Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-02
Continued.

COuIlHu6u
Il think Col Vanbrugh is delight
fuI." she said, presently.
Yes. he's a dear old man. 1t was
nice Of him to ask us
"Dear-oId-man?" said Lady Fran
ces. opening her hazel eyes. why.
Connie. he's not bit old"
"He has son older than either of
u.s."
But he married very young; heard
mother say so. He is not 40 yet and
Tazother says that is not at all old, al
though it may seem SO to girls like
U.s."
What a good little child you are"
said Constance, trifie scornfully. ITO
1hink just as your mother bids you"
How else should I think?" inquired
Frances, with a flash of anger. Mother
il he best judge, | believe she's the
incest mother in the world
EShe is very nice, l know that. You
see. Frances, l haven't a mother and
it sometimes seems so odd to me to see
YOU so fond of-of an older person.
Now, there's Aunt Selma. l am not at
all fond of her"
"Oh, Connie"
why do you say oh, Connie?' Why
should | like her? She is as hard as
d stone, she cares for nobody but her
self. The only comfort in going back
70 school is to get away from her"
And the full red lips assumed the sui
len pout which seemed so natural to
them she would have kept ME away
from the garden party if Col. Vanbrugh
had not persuaded her to let me come
II am glad you came" said Frances,
trying deXterously to evade the sub
ject Nobody could refuse Col. Van
brugh anything, | am sure of that
Constance gave her a curious, side
long look and sat silent a moment be-
fore resuming the conversation Then
she said, carelessly:
Il wonder if his wife is still liying?"
His wife" said little Lady Frances.
He has no wife,
ooh, yes, he has But they don't
get on well together. There was a
dreadful quarrel between them years
ago, and they say that Col Vanbrugh
was a perfect brute
Constance, how can you say such
things?"
''Ah, thought you were making him
into hero said Constance, tranquility
You take up such fancies, Frances;
you always did. Col. Vanbrugh is not
d saint"
He is like the cavalier picture, y
Frances cried, hotIy; Il don't believe
ne could do a cruel thing 1t is the
same gentle, yet resOIute face, the
grave, sad eyes of the picture in their
gallery-and Sir Rupert was one of the
best and brayest men who ever lived"
It's just IS well that you should
know he is married." said Constance.
with a little sneer. You would be
falling in love with him next
This was just another of the speeches
which Lady Frances was TOO refined
and too right-minded 10 approve Of.
and she flushed to the very roots Of
her haIr and set her pretty lips tight
70 keep down a passionate Tetort. At
school she would probably not have re-
strained herself, but she remembered
that Constance was her guest and the
SNOt AAAtAliAlNio NhIGii bCiOLI$5SN W ISE
race taught her to keep silence Con-
stance understood the silence perfectly
and laughed to herself; she had no
sympathy with what she called Lady
Frances airs" The two girls scarcely
spoke again until the end c. their
drive
Aldarsleigh manor was an old, gray
house, standing in the midst of ex-
tensive but not very well kept grounds
II was a stately building, and the old
ness CT its color was hidden by 81
mantle of ivy, the deep green leaves
of which were kept with difficulty from
oyershadowing too much the mulIioned
windows and darkening the rooms. For
all that the ivy was a cherished pos
session and considered one of the chief
glories of Aldersleigh.
The Nanbrughs were not rich. For
many years the family had been i'm
poYeriShed. through reckless eXtrav-
aganCe of one of its members. and
when the estate came into Roger Vnn-
brugh's possession it was in an exceed
tngly involved state. His advisers said
70 him; Let the house" But this was
just what he was resolved not to do
The dear old house should never be
profaned by the feet of strangers
Rather would he stick to his profess
sion, go out to India, leave his boy
30 spend holidays and play times with
friends at the manor with tutor and
shut up the house when it was not
wanted. Thus it came about that Lam
,celot had for years spent part of his
life at the house, while his father was
in India, and that it was something
OF an event when the master of the
estate arrived and showed that he
wished TO make the manor take its
former place among the great houses
of the county. For he was rich now.
an old relation had left him his whole
fortune and there was no reason why
he should not live at home
There was just one obstacle to his
success. Nothing very much. Nothing
but rltmor-an old story, welI-nigh
forgotten. But there are people who
will not let anything be forgotten. and
Roger Vanbrugh had not perhaps suf-
3ciently reckoned upon this fact.
CHAPTER V.
A Pair Of Friends.