The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-10-15
CHAPTER X

cry day were spent with Gabriel Werner.
lie was old and feeble, and sometimes
pfosy, but he was a mine of information:
he loved learning for learnings sake, and |
ne loved Stella. He carried on her edll-
cation from the point at which Lord Lash
mar had left off. He cultivated her love
OF the classics, reading Homer, and Virgil
and Horace with her again and again,
dwelling on the passages he loved, in
graining their beauties into the very mind
of his pupil. He taught her French and
German, and together they read the class
les of both languages. They had nothing
to distract them from their books, no vis-
itors, no pleasures. In summer time they
sat i'll quiet spot OH the edge of the river.
little nook below the towing path, out
Of every ones way, under willow which
Lashmar, had loved. In winter they sat
opposite each other by the trinity kept
hearth, like two old cronies.
She spent at least half of every day in
Lady Lashmars rooms, and was often
summoned late at night to sit beside her
ladyship's bed and read till three or four
O'Clock il, the morning. She performed
her task with cold placidity which was
agreeable to the high-bred dowager, who
dctestel fuss and would have been dis
gusted by servility or officiousness. Later
on Lady Lashmar allowed her slave to
| write all her letters to Indifferent persons,
and sometimes even Il letter of friendship,
but the :,manuensis was never employed
in writing to her ladyship's son. Those
letters were always in the mothers pen
manShip.
Stella had filled this Office for nearly
two years and had been of the utmost
! r L..
dowager had but in the smallest measure
relented of her original aversion from her
stcpson's protege. She used her as a
companion and slave, but she never forgot
4 that this thoughtful looking girl with
the large dark eyes was Jonathan Bold
woods daughter, and that the venom of
| .adicalism ran in those blue veins which
showed il: such delicate tracery upon the
slim white hands and on the ivory pallor
of the forehead. The old prejudice still
existed in full force, and the dowager
in no wise relaxed her hautcur because
Stella Boldwood had become useful to
| her. In her inmost heart she was angry
with the girl for the very gifts which
made her an invaluable companion. She
resented that force of character which
had enabled the child-dcpcnlent to rise
superior to her surroundings and to make
herself Il lady in manners and superior
to most ladies in education. She was
angry at that native grace Which gave
elegance even to the black nlerino gown
which was the livery of servitude. Moth
ing cOald rugariZe Stella or reduce her
to the level of her ladyship's other de-
pcndentS.
| 1T was the end of September and Lord
| I nSbt 1ntn nf n icft bni
visitors were expected at the castle. some
| intent on the slaughter Of the phea SAINTS,
others only desiring rest and respite after
the fati.ues OF a London season. Among
these latter was Mr.. Ncstorus, the great
party leader, original and chief of that
political sect which was known as the
Movement Party, who, having retired
from public life, finally, after the defeat Of
his ministry, now, like Dantes swimmer
looked back breathless. after striving
with the waves. upon the raging sea OF
politics from the calm shore of domcs
ITCHY.
Nestolius had been q protcge of Lady
pi1land when his brilliant career WAS il
it's dawn, and the friendship with thai
wonderful old lady and her family ha(
never been interrupted, albeit their politi
cal opinions were as the poles asundcr
And now that the politicians distinguish
. ed career was a closed book. and that Ii,
had Withdrawn into the haven of privat,
life. without the faintest intention of eve
retitting his damaged craft, again 10 en-
counter the buffets of ocean, it pleased
Lady Lashmar that the great man shoult
euioy some portion of his well-carned Ieis
urc under her roof.
Lord Lashmar arrived, fresh from /:
Yachting excursion in the Jebrides
bronZed and bearded, broad shouldercd
muscular, the manifest of young men
with a fresh open air look about him, We
intellectual withal. 1t was fine face
as even Stella was fain to confess to her
self as she withdrew from the morning
!, room after his lordship''s arrival, leavin
. mother and son together.
Yes, it was fine face. but far from
plca sant face, Stella thought. There wa
the naughty expression of his grandmott
cr's old Northumbran race-the Fitz Ro
los-who claimed to be descended in q d
, rect line from those Norsemen who swooI
ed like Il flock of sea birds on that blca
Goa st in the dim beginning of English his
tory.
He gave her distant bow as she passc
: him, salutation which she acknowledge
: with an almost imperceptible bend of til
e long, slim throat, while the look in thos
f dark eyes Of hers expressed absolute dis
e like She had not forgotten his partin
0 speech in the library seven years ago. G
A the air ith which lie had flung open til
q door and told her to march," He woul
e tell her to march again, perhaps, if sh
C should happen to be in his way at an
e time. This was the first time they tw
r had rlet face to face since that day.
/. He looked after her wonderinsly ii
d the po,tierc fell behind her and he an
d his mother were alone.
r Your protcge has improved he sale
Ii "She is not half so ugly as she was seve
g years ago"
: pray don't call her my protege. io
e know she is a legacy from poor Huber
It an incubus which his Quixotislu has il
p posed upon me"
II ..But l take it she is useful to you {
YOU would have sent her about her bus