Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-05-26


Guided from her old sphere, and costly
dress and jewels would be at her command
no more. She hesitated, was lost. Her
| baneful tempter was even now by her side.
YEARLY she opened her dressing case to
| return the few trinkets she had worn that
evening, when her eyes fell upon her aunt's
last letter, unopened and, until that mo-
ment, forgotten. 1t had arrived late that
| day, and determined that her pleasure
| should not be undimmed, at least for the
evening, she had left it unread but now
| she threw herself into the easy chair and
perused it. All the tide of tenderness
| that had been rising within her was now
| turned aside
| The letter was worthy Of the writer
| When once the Countess Raven desired to
accomplish any object she had in view,
| she left but few means untried to attain
| success. Her love for her niece, small
though it might be, had wonderfully reviv-
we'd of late; and her ladyship's pride too
was hurt that her dead brothers only child
the reigning beauty of two seasons, who
had let coronet slip through her hands
should be allowed to throw herself way
in sphere far below her. Her conscience
| too was touched, for she knew the real
blame must lie at her own door.
But there might yet be time to retrieve
her fault, and experience had taught her
that Miss Worthington might be led or
| tempted but not cOerced; SO she would
| now try earnestly, with all the tact she
possessed, to fulfil her own wishes and pro-
vide brilliant future for her niece. She
would hold out the most tempting lures
her brain suggested, and Florence found
herself apparently, and for the first time,
-, 3,
ton. Lady Raven would return to Lon
don with Sir John Meddowes in months
time, when she earnestly desired her niece
to be in readiness to join her in Charges
Street for an unlimited visit at least
which was saving clause for her ladyship,
in case that visit proved irksome; nor need
the arrangement preclude return to Flor
| ence's present home if she proved intracta-
bic or difficult to manage.
Lady Raven was counting the days, she
told her niece, to see her again. Her cous-
in, Lady Margaret, would be in England
two months later, when the weather would
be more settled; and Lady Raven looked
forward to a brilliant season for them all
her own Importance enhanced by her
| niece's beauty. The last piece of news in
| her aunt's letter made Florence'S lip curl,
! and an old defiant light CLEAN in her eyes.
| 1t was that Lady Margaret had lately met
Lord Harcourt Vernon at Nice 1T the
Duchess Martori's reception, and that his
| lordship had asked with great empreSse-
ment, for news of his eN-tiancee, Florence.
"Who knows, my dearest girl, What the flu
ture may bring forth, and especially now
that you have gained so much sad expert
ence and are older and WISER" her lady
ship wrote playfully, III conclusion. The
postscript added that Lord Vernon would
be almost immediately in town again for
| the whole season, and had declared his in
tention Of making speedy appearance in
| Charges Street.
This was the gst of the whole letter,
| Florence knew perfectly well; but Il breath
| from her old world always unsettled her
| fatally in her present home. In the midst
| OF her weary, wandering thoughts, step
passed her door, lingering a moment ON
its threshold. It brought a sudden flush
to her face, but little change in her heart.
Her resolve was nearly taken; Lady Ra-
yen's wishes should prevail, and seemed
| already far on the way to success.
Two days passed before Philip CARING
! ton and Florence met again. He had sought
I her once or twice indirectly during the
! time; but she had always avoided him.
| She dreaded what she knew must come,
| and she dreaded to renounce all her happi-
ness. She resented her Cousins absence,
and yet flew away breathlessly when she
heard his step; but this was not always
possible. The time passed YEARLY enough,
she yearned for the sight of one she was
voluntarily putting away from her for ever,
for the sound of voice which had power
to thrill every nerve in her frame; yet, in
spite of all, her decision was made.
She had written to Lady Raven, saying
she would be ready to come to her at once
on her return to England; but as yet she
had withheld her decision from her uncle
| and aunt Darlington. She had deferred it
from day to day, dreading their solicita-
tions for her to remain with them. She sat
YEARLY enough alone in her morning room.
Her aunt was busy below, rearrsnging
china and plate, and the girls had gone for
long winter walk, from which Florence
had shrunk. Hoping for what she dreaded,
she told herself there could be no chance
of her cousin Philips arrival at home for
two hours at IeaSt-and yet she listened
with painful intentness for his step.
1t came at last; and in Z moment she no.
ticed how his face had changed since she
last saw him, how worn and pale he was !;
and it made her heart ache, though she
stroye ali the time to nerve herself for what
might come. lie seemed prepared to lind
her where she was. Whether she had fallen
| into trap carefully laid for her she could
not tell; a few things only were clear to
her, and at the same time impossible
She wished to stay III her present home,
and yet not resign the future splen-
doris possible to her. She wished her
cousin Philip always to be near her, While
she herself planted an impossible barrier
between them. These were her thoughts
and wishes.