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

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subsequent grief and loneliness-o
| her schOol-days, her studies, and {
thousand and one other things, trivia
| perhaps in themselves, which be
longed to the years which were gone
Lady Penrith listened very hungril!
to the girls simple narrative, noticing
every infection of the soft youns
ycicp. fearful lest a signal word ever
of the record should be lost. Fol
twenty desolate years she had beer
childless and alone, and now that she
was listening to the voice Of Sir Ruy'S
daughter, it seemed t. her, she said
that she was mother again
Heaven had vouchsafed her great
mercy at last in giving her another
child.
You do not tell me of your own
! mother, DEAR" limited Lady Penrith
presently. trusting, as she gazed ten
derby down into the girls eyes, that
it was Sir Ray. perhaps, after all,
| really her lost Ruy. and not Alicia
Leigh that looked up at her so sor-
row fully from those mystic depths
and yet those delicate lips, that pen
siye little mouth and chin Lady
Penrith sighed heavily.
Oh. why should a ghost of the dead
past come to haunt her in the. form
of a living soul? It was unearthIy.
impossible. 1t was the fiendiSh sug-
gestion of a distpmpered conscience,
this odd, improbable fancy Of hers.
inwardly cried the poor penitent
What had Alicia Penrith to do with
Alicia Leigh?
You do not tell me of your mother
dear" said the elder woman again.
Alicia had raised her hand as if to
screen her face from the fire
':She died young" she answered.
low and slowly. Il can scarcely re
member her, grandmother"
''Why-Why," faltered Lady Pen
rith, "did Ruy not christen you after
the woman he had married, Alicia ?"
He christened me-" said the girl
her hand still held above her eyes.
speaking as if every syllable was be
ing wrung from her in anguish,
latter his first love. He has often
told me that-he has often sale that
the name of Alicia was the sweetest
in all the world. There is nothing
that I can tell you about my mother
II know nothing. Her memory is
as a sweet dream, as a tender myth.
Ny father was all in all to me after
she died, and 1 do not think that l
ever once missed he care"
II wish you had a port.ait of your
mother to show me, Alicia" said
Lady Penrith, drcamily, looking
straight into the heart of tile fiery
legs. II should like much to see a
picture of my lads wife"
But TIE girl remained mute. never
stirred, and silerce fell upon the
tower room, profound, urbrokcn, save
for the kissing of the sap in the
wood and the rcars of the wind IN
the chimney. And yet Alicia Pen
rith was thinking OF a sOiled old
pocket-book which she counted among
the few real treasures held sacred in
her pOssesSion-a dogs cared old
DOCK Which bore, on nearly every
other page Of it a sketch o. colored
drawing of her mothers beautiful
face. Sir Huy. it would seem. had
never grown weary of portraying
features of the woman he had chosen
at last
Il have two friends now. instead OF
one,' said Lady Penrith, with uncon-
scious pathos, when she parted with
Alicia that yourself, my dar-
ling, and Herman Merrywea Their.
Lonely as l am, l have much to be
thankful for. Heaven, now that the
grave is near, is compassionating my
forlorn condition." And that self
same night Alicia Penrith could not
sleep for Weeping-crying out in the
darkness against the Injustice of a
great wrong.
'And l love her already" moanel
the girl. Her suffering, the repent
ance and remorse that are 50 plain,
have softened my heart toward her.
almost-almost against my will I
love her, and yet must see her suffer.
If I might only pray death to be
quick in coming. Oh, my father!
could you but behold her now, YOU
would, I know, in pity both to her
and to me, release me from mE I'M
natural bondage."