Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-10-21

away so long. He will get up to mischief.
| Young men are not to be trusted. If he
were like your dear father"
"What right have I, mother, to ques-
| ton the comings and goings of Mr.. Ewell,
or anybody else? He has rich relations;
perhaps he is staying with them. You
know he often goes to his cousin, Sir Rob
ert Ewell, of Lambscote."
Il don't believe it, Jane! He has left
the cottage because you put clean sheets
on his bed"
"My dear motherv'
| cit is the truth; saw you do it. The
| best linen sheets, too. Why is Mr.. Ewell
| to have linen sheets and Mr. Cobble only
cotton?'
| The girl laughed, though uneasily.
| Il thought the best sheets should go
with the best floor. However, I will
equalize my favors in future"
"And you darn his socks, too" contin-
ued Mrs. Warner, in tone of injury,
pointing to her daughters work basket;
"and Miss Prosser says she would be
only too thankful to be helped with her
needle-work.'
Il never undertook to help Miss Pros
SER" interrupted Jane, proudly.
At that moment the postman's knock
sounded on the door, and, hurrying
through the hall, Jane received letter
addressed to herself, and hid it in the
pocket Of her apron before she returned to
the dining-room.
There was no need. Mrs. Warmers
temporary fit Of natural curiosity had al
ready evaporated, and she was busily en-
ployed busting the shells and stuffed birds
and talking to the portrait Of her husband
as if it had been a sentient thing; so Jane
found no difficulty in escaping once more
to the garden, and there devoured the
contents Of her letter. It did not take long
to read, but it contained startling inteili-
gence.
"My Dearest Jane: have been so full
Of business the last week have had no
time to write to you; but l shall be home
tomorrow or next day, if only for an
hour. l have unexpected news for you.
My cousin, Sir Robert, and his boy were
carried off by diphtkeria, within few
hours of each other, last week. This
event, as you will guess, brings the title
and estates to me; but beg you will not
mention the circumstance in the house I'M
til have seen you.
Il remain, yours lovingly, w. E."
''P. S.-By the way, if that brute
Knowles comes bothering about his bill
again, refer him to Mr.. Parfitt, 33 Com
mentary Inn. And send me couple Of
clean shirts and etceteras to the Albany
Hotel in cab, as soon as ever you re-
ceive this, there's a dear girl"
Jane read this epistle more than cnce
before she fully comprehended the as
founding fact it conveyed to her, and the
difference that fact made in the fortunes
of N7llfrid Ewell.
"a baronet!' she kept on repeating
wonderingly to herself, whilst the night
moths flew about her, and the dark rapid
perusing "a baronet!Sir Wlfrid
Ewell! land to live at that lovely place,
Lambscote, of which he has told me so
much! and to have all Sir Roberts car
riages and horses and hot-houses! Oh,
it seems too good to be true! I cannot
believe it,
And then her thoughts turned with
womanly compassion and tenderness to
the dead man, whom she had never seen,
and his young widow.
poor Sir Robert she whispered soft
ly, whilst the tears rose to her eyes. "How
sad for Lady Ewell to lose him and her
little boy both in one day! How misera-
bic she must be! l wonder Will says SO
little of them both. He has such a kind
heart, surely he must feel his cousins
sudden death. Perhaps he feels it so
much he has not the courage to put his
feelings into words. How wish it was
in my power to do anything to comfort
Lady Ewell now"
But here James mind, always practical,
remembered her correspondents request
for clean shirts, and she went up stairs
and packed the articles, and carried them
herself to the nearest cab-stand, last
the servant should decipher the new
address. and talk about it. And, us she
walked back in the dark, there was a
new light (Which might almost have been
deemed triumphant in her eyes, as she
kept on repeating to herself:
"Sir Wilfrid Ewell, of Lambscote! Sir
Wilfrid and Lady Ewell, Of Lambscote!
Oh it is impossible! It cannot be true
1t will be days and days before am able
to believe it,
CHAPTER II.
The advent of these unexpected honors