Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-24
an WlnnafuraR Bon1aSe*

KIND Of deep, chivalrous, manly com
passion which had taken so strong {
hold Of him concerning her and hel
destiny the moment he had hearC
from Lady Penrith that Sir Rugs
daughter must come to Oldfriars.
What an existence it would be fol
this other Alicia, he thought sadly
he who knew the old place so we'll
for a young girl fresh from the
mOnotony of school routine. and ready
for-excepting, perhaps-a far differ.
ent life.
From that dark hour when her lady
ship and Sir Ruy had parted from
each other to meet no more OH earth
that night when Ruy Penrith had sew
cred himself from Garth. Garth peo-
pie, and all Garth associations, which
were to be to him hence forward as
though they had never been-Old-
friars bad fallen under a ban, as IT
were.
The servants deserted it one after
another, and none could be found
willing to take their vacant posts.
Nobody, in fact, unless absolutely
obliged. would venture near the place
either by night Or by day. Lady Pen
rith herself was never seen abroad,
and soon the folk in Garth and else
where, too, learned to speak of her
with abated breath. Ugly stories had
somehow got abroad with regard to
the mystery Of Alicia Leigh. People
had long since come to believe that
Sir Ruy Penrith himself was wholly
guiltleSs in the matter of that strange
disappearance from Oldfriars which
had caused such commotion in years
gone by. The river, after all, said the
wise cronieS in the village, knew best
what had befallen the lost Alicia
Leigh; the wild, rushing river and
Lady Penrith between them knew
best the hapless fate of Sir Rugs lost
love.
When next the desolate mother
heard aught Of her boy it was news
of him contained in a letter from his
solicitor. telling her of Sir Rugs de-
cease. He had been married. it ap-
peared-had, moreover, been left a
widoWer shortly after his marriage
had died, leaving one child behind
him, a girl whom he had called
"Alicia,' to succeed to the whole of
his earthly possessions. and who. as
soon as she should have attained her
eighteenth year. was to leave school
and 90 to live at Oldfriars
IL 4
pertaining thereto was in reality the
esta tie of the late Sir Ruy, and as
such therefore, it must descend to his
only child, who, utterly friendless in
the world, save for her grandmother,
should be placed under that grand
mothers care.
The memorable letter appriSing
Lady Penrith of these most unlocked
events had arrived at Oldfriars just
two years before, and the tidings, not
WithStanding their mournful nature,
had brought fresh life to the peni-
permitted to come to her! Thank
Heavens! for then in dying he must
have forgiven heri
And now the girl was eighteen that
Easter-tide, and, that wild March
evening was come to take up her
abode in the gloomy old house of
which she alone was the rightful
owner.
Something of all this was running
vaguely through the mind of Herman
Merryweather, as he looked with such
infinite pity into the face of the
young mistress of Oldfriars. And so
he thought dreamily, Sir Ruy, al
though he had married as time went
on, had kept green in his heart the
memory of his poor dead love, calling
his little daughter "Alicia" in remem
brance of Alicia Leigh.
''Why do you not answer me?" SAID
Alicia Penrith, in her low, eager
voice. again touching Herman's knee
in order to rouse him from his
reverie.
IL beg your pardon. Twenty
wears ago, do you ask?' Merry
weather said, gently. Yes, it !:
| about that time, l should say. | wa:
a boy of fifteen at the time l remem
Der. l am thirty-five now"
"Are you really thirty-five?" sait
Alicia, with a CLEAN of interest.
Yes, really" he returned, with
grave, amused smile.
But then" said the girl, with
puzzled air, "if you are only thirty
five. you cannot possibly be the Her
man Merryweat Their about whom
speak-the Herman Merryweathe
that was so good a friend to him an
also TOTO Lady Penrith."
You are thinking of my father,
! the young man answered. when h
!; died, I as his only son, NATURAL
: stepped into his place at home. HI
, friends remained my friends; h
cares and Cuties all devolved upo
J me, became peculiarly my own, il
deed, as an inheritance from father
son. Never desert the Penriths
: were almost his last words-'no ma
ter-no matter
L Herman Merryweather stoppe
= short. and looked half vexed wit
c himself. He was conscious that,
: his desire to interest his companio
e he had allowed himself to go too ia
e YES. yes" said she, almost imp
tiently: land what else? Go o
n please"
f There was no help for it, he mu
e say on-must finish telling her no
r that which he had been imprude
s enough to begin. Annoyed as