Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-09-13
dent can nave happened2n

La, mum. no, replied Sdrdn. II
wants quarter of an hour of the time
for the young ladies to come yet"
Dear me. does it?' Mrs. Dalton ques-
toned. "You are sure Martha went in
good time to meet them at the station?"
answered Sarah.
Very well. Keep the kettle boiling;
/ dare say they will like coffee when
they come in"
Another short time of waiting. and
then the vociferous delight of Pinch,
the house-dog, announced the arrival
of the travellers at the door. With great
demonstrations of joy Mrs. Dalton ran
out to receive her daughters, She
scarcely allowed the girls time to put
off their travelling wraps before she as
sailed them with innumerable ques-
tons. How had they enjoyed them
selves? Whom had they seen? What
had they done? What was Sir Steph-
ems new place like? What sort of
neighbors had he? Had they met Lord
Alphington? And SO on.
lis this all you have to tell me?" she
inquired in a significant tone of Lena,
when the girls had done their best to
answer her interrogatOries.
Yes, mamma, ALL" Lena replied
in low chair with her back to the
window.
Mrs. Dalton looked disappointed.
Il think Lady Langley might have
thought of asking some one whom it
would have been worth your while to
meet" she said in an injured tone.
''Oh, mamma, Lady Langley was
kindness itseIfl' Bertha exclaimed.
1T was all very well for you, Bertha"
said Lena. Sir Stephen and Lady
Langley always made pet of you-and
now Lord Alphington seems inclined
to do the same"
Lord Alphingtonl You made his
acquaintance then?n Intercepted Mrs.
Dalton.
Bertha did," Lena replied. HE had
neither eyes nor ears for me-"
whatever notice he took of me was
owing to the ring" Bertha explained.
HE only gave me this because he sup
posed he was going to take the other
from me-" AS she spoke, she held up
her finger to show her mother the pearl
ring.
lit is pretty enough" said Mrs. Dali
ton, but he might have given you
something of more value, I Think
''Oh, mamma, | shouldn't at all have
liked it, if he had offered me something
of equivalent value; l thought it
showed so much delicacy on his part to
give me this merely as TOKEN" OBJ
served Bertha.
You see Bertha will never make her
fortune" said Lena, laughing little
ScOrnfully. There is one piece of
news l must tell you, mamma" she
continued, as Mrs. Dalton poured out
the coffee that had just been brought
IN; ION the very day that we lunched at
Alphington Park, Lord Alphington re-
celyed letter from his solicitor to say
that the young man who claimed to be
his grandSOn-Mr. Fancourt's son, you
knOw-had brought forward his proofs,
and that they were all in order. He is
the undOubted heir. Sir Stephen and
Lady Langley have invited US all to
visit them III the autumn, so we shall be
sure to meet this Mr.. Fancourt."
Mrs. Dalton nodded her head with a
smile of satisfaction, though her coun-
tenance clOuded over as she said:
Il only hope he may have no entan-
clements; there's no saying whether he
may not be already a married man.
Il don't think it at all likely, Lena
returned. 'IIe has been travelling about
for some years, and there was no men
ton made of a wife"
Il am sure | hope he is not married."
said Mrs. Dalton-''it would be too
provoking to lose such a chance. He's
scarcely likely to go into society much
this season, | should imagine-there
must be a great deal to settle, law bust
ness and other things"
Bertha took no part in this converse
tioni she was amusing herself by max
ing Pinch beg lOr biscuit. She made
no mention of sir Stephen Langley's
proposal to adopt her-she had not
spoken of it to Lena. Deeply grateful
as she felt for the affection that prompt
ed the wish. she knew that she would
not be justified in acceding to it, 50 she
had put it away from her once for all.
She also knew that the bare mention of
such proposition would bring down
upon her head storm of anger If Sir
Stephen chose to reopen the subject in
the autumn, he could do so; in the
meantime she would keep silence.
In the course of the evening Bertha
heard the full particulars of the loss of
the ring, and told her mother that Lord
AlphingtOn had determined to set the
police to work to find it.
Then they'll have to take the house
down" said Mrs. Dalton; "fOr it's my
belief that it has rolled away into some
crevice. Only don't let anybody blame
me. If you had put it in a ring-case
that fitted it better, it couldn't have
iallen out, you know, Bertha"
Bertha made no reply. 1t was not
worth while. She was herself afraid
the ring was long past recovery.
The cOltee-tray was removed, the
lamp brought in, and the girls settled
tbpIp CnlvnS tn tbnir homo arnnlpyrnantS
finding no lack of conversation for the
remainder of the evening.
Saturday was still a holiday for Ber-
tina. Her lessons were not to begin till
Monday. The early dinner finished, she
Joined her mother and sister i'll the
drawing This was not only the
largest, but the pleaSanteSt room in the
house, the hay-WindOw commanding the
garden and the path up TO the house
from the gate. Here the inmates of
Ivy Cottage always sat as soon as the
weather in the daytime was warm
enough to do away with the necessity
of having a fire.
Lena generally chose the low chair
with its back to the windOw-She was
afraid of too much light causing
freckles. Bertha, with a book, sat at
the side facing the path; Mrs. Dalton
was near her work table, as usual.
\ sharp ring at the visitors bell was
heard. Lena turned round in some Gu
riosity to see who might be coming.
An exclamation of surprise escaped her
as young man made his appearance,
walking slowly up the path, while
Sarah hurried on in advance, a card in
her hand. Lena touched her sisters
arm.
"Rertha do IOOkl" she said.
Bertha bent cautiously forward, fear
full of being seen, and then her eyes
met Leua's. They had both recognized
their visitor. At the same time Sarah
came in, and, crossing the room to
where Lena was sitting, gave her the
card.
"A gentleman to see you, MISS" she
said.
Lena took the card; on it were a crest
she had lately become familiar with and
the name MIR. Fancourt.'
"What an extraordinary thing,n she
exclaimed, passing the card to her
mother. ITO See me, did you say,
Sarah?"
Yes, miss; he asked for Miss Dali
ton, and said it was little matter of
business he wished to see you upon"
Il know!" cried Bertha. Its about
the ring-I'm sure of it,
You had better show him in Sarah"
Discomposed by the mention of the
ring. and yet gratitied by call from
Mr.. Fancourt, in whom she saw the
prospective Earl of AlphingtOn, she
rose as Sedley, who had already as
sumed the name of Fancourt. entered,
and returned his salutation with a