The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-10-19


tity-'
You always say that when | come
home for the holidays. Other people are
served well all the year round. You
might put them on short commons tor
once when / am here.
ooh, Miss Garment said the house
keeper, reproachfully.
Nov Margaret, if you've done, We'll
go and see something of this rusty old
place. But come up to my room first,
it's the best in the house, | take good
care of that, and whilst you are here
we'll share it together" and before the
servant could demonstrate against the
proceeding, the two girls ran out OF the
dining room together.
To Margaret OReilly Abbotsville ap-
peared as something which she had
only dreamed of and never seen. The
broad staircases, carpeted with velvet
pile and ornamented with marble stat
ues placed in inches in the wall, the
long corridors, the suites of rooms, the
lofty stained glass windows, all COM
bined to inspire her with awe.
II never saw such beautiful house
in my life, Carmen" she said. Does 1t
all belong to your uncle?"
eyes, of course, and it will be mine
after him.
eff you're good, you mean
eff I'm good or bad! The property
is left so. My father was the younger
brother, so, if uncle had had child, it
would have gone to her or him, instead.
AS it is, I'm the only one, and it all
comes to me-"
and Sir Frederic has no children,
them"
mo, thank heaven"
"Why do you say that? Would you
not have liked to have cousin?"
"Why, you goose, If / had, | should
not have been the heiress. Don't you
see?"
IT forgot that Still, it seems sad.
And that your father and mother should
be dead, and Sir Frederic's wife, too.
And no one but you and he left
We've got accustomed to it, my dear.
But look here Maggie, don't get talk
ing in this way before uncle, because
he had child once, and it died"
ooh, how grieved he must have BEEN"
webb says he nearly went mad, and
I believe he did, quite, for he's the
queerest mortal you ever saw. He's
got a picture of Aunt Florence in his
dressing room, all covered up, and no
one is ever allowed to see it but himself.
But here's our bedroom. 1t opens out
upon balcony. which is rather pleas
ant in warm weather, but quite the re-
verse in cold. However, the weather is
warm now, so let us be thankful"
She threw herself indolently upon
the bed as she spoke and Margaret
passed through one of the glass doors
into the balcony beyond. Such bower
of sweets as it was! The purple wis
terra entwined it's branches with pale
yellow honeysuckle, and banksia roses
hung in clusters amid the light green
delicious leaves of the Virginian creep
er The balcony appeared to extend the
whole side of the house, and was evil
IDENTIFY modern addition to the an
cient structure of Abbotsville; but at
either end of that part of it, outside the
room in which the girls were to sleep,
was erected a wire fence or barrier, that
shut it off from the remainder and on
the other side of which hung blinds of
striped linen.
How cozily this part of the veran-
da is shut in said Margaret, as she
leaned over the ratings; why is it sep
arated from the rest, Carmen?-and
why is that end of it shaded by awnings
in front ?"
ITO keep out the sun, you goose
The creepers don't grow there, you see,
and so it requires shading"
"There are people talking! ex-
claimed Margaret in a tone of awe. II
thought you said there was no one in
the house but ourselves
Goodness me, child! how matter-of
fact you are," replied Carmen as she
jumped off the bed and pulled her COM
panion into the room. Come in here
and talk to me, instead of listening
to what the servants say. Those are
my uncle's apartments and he shuts
himself in because he particularly dis
likes being overlooked or overheard"
"Oh, am so sorry" said Margaret.
Il hope he did not hear me talking to
you
ITO BE CoNTINUED.)