The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-10-08
CHAPTER yII-(Continued,

CHAPTER VII.-(Continued,)
One morning he let the shooters start
vithout him, and strolled across the park
nd through the fields to the hall, which
ras about a mile and n half from the
astle. He wanted to see Clarice in the
osom of her family, to see whether her
Surroundings were too terrible, the
athcr too suggestive Of the original bar
ow. He had seen very little of the Dane
rocks in his boyhood. The passion for
Clarice was new craze of her ladyship's
The hall was everything which the cas-
lc was not. 1t had been built five and
wenty years before, in the midst of a
evel expanse of meadow land, which
uring that quarter of a century had been
process Of education into park. But
s there had been very few old trees to
begin with, the park was still barren, a
waste of level turf with new plantations
otted about ut intervals. A fine carriage
rive went from the lodge gates to the
lall door, surely the most uninteresting
rive in the country.
Mrs. DGnebrook had just come in from
Ter conseryatories, where she shipped off
he dead leaves and damaged few of
Ehe plants every morning under the delu-
ion that she was helping the head gar
ener. She was large, placid woman
Eith small, regular features, which must
bave once been like those of Clarice. She
vas very fair, with the lily-like fairness
pf her daughter. and she had f1axen hair,
which her daughter had carried out in
Eicher and warmer tint of golden brown.
The daughter seemed to Lashmar to be
refinement upon the mother, but he
old himself that as the mother was, the
laughter might be five and twenty years
hence.
While Lashmar was dawdling in the
norninS-room, turning over pile of new
bowels and discussing their contents with
Clarice, Mr.. Danebrook came in from his
hodel farm, fresh and breezy as the Oc-
ober morning itself and bringing with
him that compound odor Of pigsty and
table which hovers about the person of
mateur agriculturists and in which they
apparently delight.
They went in to luncheon, and Lash
par, who had rather despised Clarice for
+ Ter stay-at-home metropolitan habits, for
Iave her when he compared her pure and
9elicate beauty with the bronzed and
seathcr-beaten countenance and rough
ened hnir Of the typical country-bred
1amsel.
After luncheon Lashmar proposed that
Clarice should walk to the castle with
him. and although Mrs. Danebrook would
hardly have seen the fitness of such a
proposition from Il commoner, she was
willing to stretch the proprieties just a
Aittle for the sake of q noble admirer and
TO allow her daughter to stroll across the
Fields unchaperoned. So Lashmar and
Clarice went across those rich Middle
shlre pastures, as gaily as Phyllis and
Strephon, in the sweet half-consciousness
of dawring love. and We're received most
feraciously by her ladyship.
Lashmar and Clarice went off to the
Etennis ground and began a set without
&delay. They played two sets and then
&wcnt wandering off towards the Italian
garden. which was at the other end of the
fcastle. out of Lady Lashmar's ken. 1t
was upon the garden that the late Lord
Lashmar's rooms opened. Clarice loiter-
Eed to look in at one of the windows of
the library.
"Oh, what noble room!'' she cried,
peering in at the spacious apartment, with
white marble busts which cleaned in the
i shadowy interior. The room seemed in
half darkness as seen from the bright
clear light of the garden. "Do you know
that | have never seen the famous Lash
mar library:' she said, looking back at
Lashmnr. II should like to see it,
Then you shall,' he answered cheer
lily. Strange that her ladyship should
never have taken YOU in to look at the
Old Books of Hours and such like valuable
rubbish. But the room has very sad as
socintions FOR her, on account of my
brother He almost spent his life in that
roonl.'
Yes. ] know. How very good and
sweet he was-such a lovely, mournful
face. l only saw him two or three times,
but ! thought him SO nice. He spoke so
kindly. lie had such beautiful manner.
What became of that pretty little dark
eyed girl he adopted? l saw her with him
one day: such All interesting little thing"
"oh. she is still here, l believe. some
where in the housekeeper's quarters"
Lashmar answered carelessly.
They went in at the glass door, which
opened into the late Lord Lashmar's sit
tng-room. Nothing in this or any of his
rooms had been altered since his death.
Her ladyship meant to have a general
turnout Of everything and u complete re-
arrangement of these rooms later on,
when the sharp, sad feeling of recent
"''ll SuOulu nave worn away. SnC was
not altogether without feeling upon the
subject; though she had always wished
for Hubert's early death as the best posi-
bile arrangement Providence could make
Tor everybody, dear Hubert himself in
rluded
Clarice looked at the room with a
mournfnl air. Suddenly in the midst of
her contemplat ton of the room, she gave a
little start and touched Lashmar lightly
on the wrist
What is that?'' she whispereu.
That was small fragile figure a
httle girl in black frock, sitting at the
1urther end of the room, perched high
up on Il library ladder, reading big
volume which it was as much as her
small hands and thin little arms could
90 to hold in it's place, hugged against
her STOPPING chest.
BY Jove" exclaimed Lashmar, ut is
,he veSy Child you were talking Of, poor
HnDcits protege," and he went to the
OINer end of tho room followed by Clar.