Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-01-16

pecial friend and [ give notice to you
alI''-raising her clear voice-'that if
any one DULLES her that person will
have to deal with me-"
And as Lady Frances was power
in her own little world, the rising tide
of contempt for poor Madeline was
stayed
But in private, if not in public, she
was made to feel herself the inferior
Of Constance Esler, who never lost an
opportunity of haunting her with her
fathers position and poverty. Lady
Esler had not taken Constance into her
confidence on the subject, but she felt
too strongly about it to be altogether
silent and the girl was clever enough
to put two and two together and draw
her own conclusions. She knew a good
Geal more about Madeline than Lady
Esler imagined and was filled with
Jealous dislike to her.
-COnstance-was Lady Esler's
great-niece, Madeline was-or claimed
to be-the great-niece Of Lady Esler.
And it was Lady Esler who had the
Madeline to be her near relation and
took any sort of fancy to her, Con-
stances place in the Hurst household
might be seriously affected. She was
a worldly-minded girl, more calculat-
ing and more selfish than most girls
Of her age; and she vowed to herself
that she would do everything in her
becoming the favorite of Lady Esler.
eff she is ever taken to Hurst" Con-
stance said to herself, with vicious
compression of her lips, tshe shall
leave it in disgrace. I'll take good
care of that"
But there seemed at present no sign
that Madeline would ever be asked to
Hurst. For although Gen. Armstrong
acknowledged her as his granddaughter
and paid for her schooling-a fact
which Constance contemptuously
faunted in Madeline's face on every
CccasiOn-Lady Esler had made up her
mind to take no notice of her. And
Madeline, shrinking sensitively from
CCnstances taunts and gibes and jeers,
was not sorry. If Lady Esler were at
all like Constance she felt that it would
be impossible to live with her.
But for Constance Esler's presence in
the school, Madeline would have been
very happy She was pretty and clever
enough to win the admiration of the
other girls and amiable enough to Sc
cure their love; she was we'll dressed
and had plenty of pocket money and
her companions found her both kind
and generous. Then it was a great de-
light to her to learn. She had never
before had really good teaching and
her teachers all pronounced her talent
ed in every way. In music, in draw
ing, in language, in arithmetic even
that bugbear of schoolgirls made
rapid strides; and her grace of move
ment was so remarkable that the dane
ing mistress could hardly be persuaded
to believe that she was an English
girl.
Il have had a good deal of eXper
ience," she said, one day, to Miss
Joyce, as they watched Madeline per-
forming little Spanish dance which
none of the other pupils were consid-
cred sufficiently light and graceful to
learn, 'and | have never seen an Eng
lish girl like that. | have seen Pc
fish lady and an Austrian girl, who
could move in that way-oh, yes, and
Spanish girls can do it too-bUt a stiff
English girl"
ooh, l am sure that many of our
girls are very graceful, said Miss
Joyce, not without offense
"Oh, of cOurse-Of course. But they
have to be taught. Now, this child is
naturally graceful, she doesn't want
teaching. Mark my words, she is half
foreign by blood, whatever her friends
may say"
"On the contrary" said Miss Joyce,
with dignity, Il know her to be Eng
! lish on both Sides
Don't you believe it." said the dane
! ing mistress, who was free spoken in
| the extreme and sometimes a little
vulgar. She's not a gawky English
/ girl. She's got foreign ancestress in
! the background, you may bet your life
en- it,
Miss Joyce turned away in disgust
and the dancing mistress plunged for
ward to rectify a mistake in the move
ments of Madeline's slender feet. But
the schoolmistress afterward took an
opportunity of asking her pupil
whether her father was of foreign eX-
traction. Madeline replied that she did
not know, but she had never heard of
it. And Miss Joyce made a remark on
the folly of dancing mistresses, who
could not believe in the beauty and
grace of happy English girls"
q will ask father when ] see him
again. said Madeline to herself, with
a touch of wonder. ct never occurred
to me that I was not altogether Eng
lish. But I suppose I am English after
all. Father never told me anything
about his relations, although l heard a
good deal about the grandeur of my
mothers family. When | see him
again ] will ask him some questions
about his family too
But the questions were, with good