Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-08-01
THE HEIRESS OF ARNE
BY Author Of Dora Thorne."

From the first moment | beheld he
knew my fate. ! was to love deeply
hopelessly, and in silence, until dealt
should end my life.
She was the loveliest girl far or neal
bright and beautiful-born to VIII
and to rule, to charm and to govern
/, who loved her, was but a poor &c
pendent in her uncles house; she was
heiress of Arne.
The Stuarts of Arne were an old and
honorable race. For many generations
Arne Hall had been their home, and
for many years they had been the
leaders Of country society. Some OF
the race had inteTmalTied with neigh
boring families; but the StuartS OF
Arne kept themselves aloof from all
but those whom they considered their
equals. They Were a naughty race.
But L should not speak Of their faults,
for they were kind enough to ne. My
father, Robert Lyndon, WAS the college
friend of Hugh Stuart, the present
master at Arne. They We're INSOFAR
able; it was one Of those rare cases OF
true and tried friendship that last
through life and end only with death.
Hugh Stuart, when his college career
ended, found himself, master Of no
Bile estate, wealthy and popular; but
all went wrong with my father. He
married, and his beloved wife died,
leaving me a feeble, puny infant.
Nothing proSpered with him; poverty
and misfortune overwhelmed him.
Worn out with the struggle, tired of a
life that brought him nothing but S9r-
row, he died, and then Hugh Stuart
took charge Of me rs of son. lie
sent me to Elton and to Oxford, he
made over to ne the sum of two thou
sand pounds, which brought me in q
settled income, and them he offered
me a post that | was only too pleased
to fill-that Of secretary and factotum
/ arranged the library, kept his ac-
counts. wrote his letters, and often
gave orders for what was wanted on
the estate. Had | been his own SON,
Hugh Stuart could not have treated me
more kindly. 1t WasWhen went to the
hall that | saw for the first time
Beat Stuart. the heiress Of Arne
| had spent my holidays with Hugh
Stuart often enough, but they had al
ways fallen when she was away at
schOol-during the last three years she
had been in Paris-and now her uncle
introduced her as his heiress.
People often wondered why he never
married. | knew. Hugh Stuart had al
ways expected to be master Of Araa.
He mad had an eide" brother, Ralph,
and, when boys, Uhey both fell deeply
in love with a fair and coquetish
daughter Of a reighborirg Squire-klte
Leigh. she smiled or both for a time
but when an eligible suitor, Captain
Bonn with a handsome face aud large
fortune appeared. Kate dismissed her
bOy-loverS with few light words.
Hugh bore his sorrow patiently,
Ralph ran away to sea; he was heard
of once as having reached India, and
then a dire silence, as of death, fell
over the Young heir of Arne. His
father. Richard Stuart. sent out trUsty
messengers to seek the wanderer and
bring him home; but all was in vain.
There came in after years q rumOr
that young Stuart of Arne had died in
that far-off land. but his father never
knew whether it was true or false.
Ralph vowed, When he left home. that
none belonging to him should ever see
or hear of him again. His hatred of
Kate Leigh. who had lured him on 70
lnvn bar. on1 +hnr 1aro-had i'm his faon
was bitter; and he could not forgive
the brother who had loved her as well
as he had himself. He had no reason
for leaving his poor father to suffer
long years of sorrow and suspense;
but Ralph was of 4 violent and unf0r-
giving nature; suffering himself, he
cared little what he inflicted upon
others When, in due course, Richard
Stuart died Hugh. my fathers friend,
after every effort had been made TO
find the elder son, took possession of
the estate of Arne.
He had one sister. a gentle. amiable
girl. who married a distant relative,
Captain Stuart, brave soldier, VINO
died as soldiers should die, leaving 4
stainless and honorable name behind
him. The young widow and her baby
girl came then to live with Hugh Stu
art at the hall The mother died. more
of a broken heart than of any bodily
ailment. and Mr.. Stuart took charge
of the little Beatrice and brought her
UP as his own.
He sent her to school in England
and then for three years in Paris
When Beatrice Stuart came to take
her place amongst us, she was an &C.
complished and elegant girl.
Hugh was very proud of his niece
On the evening Of her arrival he stood
looking at her for some minutes in 81
lence.
"You will do honor to the Stuarts
Beatrice" he said then. in his quie
way. Her face was lily-like in it
beauty: dark hair lustrous as the win:
of some rare bird. eXQuisitely chiselet
features, sensitive lips, a tall graceful
figure. and royal bearing combined t,
render the heiress of Arne a beautiful
girl.
| laughed at my own 'presumptiol
then: l laugh at it now. Nevertheless
it is true that from the first moment
saw Beatrice Stuarts face | loved he
as deeply and truly as though l ha,
known and worshiped her all of m
life
INT Of do