The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-26
CHAPTER ".
DIANA.

1t had been cold, wintry weather when
George Eastwood first met jess Armstrong,
and for some weeks-indeed, for at least
three months-he felt no inclination to
leave his snug bachelor quarters under the
superintendency of Mrs. Fogg In town for
the wet roads and miry pastures of his ma
tive village in Hertfordshire. He had re-
| lations, however, in this village Of Wych-
ford whom he could not conveniently ig-
more, as upon one of them he was almost
entirely dependent for living, and when
letters from these relations became at last
| unusually pressing, he resolved, with a
groau, to make visit to the family man
| sion and concilate, as far as Cancellation
was necessary, his uncle and guardian, Col.
Eastwood.
1t was hot afternoon in May. When he
came out of the heat and dust of the long
level high road, and into the pleasant av-
enue, which led to the lawn that stretched
before his uncle's house. he drew a sharp
breath of annoyance instead OF experience
ing relief; for it seemed to him that in the
group which gathered round his uncle's
armchair on the lawn he beheld the
problem, the difficulty, the enigma of his
life.
And yet the scene on which his eyes
rested was very pretty one. His uncle's
house, WEXFORD Manor, was old and
picturesque Quaint tourelles and gables
gave it more the air of a French chateau or
an ancient Scotch mansion than Of an En-
glish country house, and the creepers which
! festooned it looked as IL they had taken
many long years in which to grow to their
| present hight and luxuriance. Beneath the
windows velvety lawn sloped down from
q terraced walk toward the flower garden !;
and stately cedar tree afforded shade to
the little group Of persons who were drink
ing tea and eating cake at rustic tea table
on one side of the well-kept lawn. Col.
Eastwood, the owner of the place and
Georges uncle and guardian, gave an air of
distinction to the group. He was a fine
looking old man, with pale patrician feat
| ures, snowy hair and mustache, dark, pene-
trating eyes, and peculiarly lony and finely
shaped hands. He was a well-known and
distinguished man, butfor some years he had
been laid aside from active work. He suf-
fered from chronic lameness, brought on by
govt, but his mind was as unclouded, his
will as unbending, his pride as inviolate as
ever Beside him sat his widowed cousin
and housekeeper, Mrs. Helmont, a small,
brisk, black-eyed woman of So, who liked
to lay down the law, but was always care
full to preserve subdued and reveren5ial air
in Col. Eastwood's presence. Her daughter
Diana pursued very opposite line Of be-
havior. She was frankly independent in
her opinions, although obedient enough in
practice. She never scrupled to give her
''uncIe,n as she called him, the benefit of her
shrewd, practical estimate Of men and
things, even when it clashed--as it very
often did--with his own. Strange to say,
Col. Eastwood, although generally the
most arbitrary of men, appeared TO like this
treatment. Diana's beauty was perhaps a
determining factor with him. She was
taller than the generality Of women, but 50
exceedingly graceful that her hight usually
passed without remark; her hair was as
| black as the proverbial ravens wing, but
without the glossiness Of that sable plum
age: the slight wave in It's dusky masses
caught no reflection from the summer sum
light; it was dark as night itself. and was
coiled and plated into coronet round her
| head. Her eyes were also dark, but they
could fash and CLEAN, and they lighted up