Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-02
ALICE INGOLDsBYs's LUCK.

There was building boom in Phila-
deIphia in 1886, which vent to utter col
lapse and ruin the next year. Among
the relics of this speculation was a row of
three STORY houses standing on the west
side of Eleventh street near Chestnut
street For the time they were quite pre-
tentious building, but speedily went to
wreck, md from the garnet to the cellar
were packed with the poorest of the city
population. In 1916 one of the rooms was
occupied by an newly arrived Irish immi-
grant named lngOldsby, and he had With
him wife and three young daughters.
They were utter y penniless, and but for
the neighbors would have starved. The
father was feeble in character, and finally
got some laboring work, which just kept
them alive, but the wife was active and
energetic, much more refined and intelli-
gent than her partner, and they were be-
friended and helped along by Mrs. Read
ing, the wealthy widow of a wholesale
grocer.
The girls grew rapidly, and their I'M
usual beauty and form began to attract at
tention The two younger sisters were
alike-deep blue eyes, dark hair and rosy
compilations. But the eldest, Alice, was a
Spanish beauty of the most pronounced
type evidently inheriting her mothers
characteristics Mrs Reading had but
one child, an invalid daughter, and she had
been almost mother to Alice Ingoldsby,
watching over her as she grew into glor-
ious womannood with a wise solicitude,
and the girl came to love and obey her
foster mother implicitly Mary Reading
was confined to her room, and she came to
love Alice as a sister, and nothing gave her
more pleasure than to look at the dusky
splendor of her eyes and watch the stately
beauty of her form as she proved about the
chamber.
1t was a wish very near Mrs. Readings
heart to see her protegy marry well, and
moved by death Alice would have to seek
new relations, her beauty might be her
peril and her life made unhappy. So
when Alice was 10 a gentleman named
Donal, an intimate friend of Mrs. Read
ing, made her an offer of marriage. He
was about 30, rich and by no means bad
looking. He had for n year been atten-
tive to the girl, but it was evident that
she had not the slightest idea of his in
tentions and heard his declaration with
look of startled amazpment that argued Ill
for the suit.
"Do you mean that shall marry you,
Mr.. Donal? 1t can't be possible. | re-
s?ect and like you very much, but | can't
love you, and j am sure that | will never
give my hand unless nv heart goes with
it" The lover heard his sentence with
feeling Of despair, for he was really IN
love and he begged Mrs. Reading to in
tercede for him. but Alice was firm and
indeed little indignant, but soon renewed
her old relations with Mr.. Donal, who
was FER frequent chaperone to the
theatre.
He was "A wine broker and the agent of
a great firm at Cadiz. One day a gentle
man called on him with letters from his
Spanish correspondent. His name was
Raburn and his age about fifty. Mr.. Donal
did all In his power to make his visitor S
jaunt to America pleasant one, and got
him an invitation to a ball given by city
grandee. Mrs. Reading and Alice lngOlds-
by were also guests and although there
was no want of pretty women in the room
they looked commonplace by comparison
with the magnificent beauty of the yong
Irish girl
Mr.. Raburn was introduced and made
himself very agreeable. He was an Irish
man by birth and spoke to the girl about
Galway, from which county her father had
come But her recolIections were too
vague to make the subject of much interest
to her. Next day Raburn called on Mr..
Dolan and spoke of the ball He said:
81 am going to amaze you. | am as con-
fdent as a man can be of anything that
your beautiful Irish girl is my niece. !
will explain the matter and | hope you will
aid me in the investigation that | am
disposed to make"
Donal heard him with utter amazement
oh IA
tinued his narrative MY brother George
and myself we're brought up by our uncle,
a rich wine dealer in 0porto. George
was his favorite He was an impetuous,
head-strong fellow, but thorough gen.
tleman.
In one of his visits to the south OF
Ireland ne made the acquaintance of q
beautiful girl named Alice Blake and was
so infatuated that he married her. This
meant utter ruin to his future if my uncle
came to know it-sO it was kept secret
He was obliged TO return home suddenly
and although he subsequently did his best
to provide for his wife in Ireland, she dis
appeared utterly and was supposed to have
gone to America with her sister. whose
married name was Ingoldsby. My broth
er is dead, but he left ample provisions
for his wife and offspring should they sur
yive him"
Good Heavens! can it be possible
Let US call on Mrs. Reading and enlist hel
services"
That lady heard the story. Il am les:
surprised than you might expect" she
said. 4 have long believed that there
was a mystery about my pretty Alice
birth. and inside Of an hour she was sit
ting with Mrs. Ingoldsby. The poor NO
man broke down, and between her tear,
she told all. Her sister died in Ireland
heart-broken, believing that her husband
had deserted her, and Mrs Ingoldsby tool
the child She was not then married He
husband believed it was her own, bu
made no opposition to her giving Allie,
his name.
The result was that Mrs. Reading, he
daughter Alice and her uncle went to Eu
rope together She received her father
fortu. of EDS, 900. Her sister chose to re
main in this country, but the father ant
mother returned to Ireland and died there
Mary Reading received SO much benef
from tae change of climate that her mothe
and Alice determined to make their hom
N Slyilla -fo,,