Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-21
A STORY OF CASTE,

hurry Wlere MS nedFG Vi lduCs lSdIaS nILl,
and Hugh Carleton knew this; but he
yearned to help Florence II he could III her
grief and trouble. His attempts at conso-
lation were we'll meant, though they were
clumsy enough-but at least they came
from his heart. He reminded her of the
hundreds daily in the same predicament as
her father had been, and of the fact that
she would soon be extricated from her
present ependence-this last hurt her
pride, and SO eased her grief-and he de-
clared earnestly and ceaselessly that she
might count upon his friendship at all
times. Poor fellow, his will was good, but
his power weak; and his father-a poor
peer-was also a sufferer by Sir 4 rthur's
defalcations, and hence not too kindly dis
posed towards the dethroned heiress.
Nearly month Miss Worthington wait
ed for some sign of faithfulness from her
noble lover; but none came. Lady Raven
persisted silentlyin hoping against hope;
but Florence would not hear his name from
her aunt's lips. She resolved what to do,
and she did it quickly and decisiyely. She
wrote, herself, to his lordship, informing
him that his absence and silence told her
plainly enough that his feeling towards
her were like her own for him; that their
engagement had been unduly hurried by
her dear father, and that while thanking
him for the great honor be had done her,
she gave him back his freedom fully and
freely. The missive written and sent, she
waited calmly for his reply, little doubling
what it would be. And she judged right
ly. Every line in his lordship's rather
elaborate answer betrayed the satisfaction
that "under the circums tances" his free
dom had been restored. The amount of
gratitude that he expressed proved only
what his fears had been; he declared that
his admiration was b0undleSS for Miss
Worthington's generosity, and remarked
gracefully that, though her previous I'M
mistakable GOODNESS had panied him, he
could not under all the existing and pain
full conditions, but acquiesce III her deci-
zion that their engagement had perhaps
been unduiy fastened He also reminded
her that the rupture had come from herself
or, as man of honor, he would have held
himself in readiness to fulfil his promise,
had she insisted upon his doing so. He
concluded by hoping she would always
look upon him as her friend. whenever it
might BIO in his power to aid her in any
way; that he should always consider her
wishes as commands and he subscribed
himself as hers every faithfully"
Lord lIarcourt kept copy of this letter,
and rode with, FIR him, extraordinary haste
to his Dowager mother-hiS face radiant,
his heart, if he possessed one, plainly un-
touched and his mothers sympathy un-
mistakaole.
"Iou have had an escape, Vernon. OF
course under the circumstances, your mar
riaSo with Miss Worthington would have
been impossible; but she might have been
difficult to manage, matters might have
been painfully complicated. Imagine the
future Countess Of lIarcourt having been
the daughter of fraudulent gambler! 1t
is too horrible to contemplate her ladyship
declared. ''Still | must say she has ena-
bled YOU to Withdraw gracefully, and
shown herself to be girl of spirt-poor
tbingp she added magnanimously.
s'She is wonderfully handsome, mother"
Lord Harcourt said refectively, not re-
gretfully. | shall have to seek far to find
one as irreproachably beautiful and we'll
bred"
''Bcauty is great advantage, Vernon"
his mother told him, "but it is not every
thing. She certainly was handsome, and
seemed to me to have pride betitting her
supposed station; but we could not endure
the shame my son."
With curling lip and flashing face Flor
encc read Lord Harcourts letter slowly
and calmly TO the end, and then placed it
in silence before her aunt. She knew well
the storm it would bring down upon her
head
''Good Heaven, Florence, do you mean
to tell me that you have voluntarily re-
leased Lord Harcourt, that you have act
ed so blindly, so wickedly, So" Words
failed her ladyship. "Girl you must be
madw
But Florence was at least outwardly APP
athletic.
'EPossibly, aunt; nevertheless it Is too
evident to me that, had l withheld his
lordship's release, he would have soon
sent me mine. 1 preferred the more dig
nitied course of the two, and acted upon
it,"
''But we had hold upon his lordship,
Florence. We could have forced him to
fulfil his voluntary engagement"
Here Miss Worthington laughed for the
first time-and it was not pleasant laugh
to hear.
"And you can imagine me a willing
bride to bridegroom forced to marry me
Good heaven, surely have not sunk SO
low as thatI' she sad bitterly.
II repeat you are mad, Florence! You,
without penny in the world or home to
turn to-how dare you take the law into
your own hands and dismiss Lord Har-
courtW Lady Raven demanded furiously.
awe, had, | tell you, a hold upon him-at
least, he might have given you compensa-
tion in some way. You don't know what
arrangements might have been possible
He might have offered some sort of COM
promise. You have acted like wilful
foolish child, and thrown away your last
chance"
Miss Worthington's cheeks were ablaze.
sand lat least yet-cannot realise
your right to insult me so grossly, aunt
Raven. l would beg my bread from door
to door before l would touch penny of
Lord Harcourt's moneyw she said eX-
citedly.
81 am not accustomed to deal with girls
of your headstrong temperament, Florence,
and own they do not please me. Girls in
freedom may we'll assert their indepen-
dence, if they choose; but those bound
hand and foot by poverty and diSgrace--ay,
disgrace" her ladyship repeated eoarsely-
"would do well to learn submission to their
fate--to abide by the advice given them by
their friends"
"Such little time, and how [ have fall
len - poor Florence thought, with bitter
pain; but she sat motionlesS, not show
ING that she felt in the least her aunt's
abuse.
Her silence only increased her aunt's fu-
ry.
"Pray what am | to do with you, Flor
ence: Perhaps you can solve that difficult
ty for me.'
81 did not know that there was queS-
ton of your doing anything with me. l
suppose my misfortunes will scarcely have
.ienriyel m of the ricrht of frnn altinM ~