Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-12-05


actly what he wished and I was in 6
passion and did not mean what l said
Lancelot did not quite know what tc
make of this remark, and after a mo-
ment's pause asked another question
somewhat differently this time.
''Will you tell me your name?
MY name is Madeline Armstrong
Despard. Father is called Oscar Des
pard.'
Armstrong; know. Have you an!
relations called Armstrong;"
'I don't think so. I don't think
have any relations called Armstrong
: There is some one staying in the towr
Of that name" and her face fell; .'bu1
I don't think he is a relation
Il have not many relations either,
said Lance, in 1nomentary recurrence
to his own position. Il have spent my
holidays with an old great-uncle OF
mine generally, but he is dead now
and I have not seen my father for
seven years. I shall see him today.
have come here to meet him.
Hasn't he been in England all
that time?"
"No. He has been in India, but he's
coming homo. He is in the service,
you know. Col. Vanbrugh of the til
My name is Lancelot Vanbrugh"
at is a pretty name" she said, with
interest. ut sounds like name in a
story book. But Despard isn't ugly, is
it? And Oscar-I think Oscar is a
&c 70 -
name and my little sister is Gene
We've, only we always call her Jenny"
what is your fathers profession?"
Lance asked, abruptly.
A quick flush rose to her delicate
cheek.
''I don't think he has any profess
sion,' she said, meekly. HE doesn't
do anything much"
"Where do you live, them"
1--WE don't live anywhere very long.
We were abroad all last year. 1 don't
know why we came to England like
France much better. We are in lodg-
ings now and I hate it,
"Why?"
Mrs. Jelby," was Madeline's only
reply.
and who is Mrs Jelby?"
she's the landlady. She is always
wanting money from father and ne
never has any. And she is very cross
to me and when father is cross he
sometimes says lie will hand me over
to her-to be her little servant-you
know. And I should not like that-be-
sides I don't know what the children
would do without me-
what children, dear?"
"Father's children. He married
again after my own mother died. said
Madeline, in a melancholy tone And
there are three children and little
Jenny isn't strong. Besides, she's only
5. | help to wash and dress them
every day, because mamma is rather
an invalid
Poor little girl murmured Lance
She seemed to him too sweet and
fragile for such a sordid lot. He
wished he could help her in any eff
fectual way
"And now tell me- he went on, in a
coaXing way, what it was that made
your ldluei angry WIN you. WnaL
was it you would not do?"
Madeline suddenly sat erect and her
cheeks became crimson.
'I don't think l ought to say she
murmured.
Nonsense! 1t is quite right for you
able to help him if he is in any want
of help"
ooh, could you?" said the child, her
eyes lighting up. "He wants help so
much-poor father! But 7 could not
quite do what he asked me, you know,
because I thought it wasn't true"
Tell me what it was, dear"
Don't you think he would be an
CRY? Well" said Madeline, with curl
GUS frankness, ''you know he always
wants money-he never has any
money to spend, never at all-and he
some-an old, old man that he used to
know years ago and who goes about in
bath-chair. And he wanted me to
ask him-that was all-nearly ALL"
NEARLY all? What did he want you
to say?"
A panied look came into Madeline's
eyes. "He didn't mean tt am sure
he didn't" she said, earnestly. 'rYou
won't be angry with him if I tell you?
Promise. Please"
She put her soft little hand into
Lance's as she spoke and he, moved by
/ the request, gave the desired promise
'He wanted me to say" she went on
in a hushed voice, that my stepmother
who is dead, you know, and that she
was very i'll and wanting money to pay
the doctor. My stepmother is i'll and
they do want money, of course, but l
did not want to say that she was my
own mother, of course. Father could
not have meant it, of course, could
he?"
Lancelot was silent for a moment.
The affair seemed rather Incompetent
sible to him. Was it possible that the
child had mistaken the nature of her
fathers demand and worked herself
into an agony about nothing? Or did
anything hinge on her being the
daughter of the first wife, not Of the
second? Surely somewhere there was
a mystery.
Chapter II.
Lancelot's Father.