Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-08-08


uncle" he said, ''and then you can ar
range those matters we We're speaking
of; perhaps, after all, | shall say moth
ing about the back rents, and as for
mN cousin here, if she behaves herself
and will marry the young lord, why,
she shall not go empty handed. can
say no fairer than that"
Still No word from Bea trice Stuart
only an involuntary clasp Of the white
jeweled hands.
Il have no wish to be hard on any
Cne,' he continued, looking round with
a Would-be anicable smile "0f
course, uncle, you need never leave the
hail; let it always be your home And
you, Lyndon, need not go until you
have found something or other in the
Shape of situation"
l offered him no thanks, made no re-
mark
"Of course you know" he continued,
/ turning TO Beatrice, you can stay
mere until You are maried-that is,
unless you happen to see some one you
like as well as Lord Hardley. | shall
not be here after tomorrow-I am 60
ing to Paris, and shall be absent two
mOnths-but everything can so on as
it is until my return. And now, say.
Beatrice, in return for all my good
nature, give lis a song
/ But the young lady rose in a digni-
+ fed manner and quilted the room.
L rather like her PRIDE he said,
with a quiet kind of chuckle: 'Fbut il
will have a fall-such pride always
! does
That night, long after the other in
mates of the Hall were wrapped in
! slumber, the squire, Beatrice and my
self sat in sad and solemn council.
beatrice was especially indignant:
nothing, she declared, should induce
, her TO remain under the roof of Ralph
! Stuart
'tAnd you, dear uncle" she said,
! will be wretched; you will never be
/ able to exist with thus man: his yul-
| garlty and meanneSS combined will
! kill you"
I'VE have settled matters" remarked
MIR. Stuart, quietly. My amicable
nephew spoke, when he first came. of
! expecting ME to refund al l had spent
which you know is impossible. B11t
L have my portion AS younger brother
somewhere about three hundred q wear
and shall leave Arne as soon as 1
can, and take a little house of INV own
| Beatrice, you must come with me. and
! Paul too if he will
Then he told us how Martin. the Old
! outler, had recognized Ralph at once,
ana OF the great CONSERVATION among
the servants, especially those who had
known Ralph the elder. His son
Drought full particulars of his life and
death. DIT appeared that he had moi
oeen very fortunate man and mis- heir
hungered greedily after the wealth Of
Arne
The gray morning had Gawned when
! our conclave broke I'D.
Let come what will" said Hurn
Stuart to his niece, you are safely
provided for. Lord Hardley will want
to hurry the MARRIAGE
"A placid smile passed over the bean
t.iful face.
Good night, Paul. she said to mo
1 ann plain Beatrice Stuart now. M
longer the heiress of Arne."
1t was settled that Mr.. Stuart sbould
go over In the morning and tell Lord
Hardley himself what had happened.
! RALPH Stuart left us on the following
Day. L went with him to the station,
! ana he was intolefably patronizing.
'Good-by, Lyndon he said. Sorry
! to turn you all out and make such a
| dreadful upset; but a man must claim
his own, you know SO we parted.
and never met again.
/ Mr.. Stuart rode over to Har.dIev
WHAT passed between him and Rea-
! frIces betrothed husband I never
heard; but when he returned he
seemed perfectly satisfied
WAS Lord Hardley surprised9, T
asked him.
Not very" Was the reply; she said
very little, remarking, however. that
1T was an awkward thing to have rela-
! tlYes turning up when they were not
wanted"
All that day l saw Bea trice Smart
! watching for her lover. Nv face
bushes hotly now with the anger |
felt then. For the first time since he
had known her twepty-four hours
elapsed without his appearing.
EARLY the next morning the LAWYER
Fhat Ralph Stuart had named came
| down. 1t was terribly humilia ting TO
see him making an inventory of our
household GODS and placing seals
upon drawers and cupboards: by every
means in his power he compelled lis to
realize that we were but intruders.
Every act of arrogance and nettv
tyranny he prefaced by saying. s.Nr
Ralph Stuart wished it,
The humiliationS of that day were
not ended yet. The morning passed
and he who had so assiduously wooed
the heireSS of Arne did not appear.
All was confusion at the Hall, and to-
ward evening | asked Beatrice if she
would come into the garden. She
looked pale and anxious AS we
walked up and down amid the flowers,
vivid i'll the autumn beauty, we talked
of the dull, dreary change that had
come upon Arne, and of the sad days
likely to be in store if Ralph Stuart
resembled his father. While we were
so talking, Martin came down the path
holding letter in mis- land.
prom Lord Hardle.y, MISS he said;