Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-11-21
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So Mrs. Ounce was left in charge OF
the great lonely house, and the old
mistress and the young mistress set
out upon their travels.
Goodbye, my dear lady" had wept
the good old soul at parting; and
Heaven be praised, say I, for what has
come to pass. Speed the day that
brings you home to us again.
But her desire was never to be
granted.
They had now been sojourning at
ST. Julien for nearly three weeks, and
once already during that time had
Merryweather again crossed the chan
mel, in order to satisfy himself that all
was well. That was bright day for
Alicia when he arrived-a dark when
he departed. With tea1s in her elo-
quent eyes she had sent her best love
to Mrs. Ounce.
! But there were more bright days in
store for herself, Alicia knew; for had
he not promised that he would come
yet again soon-indeed at the very
first opportunity he could make for
getting away
And SO the days wore on for Lady
Penrith, calm, peaceful, and-as she
often said-happier than she had ever
/ dreamed they could be for her again in
this world, where she had tasted so
much sorrow and had wept so many
grievous tears.
She never spoke to Alicia of Rugs.
conduct, his unforgiving spirit, his
treacherous method of Furnishing her
for her sin in those old days. She
never mentioned it, but Heaven knew
how often it was present in her
thoughts, both by night and by day.
It was breaking her heart, in truth to
think that he could have found the
cruel strength of will to deal out to her
his mother-so crushing a requital,
so terrible a retribution.
Was not the burden of her remorse
enough that he must add to the
shadows of her closing life? Yes, it
was hard, very hard to know that it
was by Rugs pitiless hand that she
had been brought so low. The sum-
mer faded all too quickly, and the
chilly autumn season crept on. Still
Lady Penrith showed no inclination,
expressed no wish, to return to the
poor old home.
AS the fogs and cold night winds be-
gan to come upon st. Julien, Herman,
on a flying visit, proposed that they
should travel south to Nice. So to-
ward the end of October, they jour
neyed by easy stages to region of the
Alps where fogs and sea-mists are
things unknown, and the invalid is
wont to look hopefully forward to the
dawning of another life.
And then, when the spring came
round once more, and the fair waters
OF the blue Mediterranean took yet
| deeper hue, Lady Penrith, grown
! touchingly fanciful, said it would be
pleasant to go on to Genoa.
She had always longed to behold
that city of palaces, she said, visit
fully: and Alicia, humoring her, de-
clared that she had likewise. Was it
not odd, asked the girl, brightly, that
they should be so agreed in every
| thing?
! Accordingly the move was made,
and Mr.. Merryweather written to and
appraised Of their whereabouts. They
| had secured some beautiful apartments
IN an old villa overlooking the quay,
Alicia told him; when could he come
and see them there, her grandmother
wanted to know? Herman wrote back
CHEEKY letter directly, and promised
| that he would be with them at the end
| of a week.
The evening he was expected to ar
rive was an unusually lovely one. Not
cloud was to be seen in the Won
drously tinted sky; not a breeze rose
to ruffle the calm which had settled
upon the blue waters of the gulf.
Lady Penrith, lying back upon the
bright cushions of a luxurious seat, a
light shawl draping her shoulders,
was in her favorite place by the open
window of the salon, her dim eyes
fixed on the glorious, understanding
sea, look of ineffable content OIL her
quiet, colorless face.
All day long she had talked of little
save Herman's coming-saying again
and again to Alicia that she hoped he
would not be late.
'Will he come by boat, do you
think, Alicia?" she said, having asked
the same question twice before within
the last half hour.
do you not recollect," returned the
girl, with sweetest patience, that he
, told us in his letter he would, mos
likely, come on in the steamer from
Nice, See, grandmother, boat ha:
just entered the harbor! Let us hop;
: he is one of the passengers"
l Il hope so-fervently, Alicia" wen
on her ladyship. 81 have a strang
D fancy tonight Will you promise M
D something's"
/ "Anvthing, anything Alicia whis
= pered nesting close to the eide
i woman's side, her buoyant heart grow
= ing suddenly chill and uneasy.
i when you marry" said Lady Pen
i rith, and have children of your own
d my darling, you must let your eldes
Y son be known as 'Ruy Penrith,' S
: that the name shall not die our
There has always been a Ruy Penritf
: Promise ME this, my child"
r The perfume OF orange and pomc
|, granate blossoms commingled; III
d about the veranda, fioated subtly int
y about the veranda, floating subtly int
- the room from the fragrant villa gal
/. den. A clock somewhere down by tn