Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-01-28
LOVES VICTORY.
DY BERTHA N. CLAY.


waldo"
Il have provided for her." he replied
Darrell Court, then, and all its rich reve-
nues 90 to your wife, l preSume?'
"les, to my wife" said Sir Oswald.
Uncomfortable" asked the general.
'Mast certainly" was the impatient reply.
"v ell, my friend,' said the general. ''in
this world every one does as he or she likes:
but to disinherit that girl, with the face and
spirit OF a true Darrell and to put fair,
amtable blonde stranger in her place, was,
TO say the least, eccentric-the world will
deem it SO, at any rate. If were forty years
younger would win Pauline Darrell, and
make her love me. But we must join the
ladies-they will think us very remiss."
Sweet smiles, no mind, an amiable man
her, no intellect prettiness after the fashion
OF Partisan doll, to be preferred to that
noble, truthful queenly girl? Verify tastes
differ" thought the general, as he watched
the two contraSted them and lost himself in
wonder over his friends folly.
He took his leave soon afterward, gravely
musing on what he could not understand
why his old friend had done what seemed to
him rash ill-judged deed.
lie left Sir Oswald in a state of great dis
comfort OF course he loved his wIfe-loved
honor to his heart than his head-ebut he had
always relied so implicitly on the generals
Judgment He found himself half wishing
that in this, the browning action of his life,
he had consulted his old friend.
He never knew how that clever woman Of
the world, Lady Hampton, had secretly in
fuenced him. He believed that he had acted
entirely on his own clear Judgment; and
now, for the first time, he doubted that.
"YOu look anxious. Oswald" said Lady
Darrell, as she bent down and with her fresh,
sweet young lips, touched his brow. Has
anything troubled yOu"'
mo, my darling he replied; Il do not
feel quite well, Though. | have had dull,
nervous heayncSs about me all day-a
strange sensation OF pain too. shall be bet
ter tomorrow
If not" she said sweety, Il shall insist
on your seeing Doctor Hcmstone. | am
quite uneasy about YOU"
"You are very kind to me-" he responded
gratefully.
But all her uneasineSs did not prevent her
drawing the white la:e round her graceful
shoulders, and taking up the third volume of
novel in which she was deeply interested,
while Sir Oswald, looking older and grayer
than he had looked before, went into the
garden for stroll.
The sunbeams were so 10Th to go; they
fingered even now on the tips of the trees
and the flowers; they fingered on the lake
and in the ripping spray OF the fountains.
Sir Oswald sat down by the lakeside
Had he done wrong? Was it a foolish mis-
takc-one that he could not undo? Was
Pauline indeed the grand, noble, queenly
girl his friend thought her? Would she have
Ia mis- .,hI TNar
or had he done right to bring this fair, blonde
stranger into his home-this dearly loved
young wife? What would she do with Oar
rell Court if he left it to her? The great wish
Of his heart for son to succeed him had not
been granted TO him; but he had made his
will, and i'll it he had left Darrell Court to
his wife.
He looked at the home he had loved so
well. All, cruel death If he could but have
taken it with him, or have watched over it
from another world! But when death came
he must leave it, and a dull uneasy fore
bodng came over him as to what he should
do in favor of this dOized home
As he looked at it, tears rose to his eyes;
and then he saw Pauline standing little
way from him, the proud, beautiful face
softened into tenderness, the dark eyes full
of kindness She went up to him more atfec-
tionately than she had ever done in his life;
She kneit on the grass by his side.
Uncle, she said, quietly, ''you look very
Ill; are you i'll trouble?''
He held out his hands to her; at the sound
OF her voice all his heart seemed to go out to
this glorious daughter of his race.
Pauline he said, in a low, broken voice,
Il am thinking about you'll am wondering
about you. Have done-l wonder, have I
done wrong?'
A clear light flashed into her noble face.
DO you refer to Darrell Court?" she ask
ed IF you do, you have done wrong.
think you might have trusted me. l have
many faults, but / am a true Darrell. l
would have done full justice to the trust
II never thought 500 he returned, feeby;
''and did it all for the best, as | imagined,
Pauline
II know you did am sure you did, she
agreed eagerly; Il never thought otherwise.
1t was not YOU, uncle. | understand all that
was brought to bear upon YOU. You are a
Darrell, honorable, loyal, true; you do not
understand anything that is not straightfor-
ward | do, because my life has been so diff
ferent from yours"
He was looking at her with strange,
wavering expression i'll his face; the girls
eyes, full of sympathy, were turned on him.
Pauline he said, feebly, ''if l have done
wrong-and, oh, am so 10th to believe it
you will forgive me, my dear, will you not?"
For the first time he held out his arms to
her; for the first time she went close to him
and kissed his face. 1t was well that Lady
Hampton was not there to see. Pauline
heard him murmur something about "a true
DaT2ll-the last Of the DarrellS," and when
she raised her head she found that Sir OS-
wald had fallen into deep deadly swoon.