Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-02-06

older" said the girl, quickly, with a
flash Of intuition which almost startled
Lancelot. The smile left his lips, his
eye deepened, his color changed.
/ feel older than l did, you are
right" he said, and paused for a mo-
ment, as if to consider the nature of
the change. For the year had turned
him from a schoolboy into a young
man, to Madeline's simple eyes, his
growth was accentuated by the pres
ence Of a mustache, clearly marked
now above his mobile lips. He seemed
immeasurably older and grander than
herself.
'And you, Miss Madeline" said Ian
celot, coming out of his brown study
and looking at her attentively, what
have you been doing, I should like to
know? You are ever so much taller
than when | saw you last And you
tie your hair back with a ribbon and
gin to look quite grown-up young
lady,
ooh, no. I am only a child; I am
only just 15," interposed Madeline,
hurriedly.
Nevertheless, you too, are more
Shall we sit down on this garden seat?
I want a long chat, Madeline; do you
think Miss Joyce would be shocked il
I stayed here to lunch or took you
out for a walk?"
''She is away, but I'm afraid you
must not do that. Shall we sit down
in that nook by the WALTZ" pointing
to a sheltered corner. 'It is quite
warm there, one does not feel the wind
a Bit"
She moved toward the garden wall
where as she said, there was a shelf
cred little nook. She seated herself
Oh the bench and Lance threw him
self down beside her.
LancelOt looked at her in silence for
a r,;nute or two before speaking
again. How pretty she was growing
How Altogether sweet and lovely
There was an exquisite fineness about
her traits, which he had never seen
he thought, in any other face, save
perhaps Gle.
81 have it now,"he exclaimed aloud
rather to Madeline's establishment. 81
never knew.
"Wbat?''
81 was puzzled some time ago by a
resemblance in-in my mothers face
to some one that [ had seen. 1t must
have been you, Madeline. You are like
my mother. I am so glad"
''How curious? She is fair, then? p
every fair-and very beautiful too
His eyes said that Madeline was
beautiful too. But she did not under
stand.
''She has golden hair-like yours,
he went on. ''It must have been like
yours when she was younger. OF
course it does not shine quite so much
now. And you have eyes like hers
too. Have you any foreign relations
Madeline? [ want to account for this
wonderful liken ess. My mother is q
Pole; you have no Polish blood in your
veins, have your
"Not that I know Of" said Madeline
laughing frankly. My father is Eng
lish and my mother, you know, was
Gen. Armstrong; daughter. But it is
odd that you should ask me. Miss
Joyce said something of the same sort
to me the other day. Our dancing mis-
tress said that l did not move like an
English girl I don't know what she
meant"
''She meant that you were far too
graceful for an ordinary English girl
said Lancelot, laughing. But about
your father, dear; where is hep
|"You have no idea" began Lance
lot hesitatingly, but he never finished
the sentence.
81 said I did not know" said Made
line with a patient dignity which went
to Lance's heart. ct is only Miss
Joyce and people like her who don't
believe me-" {.
'Forgive me-" Lancelot murmured.
'T did not mean it. You know [ did
not I want o help you, that is all
You are not angry with me, Made
line?'
mo, I am not angry; only-it makes
me so sad when people won't believe
me-" said the girl, turning her flower
like delicate face toward the sunny
garden beds. ''They distrust me, be-
cause they distrust my father; and it
is hard I think sometimes how de-
lightfu1 it would be if my father were
to come back, quite unexpectedly and
prove to them that he could not pos
sibly have got back before and tat he
was quite rich and could pay every
body and take me away from school,
"These are day-dreams, DEAR said
Lancelot, softly, as she paused with
quivering lips.
81 know they are. But l have moth
ing else"
Madeline, it won't always be so.
Some day things will be better for you
better for me, too
why should you want things to be
better for you? Haven't you every
thing you can wish for? You have a
father and mother and home-every-
thing 1 have lost, you know. You
ought to be happy"
Lancelot sighed and turned away.
He did not like to divulge the secret
unhappiness of that stately home at
Aldersleigh.
Il do not think I shall stay at home
much longer" he said, after a short
silence. Men have to go out into the
world"
Are you going to be a soldier, like