nothing kept her steady to her
purpose so much as her conviction that she
was doing right-that she was delivering
leslie rs well as herself. She was more
han one day over her task: for EVELYN
tverard, an exceedingly girlish girl, who
lad taken 4 violent fancy to her, was con-
''HutAA IuIiutHS lnlO Her room WITH Ner
work, or book, or for the avowed intention
# 'enlivening" her.
1t was accomplished at last. however;
'ut Mona waited TO post it till she was
safe in town, even though she left two of
Warnings epistlcs unanswered Indeed,
Ter replies had always been few and scanty,
% much so, that even he had become rest
eSS and dissatisfied. He hoped. however,
4.