Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-22
WAVERLAND
BY SARAH MARIE BRIGHAM.

her. It is hard to part with ones own
| flesh and bloodr'
well, WELL" I said, looking at 11y
watch, Il really must go! But / viii
think of your theory, and try putting it il
practice on my own estate"
| CHAPTER vII.-TROM SUNSHINE TO SHADOW.
When riding home from Sir Wren,s, l
| thought / had seen a new way of solving
| the VeXing problem. | urged my morse,
! anxious to tell Stella and hear her opinion.
l had learned to place great confidence IL
| her judgment. It was late when reached
| Waverland. Giving my horse to 2. seIv-
! ant, l entered the house. | went TO the
| draWing-rOOm expecting to find the family
there but did noU. Then | went TO the
| dniDg-r0om, but that was empty. The
| table was spread for dinner, noticed as /
! passed through.
| sought my mothers room, going up the
| long fight Of stairs two steps at time in
! my hurry to tell the news. But there was
no one there either. Next | visited the
school room. There in large chair sat
| my mother with Myrtle's head resting on
| her knee, fast asleep.
"Why, mother, what has happened?' |
asked, for saw she had been weeping.
"Stella is gone" she answered in a
| trembling voice.
'Stella gonel what! where has she
| gomez" | asked in astonishment.
| : 10 not know where she has gone, she
| left this morning"
| But do you know why she left?" I
asked, looking at my mother with ques
| tioning glance, full of fear.
| "Hes, my son, do know why she left.
| We'll, tell me all, quick, mother!'' !
said, looking at her as though l would tear
! the meaning from her. ere her lips could
utter the words
| AFTER you left this morning, | went to
her and said, 4 fear you are making sOr-
row for yourself, Stella, by encouraging
my son to spend SO much Of his time with
| you"
! My mother paused as though choosing
| her words.
$50 on, quick mother, what else?'' |
asked nervously.
81 told her that no heir of Waverland
would ever think of marrying beneath his
own rank or station in life. And that it
| he'd long been settled that Annie Wren
was to be your wife"
How could yen, mother?' L gaeped. 81
| have never thought Of such thing! You
| 40 IitJi htlo'S Ii-C, IlGIuet-
Il did it for her good, 7 loved her very
| dearly and could not bear to think of hey
as suffering. l have watched her closely
and / know she valued your society more
| than anything else"
! "What next, m0ther?" I asked, as she
| paused a moment
"When I told her of Annie, her check
| flushed painfully, and Eer lip Quiyered.
| Ai,gr a moments silence She said, You
NJ light, L@!y Wayerland. ! VIII lc2rp
| har, al once She left the room and
t..u1t IN hour after she came 20 me ana
! tH>5il"1 me for my EindEcs5 and said she
! would never forget the Happy hours she
| had pissed here. Then size took Myrtle j.!
| her ar,a9 aud wept like a child. | urged
| hyr to stay here until she could find an
! other place, Or else to let me know where
! she Was going. But she remained firm
! ald said she would find q nome some
where"
While my mother had been speaking.
tears were sire aiming down her cheeks.
| cuuld not blame her. But could ! let t..
| darling 60 thus? I alone knew how d 81
| she was to me. When my mother had III,
! iSaeG. / said:
| "Io1 do not know me, mother. Stella
20, do not say that, my son!' said my
mother, in a pleading tone.
Il mean what l say, my dear mother,
and | blame myself for not having spoken
before / said and left the room. What
had changed the world so in one short
| hnCr? Til" rooms had lost their sunshine.
Tie very birds seemed sad and still.
called for my horse and rode to the rail
way station, not far away, hoping to hear
su.ae news of Stella The agent said she
hal been there, but he could not tell to
Wucre she had bought her ticket
| returned and sought Stellas room
PERHAPS | might find something to tell me
Where she had gone. l was disappointed
Still! there was some comfort in seeing the
things that she had arranged and used.
They yeere a part of her. Motonless, yet
with voice most eloquent, they spoke Of
my lost love. Turning from this little
sanctuary where she had lived and per-
haps, sometimes thought of me, went to
my own room. How my heart hungered
for one answering look or word to tell me
that was remembered! Sitting in silence,
memory lived over the past few months
Her words and acts l treasured up from
out the past, as weary miners gather up
the tinicSt particles of dust that gliStenS
with the precious ore. Again and again |
held her hand, and felt the sweet careSsing
touch of her soft fingers, or stood watch
! ing her expressive face when under the in
fiuence of music or some enchanting
SceaG. How it would beam with happi-
hess. Then my mind would follow out
| the veNing thought: why did she leave
| Wayerland? Where was she now? Per
| harS among strangers and without money
| did not know she had shilling. | re-
meinbered that she had paid the house
keeper from her own purse. Had she been
repaid? had no means of knowing She
kept her own accounts
In the morning, going to Stella's room, l
! found her account book and read this en-
| try among many Others: Paid house
! keeper fifty pounds from my private
! purse" But looking through the whole
| housekeeping list there was no mention of
| payment to herself.
Mother, do you know how much money
Stella had when she left?" l asked, while
we were sitting at the breakfast table
No. she never said anything about her
| self or her money. | remember when she
paid the housekeeper told her it was not
| wise to pay Lord Wayerland's debts. She
| only laughed and said she could soon save
! it from the housekeeping fund. 1 never
mentioned it again, neither did She"
"Wiu Stella come back again?" asked
Myrtle
Il cannot tell, my child,'' said mother
| After breakfast I rode to the village, fin
| ished my business. then turned hOmeWard
! or anywhere. Life had lost its purpose.
| As l was passing the little school house
thought Stella might have stopped there.
| I halted at the door and knocked with the