Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-24
CHAPTER l.
1.-THE Saddest Young Face in All the
World"

World
1t was q bOiSterouS March evening
towards seven o'clock the lamps upon
the platform of the StilborOugh sta
ton fiickered miserably in the draught
round about them; the fast train
which every day left Paddington fol-
the borderland of the western shires
was already due at Stilborough-in
fact was five minutes late.
Among the several groups of peo-
Die waiting on the platform was to
DE seen the solitary figure of a man
"a well-made, broad-shouldered man
with a thick, brown beard, which he
wore short and close cut. His stead
fast looking eyes were brown and
bright, though now in the light of Dhe
ftfully burning lamps they had taken
thoughtful expression which
rendered them almost sad He was
neither tall nor short, but stalwart
and manly enough for an Englishman,
as he stood quietly waiting there in
his rough winter coat. Apparently
he was we'll known in Stilborough,
for a porter, as he passed him,
touched his cap and smiled.
Two countryWomen from Garth
were sitting on seat near, their mar
ket-baskets on their knees, their
shawls tightly about their shoulders.
"My! faint trew is it," said one,
under her breath, "that Miss Penrith
IS coOmin' to live at OIdfriars with t.
ould CONAN? ! heerd as how it
was"
That's treW enough" the other an
swered, "for Warmer Hodge towld
my old man, and he zed as how Mrs
Ounce toWld he"
"Then l s'pose as how Mr. Merry
wealth is COON to meet her?,glanc-
Ing curiously at the quiet stalwart
figure, whose back was toward the
two women.
"EeS / S'pOse So
Poor young thingw sighed the
other, invOlLntarily.
The train at that moment came
kissing into the station, and all was
hustle and confusion. Mr.. Merry
weather, on the alert, remained stand
ing where he was until his watchful
eyes had seen the door of a firSt-class
carriage open hurriedly, and a young
girl, darkly and warmly clad, step
out alone upon the platform, and
look very anxiously around her. He
swiftly made his way through the
crowd then, and, lifting his hat,
spoke.
"My name is Herman Merry
weather." he said to her, in the plain
straightforward fashion which was
characteristic of the man, feeling per-
fectly sure that his instinct had not
misled him. "Have | the honor Of
addressing Miss Penlith?"
She raised to his a pale and deli
cately beautiful face, with tragic,
sorrowful eyes, and answered, in ac-
cents of relief, the stranger who had
accosted her.
Il am here to meet YOU, and to save
you al further bother" he replied,
reasSuringly Lady Penrith. being
unable to come herself, asked me to
be her deputy If you will accom-
pany me we will find the carriage
it is waiting outSide-and get out of
this din as quickly as possible. Your
luggage? Oh! that shall be all right.
This is the way"
There was quiet cheerinesS, a
brave simplicity OF bearing about
Herman MerryWeather, that strangers
especially were wont to find irreSist-
ible BY the very clasp of his strong
firm hand folk knew that he was a
man to be trusted. Indeed, thai
straightforward manner of his
which could be very gentle, too
sometimes-with his strongly marked
notwithstanding face, seldom failed
to win for him a lasting regard, both
from men and women alike.
So Alicia, dimly conscious even il
that first moment of their meeting
that this Herman Merryweathe1
would surely prove a staunch frienj
to her in the dark future looming
ahead. followed him readily from thu
busy platform, and took her place il
the O1dfriarS carriage. She leaned
tiedly back against the fusty paddin:
of that ancient vehicle, and covere,
her face with her hands. Herman
affecting not to notice the action
went off to look after the luggage.
He soon returned. the girls trunk
got together, and. entering the car
riage. seated himself opposite Mis-
Penrith. He could talk to her bette
thus. he thought. as they Journeys
thus from Stilborough to Garth.
Its a great nuisance, Miss Penritl
is it not he said, cheerily, as the ole
fashioned chariot rolled away dow
the road. leaving the numerous light
of the town thickly Studding til
windy darkness around it. "having
come such a distance to find the raj
way? Garth being looked upon quit
as an out-of-the-way place, nObod
seems to think it worth while to su;
gest that the village would be graf
full for a junction.
DO they not?" said Alicia, with
listless. preoccupied little smile, h
beautiful eyes, with their traS
shadow of unutterable sorrow, NEE
ing Herman's for an instant in t
wan Illumination Of the carria;
lamps.
mo: and consequently" Herm:
continued, hoping by a species
random. commonplace talk to allrl
the girls present thoughts from the
obviously gloomy channel, Cart