Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-31

How welcome he had made them
Mrs. Ounce and herself, Alicia, rec
objected, with a dreamy little smile
how pleased he had been to see her
how pleased, in truth, even Herman
himself was scarcely aware-thougl
she was but the bearer Of a messag q
from her grandmother.
Then nothing would do but tha
they must have their luncheon Will
| him in his rambling, oId-fashfonet
| parlor, the smOke-dried ceiling OF
which was supported by beams. il
order to fortify themselves. Herman
/ declared, gravely. for their muddy
| trudge back to Oldfriars. Mrs. Ounce
who loved Herman we'll, was de
| lighted at the notion, and did not
hesitate to show that she was So
Alicia. quiet ard shy, laid, gently
! that he was very kind
1t was a pleasant hoW--too pleas
| ant, perhaps, to be prudent. and
Alicia Penrith while it lasted was
vaguely. strangely happy. And no
one could have been pr"uder than
good Old Mrs. Ounce in her SUI
premely conscious dignity of duenna
for the occasion.
Alicia was charmed with the old
red-gabled house where the Merry
weathers Of Garth had lived for many
generations. and naiveIy said so to
Herman. He told ber that mis- Offices
were over the way. and that the beat
heads she could just see through that
row Of dingy wire blinds opposite
were the heads of his clerks who were
busy at their work, Alicia was quite
sorry when Mrs. Ounce began to
fidget On her chair. and to hint with
a respectable cough that she had
Shopping" to do in Garth.
well all go together then. ;"
promptly declared Herman. "and
while Mrs. Ounce is collecting her
parcels, you and I, Miss Peprith. will
take stroll into the churchyard and
I can show you the old monks grave
with that quaint inscription I told
you about-'God bless the monks of
OIdfriars' Have you forgotten?'
No, Alicia had not forgotten. Her
dark eyes shone.
ooh! thank you! she cried, speak
ing straight from her heart. II
should like it SO much
SO accordingly they all three set
out and the clerks over the way,
hearing the opening of the door of the
81
looked up eagerly from their dry-as-
dust copying. each one as curious as
the other to catch a glimpse Of Miss
Penrith.
''What a child she isl Merry
weather unused, looking down very
wistfully upon the slender figure at
his side, Mrs. Ounce in her big poke
bonnet and blanket shawl, trotting
contentedly in the rear, and staring
affectionately at Herman's broad
back; land land | am thirty-fve!'
Many an inquisitive face peered
above the window-blinds or over the
low half-dOOrS of the gabled houses
down the village Street-thOSe Stra Z
CLING, crooked-looking, picturesque
houses, the leaning WOod-and-plaSter
walls of which were wont to remind
the tourist of the birthplace of the
immortal Bard Of Avon-aS Miss Pen
rith passed by on her way to Garth
church yard. And everyone that saw
her pttied her singular lot-the des-
tiny which had given her a grand
mother SO wicked as Lady Penrfth.
Il 'udn't bide a day wi the old
creeter, if l was the poor young
wench-nO, that [ 'udn't," said one
crone to another, with a horrid, tooth
less grim; II should be afeared O. my
life-ithat I should. Why, Sally
Branch as l ha' zed to We hundreds O.
times afore, if her grand ladyship up
yOnder had been a poor 'Ooman like
you or me, Sally Branch, she I'D la
been scragged in Stillborough jail
long ago, bless you, for a-killin'
'Iicia Leigh"
''And sarve her right. t00"' croaked
Sally Branch, and chuckled at the
bare idea.
To Be Continued