Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-06
Rosalie's favorite perfume.

IL uoOA Inc, suppose. 1ueIt, run
away. Fleetwood, want you to go into
the town for me and get me some books,
made out the list last night
Fleetwood, at my summons, came to
my side, and put my hand in the breast
pocket Of my coat for the list / had writ
ten. / drew it out, with something soft
q lady's handkerchief, from which f1oated
the faint perfume of wood-violet. AS I
held the handkerchief, in some astonish-
ment, in my hand, wondering how it could
have got into my pocket, my eyes lighted
upon name embroidered in a corner of
the delicate trifie-the name of Rosalie.
Involuntarily the handkerchief fell from
my hand, and futtered to the ground,
and before had time to stoop and pick
it up. Mdlle RosaGe darted forward, and,
Selling it, thrust it hastily into her pocket.
THANK you," she said, softly thank
you so muchp'
She tripped away, and Fleetwood, tax
ing the list which I mechanically held
out to him, walked thoughtfully from the
garden, his head bent upon his breast.
1t was this incident of Mdlle. Rosalie's
handkerchief which caused me so much
discontinue. 1 had no remembrance
whatever of placing it there.
CHAPTER ".
Living in some stylC as may be gathered
from what I have already narrated, it may
be supposed that was rich. l was not.
paid no rent for the house in which we
resided, neither was it mine: and the
money which supported it came not from
my own resources. will briefly describe
the peculiar nature of my private affairs.
20, Of 70
opulent man, lost his fortune when I was
very young, partly through the treachery
of friend, partly through unwise specu-
lation, and from the day of his ruin was
dependent upon his wife's brother, a gen
tleman of great wealth.
Mr.. Wilmot was at once generous and
eccentric. He never had any great idea of
my fathers business capacities; and it is
doing him no injustice to say that he was
self-willed and obstinate, and that he en-
tertained the idea that he should be not
only a law unto himself, but to other peo-
| pie as well. 1t was through his assistance
that my father eXtricated himself honora-
bly, from his business difficulties, and when
they were settled my uncle refused to re-
establish him.
You shall live life of ease and happi-
| more risks"
To this end he promised my father an
income sufficiently large to maintain the
social standing to which he had been &C
customed. The promise was faithfully
| kept. At the end of every six months a
sum was placed in the bank to my fathers
credit, in fulfillment of the arrangement;
and Mr. Wilmot, who was and who re-
4 ah4l0 % 16nrc Il
that at his death we should inherit the
whole of his wealth. Neither of my par
ents lived long to enjoy the life of luxuri-
ous ease for which Mr.. Wilmot's generosi-
| ty provided, and 1, their only child, re-
manned the sole recipient of his kindness.
| He paid literally for my support and edu-
cation; and it was with his concurrence
that became engaged to the lady mar
ried. On that occasion he purchased the
little estate in Sevenoaks, to which took
my wife. and devised it to me in his will,
which made me also his sole heir. There
fore. as will be seen, Twas entirely depend
ent upon him during his lifetime.
| There are men who would have found
the position irksome; probably my father
did, l must confess that 1 did not. No
fears disturbed me that, by some freak on
the part of my uncle, or by displeasing
him, might find myself suddenly beg
gared-for to this condition it was in Mr..
Wilmot's power to reduce me by stroke
of his pen.
| At the time of my daughters engage
| ment Mr. Wilmot was absent from Eng
land, and I had no means of placing my
self in communication with him. His
| habits of life we're a sufficient indication
of the eccentricity of his character. He
lived life of absolute seclusion, so far as
we were concerned, who would have glad
| ly welcomed him in our home, and rejoiced
| to receive long and frequent visits from
him. We owed all we possessed to him:
and the unselfishness of his generosity in
sured for him the highest need of respect
and esteem. But we saw him very sell
| dom; and. indeed, for the last three years,
| had seen him not at all. He was passion
| ately fond of travel, and was in the habit
of making long disappearance. During
these periods it was his whim to be trou-
bled by no correspondence whatever, eth
| er from his friends or business agents.
! He wrote to them from time to time, but
| never gave an address, nor would be con.
sent to receive replies from them except
upon matters he deemed of the highest
private Importance. All letters for him
were addressed, by request, to a firm of
lawyers in London who conducted his af-
fairs, and there they accumulated until
| his return home.
On the day that Mr.. Clanronald asked
OF me the hand of Eunice for his son, ]
wrote to these lawyers, saying that l had
| something of interest to communicate to
Mr.. Wilmot, and that should feel obliged
to them if they would give me his address.
| Their reply was to the effect that they had
received strict instructions from their
client to give his address abroad to no
| person whatever, and that they could
make no exception in my favor. | wrote
again, asking, if I sent letter to Mr..
| Wilmot under cover to them, whether
| they would forward 1t to him. They re-
piled that here again the instructions I'M
der which they acted were SO strict and
| peremptory that they could not depart
from them. All letters which they re-
| ceived for Mr.. Wilmot were dropped in
sealed boxes, of which he had the keys.
Once more [ wrote, inquiring whether
they were expecting Mr.. Wilmot's return
home, and within what time. In reply
they stated that they did not know when
| he would return. Nothing was left for
me to do but to write to Mr.. Wilmot, ac-
| quainting him with the fact of my daugh-
ter's engagement, and giving him every
| information in my power of the standing
and character of the family into which
| she was about to marry. In TINS letter L
made delicate reference to the subject OF
| settlements: and said thatin my interview
with Mr.. Clanronald I had been COM
| PEELED to ask for postponement of this
| branch of the matter until my uncle re-