Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-17
LOVES VICTORY.
BIZ BERTHA NJ. CLAY

Then Sir Oswald, with his visitors. az
vanced. ct was Pauline's aversion, Lady
Hampton, with her niece, Miss Rocheford.
Lady Hampton advanced in her usual
grave, artificial manner.
ssSir Oswald wanted to send for You, but |
said no. What can be more charming than
such group under the trees? | am so allx-
ious to introduce my niece to you, Miss Dar-
rell-she arrived only yesterday. Elinor, let
me introduce you to Miss Darrell, Miss Hast
ings, and Captain Langton."
Pauline's dark eyes glanced at the blush
Ing, sweet face, and the shrinking, graceful
figure. Miss Hastings made her welcome:
and the captain, stroking his mustache,
thought himself in luck for knowing two
such pretty girls.
There could not have been greater con-
haSt than Pauline Darrell and Elinor Roche
ford. Pauline was dark, proud, beautiful,
passionate, naughty, and willful, yet with a
poets soul and grand mind above all
worldliness, all meanness, all artifice. Elinor
was timid, shrinking, graceful, lovely, with
a delicate, fairy-like beauty, yet withal keen
ly alive to the main chance, and never for
getting her aunt's great maXim-to make the
best of everything for herself.
On this warm August morning Miss Roche
ford wore charming gossamer costume Of
lilac and white, with the daintest of Partisan
hats on her golden head. Her gloves, shoes,
lace5, paraSol, were perfectiOn-nOt a fold
was out of place, not ribbon awry-con
trasting most forcibly with the grand, pict-
ureSQue girl near her.
Lady Hampton seated herself, and Miss
ROchefOrd did the same. Sir Oswald Sug-
costing how very refreshing grapes and
peaches would be on so warm morning,
Captain Langton volunteered to go and order
some. Lady Hampton watched him as he
walked awav.
what magnificent man, Sir Oswald!
What fine clever face! 1t is easy to see
that he is a military mamie is SO upright,
so easy; there is nothing like military train
ing for giving man an easy. dignifed car
rage. think understood that he was the
son of very old friend of yours?"
1.-THE son of the dearest friend ever had
In the world" was the reply; ''and l love
him as though he were my Own-indeed L
wish he were"
Lady Hampton sighed and looked sympa-
thetc.
'Langton," she continued, in a musing
tone-"is he one of the Langtons of Order
NO" replied Sir Oswald; my dear old
friend was of a good family, but not greatly
blessed by fortune"
1T was wonderful to see how Lady Hamp-
toms interest in the captain at once died out :;
there was no more praise, no more admira~
ton for him. If she had discovered that he
was heir to an earldom, how different it
would have been! Before long the captain
returned, and then a rustic table was spread
under the lime trees, with purple grapes,
peaches crimson and gold apricolS, and Iud-
dy plums.
ITS quite picturesque" Lady Hampton
declared, with smile; and ElinoT, dear child,
enjoys fruit so much"
In spite of Lady HamptOn's wish, there
did not appear to be much cordiality between
the two girls. Occasionally ElnOr would
look at the captain, who was not slow to re-
turn her glances with interest. His eyes
said plainly that he thought her very lovely.
Miss Rocheford was in every respect the
model of a well brought up young lady. She
knew that the grand end and aim OF her eX-
istence was to marry well-she never forgot
that She was Well-born, well-bred, beauti-
full, accomplished, but without fortune.
From her earliest girhood Lady Hampton
had impressed upon her the duty of marry
ing money.
'You have everything else, Elinor," she
was accustomed TO say. You must marry
for title and money"
Miss Rocheiord knew it. She had no OBJ
lection to her fate-She was quite passive
over it-but she did hope at times that the
man who had the title and money would be
young, handsome, and agreeable. If he were
not, she could not help it, but she hoped he
would be.
Lady Hampton had recently become a
widow. In her youth she had felt some lit
tie hope of being mistress of Darrell Court:
but that hope had soon died. Now, how.
ever, that niece was thrown upon her hands,
she took heart OF grace in another respect;
for Sir Oswald was not an old man. 1t was
true his hair was white, but he was erect,
dgnihed, and, in Lady Hampton's opinion,
more interesting than a handsome young
man, who would think of nothing but him
self. II he would be but sensible. and. in
stead of adopting that proud, uniformed girl,
marry, how much better it would be!
She knew that her niece was precisely the
Style that he acknowledgement delicate, ut
terly incapable of any originality, ready at
any moment to yield her opinions and ideas,
ready to do implicitly as she was told, to be-
iieve in the superiority of her husband-a
model woman, in short after Sir Oswald's
own heart. She saw that the baronet was
much struck with Elinor; she knew that in
his own mind he was contrasting the two
girls-the graceful timidity of the one, her
perfect polish of manner, with the brusque
independence and terribly plain-spoken fash
ion of the other.
at would be ten thousand pities," said
Lady Hampton to herself, ito see that girl
mistress OF Darrell Court. She would make
good queen for the Sandwich Islands. Be-
fore go, must open Sir Oswald's eyes, and
give him a few useful hints"