Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-04-28

| pare herself for the reception ana embrace
| she considered inevitable. That he might
| arrive in shopman's apron and sleeves
! she thought possible; it mis- hit be the in
| variable habit of his cass-she did not
know, being utterly ignorant of its ordina-
ry manners and customs. But, after all,
the introduction was less disagreeable than
she had feared. Mr.. Darlington was hab-
| tied in the ordinary costume of an Eng
| lish gentleman. He hurried past his wife
| and daughters, and greeted Florence SIM
ply and kindly as one of them, only tell
| ing her how glad he was she had come to
them; but all was said SO simply, and was
so evidently sincere, that it took away any
unpleasantness.
| The evening meal over, they all went in
to the old-fashioned garden, SO full Of foil
age and flowers, and roses red and white
| and creamy that filled the evening air with
delicious perfume. 1t was almost Flor
ence's first breath of country air, since her
father had sacrificed their country house.
London, Paris, and the seaside had been
their routine for many years. To see roses
growing in such profusion and perfection
gave her ineXpressible pleasure, which
she could not help half admitting to the
girls.
"You have never seen roses growing in
such Insurance, Florence:" Ethel ques-
toned increduIOusly. 'Why, | thought
girls in your position always dwelt in a
paradise of tlowersw
"Oh, yes, have had many flowers, and
always i'll the greatest perfection; but they
have been in splendid bouquets, or in pots
for our conservatory, to be changed when
they began to droop. Really, L doubt if
these before" Florence said thoughtfully,
and while she spoke she bent over large
creamy Gloire de Dion.
Then some voices were heard, and two
gentlemen appeared in the garden; and
Florence noticed quickly that one had pow
er to bring rosy bushes into EthePs face.
In moment Miss WOrthingtOn's socia-
bility had vanished; and little later she
had escaped to the welcome solitude OF her
own room. For her the bright evening had
darkened quickly. AS far as the means
lay in her power, she intended to avoid
breath of contamination from any lower
order of her fellow-mortals. STILL the first
day in her new home over, she could not
deny to herself when her somewhat weary
head reposed on her pillow, that it had
been more endurable than she had deemed
possible. There remained however the
hated and much-drGaded step-cOusin. If
it were.not for him, she begun to think
years seclusion with the two girPs, her
aunt, and even her tradesman uncle-the
latter absent all day-might not be passed
80 badly.
One little scene she recalled when they
parted for the night, which somewhat STIR
red the depths Of her better nature. The
girls and her aunt had kissed her, and her
uncle had turned to do the same, and, as he
did so, he held her hand moment i'll his
own, and told her that once for all he
wished her to consider his home hers for
as long as she chose to remain in it.
''Thcre has been a great fault some
where, my DEAR" Mr.. Darlington told her,
'that you have been so long stranger to
your mothers sister. Whose fault it has
been, scarcely know or care, but there is
plenty of time to retrieve it. Try to be
happy with the girls, my dear, and to be-
come one Of them"
Then he released her, and, for the first
time in her life, Florence felt her face suf-
fused with nervous blusheS-felt herself on
the verge of tears.