Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-12-03
CHAPTER III.

Stella sunk back on the soft cushions
of the carriage, with the feeling that she
was in a new and exciting world. Mr..
Raeburn presently began to ask her short,
dry questions about her journey and her
life abroad, and this sort of conversation
lasted until the carriage swept round to
the door of Mr.. Raeburn's new residence
-Thornbank
She was hardly prepared for the solid
magnihcence of the mansion into which
her father now conducted her; the broad
stone steps, the spacious hall lined with
marble figures and exotic plants, the big
pictures and flaming chandeliers of the
room in which her aunt met her, struck
her with establishment, but not altogether
with admiration. She had seen too much
of really good art and fine architecture in
her travels to be anything but CRITICAL
and, in spite of her wish to like everything
in her fathers house, she felt oppressed
by the blaze of light and the glaring
colors of the furniture. 1t seemed incon-
gruous, too, to see her aunt's old-fash-
toned little figure hurrying toward her
between velvet hangings and ormulu
stands and all this strange new para
phernaia of wealth. Only when Miss
Jacky had taken the slim young figure in
her arms. and was kissing the girls fresh
cheek with a sort of rapturous delight,
did Stella feel that she was really at
home, in spite of the cold and bewilder-
ing splendor of the house.
'IIh, my bonny. woman" cried Miss
Jacquetta, with a little shrek of delight,
land it's you that are back again after
all this weary while. And me and your
papa have just been wearying for a sight
of you"
Il Stella's vague dissatisfaction with the
state of affairs in the new home, which
she had scarcely yet learned to call her
own, did not survive a glimpse of the sun
light which greeted her next morning in
her lovely little room. After breakfast
her father went to his place of business,
leaving Stella to make explorations of her
new home in company with her aunt
Her heart began to beat little more
quickly as the afternoon advanced.
Would Mr.. Harrington come, or would
he not? She had gently to combat her
aunts proposition that they should go
into the town together, do some shopping,
and pay some calls.
Mr.. Harrington made his appearance,
in his leisurely London way, a little be-
fore the stroke of five, but the call was
short and rather formal. 1t ended in an
invitation to dinner two days later, which
Miss Jacky was as proud to be able to
give as Mr.. Harrington was pleased to
accept She had been exceedingly pleased
when Mrs. LINDSAY had called, for the
Lyndsays were great people in the com
mercial world; and she could not help
letting out her pleasure with a certain
ARRANGEMENT in which Stella had been
concerned.
$50 kind of them, you know, Mr.. Han
nington." she said, simply, while Stella
blushed hotly and wished that she could
Law her finger over her aunt's mouth.
'.For I'm sure | said to myself, what's
yon'-von meant Stella, in this case
s.but a poor, wee .lassie that's just come
home from school, and must wait awhile
before she makes friends with her nee
hors, Wait awhile? Not she! She
hadn't been home day before Mrs.
LINDSAY and her two girlies came to call
for her.
..To go out with them?" said Hanning-
ton. who did not quite understand.
Not to-day" she said; they just call
cd for her to-day out of pure friendliness,
so to speak; but tomorrow she IS TO go
ont with them for the afternoon II 1t is a
fine day, because Stella says that she
has never seen BalmerlnO, MI. tanning
ton. and they are to make party and
drive her over; because. you know, Bal
n,erino is a place that ought to be seem
Harrington smiled. Did the girl
toll her anut to let me know he said
20 himself. ''Women do these things
sometimes. She is not very skiiiful at
setting traps as yet, poor little tning:
won't fail her, however: VIII De at BAL
merino tomorrow, too!
The resolution showed now httie ne un II
derstood the motives that actuated oteila
Raeburn.