Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-20

me, with unusual sharpness, not to
tease my uncle any more.
'She does not tease me, Gertrude;
derstand her responsibilities, said
Uncle Archie simply. ''As told poor
Walter, | wish he had left n son TO
succeed us both; but. as it is, | sup
pose some day little Irene will be the
lady OF the Hall.
NY mother wiped away the tears
that had risen in her eyes Mt the mon
ton of her dead husbands name, and
essayed polite and plaintive protest
against this speech.
"You may marry one day yourself,
dear Archibald, and leave sons of
your own TO succeed YOU" she said.
But Uncle Archie waved the protest
sternly aside; and, for the first and
last time in my remembrance, an
swered my pretty, gentle. and con-
ciliatorv mother with harsh abrupt
ness.
II shall never marry, Gertrude! DO
not make such "A suggestion again."
he exclaimed angrily; whereupon
mother apologixed with tears in her
eyes, and promised never to repeat the
offence.
From that time forward it came TO
be understood, not only between
mother and me, but among all our
Ludleigh friends, that | was my
uncle's recognized heiress-a much
more important individual than the
Reverend Walter Gerrard's orphan
daughter would otherwise have been.
Our establishment was conducted on n
modest scale; but no expense was
spared on my education, or indeed on
any of my needs; and, as the years
rolled on and reached the threshold
of young wemanhood, | began to be
aware OF my own consequence in the
place.
About the same time too l began to
wonder about uncle Archie, thinking
that, with all the advantages fate had
started him with, his had been rather
II wasted and melancholy life. We
did not see much of him at Ludleigh.
The Hall was shut up for at least two
thirds OF the year, while he wandered
over the continent in restless, aim
less way that could have brought him
but little enjoyment. Perhaps the
very fact of my only catching stray
glimpses of the man to whom | owed
everything gave him more interest in
my eyes, made me speculate and theo-
rize about him az | should hardly have
been inclined TO do about common
place uncle seen every day. | never
passed through the great Hall or wan
dered through the deserted park with
out thinking wistfully of the absent
owner, who took so little pride in his
present possession and would leave no
son to succeed him when he died.
impaired my thoughts on the sub
ject TO mother one day; but she did
not sympathise with me at alan
swered indeed quite GROSSLY and i'm
patiently.
You are talking sentimental non
sense, Irene. II your dear uncle is
satisfied with things as they arc-and
we may assume he is, seeing how soon
he could alter them If he chosc-if he
is satisfied am sure we may be.
Yes; we may be, | answered
rather angrily. Poor mothers world
illness was of the most innocent and
childlike description; but somehow it
Jared upon me just then. Surely he
would nave been Il happier man if he
had married some years ago?n
Il cannot say. my dear-I was too
happy wife while your dear father
lived TO have one word to say against
married life; but old maids and old
bachelors have their own consultations,
and don't fancy they feel their lone
illness so much as We think. Besides,
everyone knows why your uncle did
OF marry
"lndeed-I do not for one!" l cried,
flushing with excitement. please
tell me, mother. | knew there was
some romantic reason.
1T is not very romantic, child. and
| am sure you must have heard the
story-or / thought you had, at any
rate, but you were such a child when
your father died.
But | am not child now. Do tell
me, mother, please.
w ctls NHcli llc WIS uulGt al young
man, Archibald Gerard was engaged
10 very beautiful and fascinating
girl-the orphan daughter OF a Col
onel Maxwell, an old friend of his
fathers. Your father was quite lad
ut the time; but he has often told me
that he never saw man so frantical-
ly in love as Archie was. None Of his
people approved of the match; for the
Maxwells were as poor as church
mice, and Violet had little besides her
beauty TO recommend her; but that
seems TO have been something super
lative, and of course Archie had only
himself 10 please.
"Did papa like Miss MAXWELL" |
asked, as mother paused with a reflec
tive air, as though she were gather
ing the loose threads of her narrative
together.
She shook her head.
Not much, though he admired her
beauty as everyone did; but, if he had
no great love for her, he absolutely
hated her mother, cunning old
frenchwoman, whom he suspected
from the first OF making up and fore