The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-10-01
'sella burst ieto tysterscal tcan of d.

Stella burst irto hysterfcal tears of DE-
light. -
She brought Stella half dozen books
that night in her apron. The key of the
tower rooms had been given up to Middle
nam, IN order that those rooms might be
duly swept and dusted and Betsy had got
the Key from that austere parsonage by
sheer artifice and had made her raid upon
the books-Nirgil and two grammars, the
Greek Fairy Tales and Chapman's Had
and volume of Wordsworth. The Lady
OF the Lake was richly illustrated quar-
to with splendid binding. Betsy could not
venture to remove so handsome and ostcn-
tatious book, lest my lady should come
on Il visit of inspection and that keen eye
of hers should note the disappearance of
the volume. The others were all shabby
little books which had seen hard usage.
Stella cried over these recovered treas
ures, in her tiny room with her dormer
easement looking toward the tree tops and
the stars. Her mind was refreshed and
soothed by the peaceful solitude of her
poor little room. Here there was no coarse
laughter. there were no cruel taunts. She
could hear the owls hooting in the park.
the dogs laying i'll the stable yard. That
was all She seemed to be far away from
everybody: and as she WAS altogether
fearless she loved her solitude.
And now this child of eleven years old
set herself with heroic patience to carry
on unaided and alone the education which
had been so cruelty interrupted by that
stern foe to progress, Death. With her
books and pen and ink and two or three
little ends of candle gurnered for her day
by day by tho faithful Betsy. Stella sat
LAT init l,., irbt ,,,l
Latin. happy even when her studies were
dryest at the thought that she was car
rying Oh the work her henefnctor had be-
gun.
When l see him in heaven I shall be
able to tell him what | have DONE she
said TO herself.
Lord Lashmar, the new lord. Victorian
had left for Vienna without ever having
looked Oh the little serf who had once
been his brothers darling. He was very
sorry TO have lost poor dear LASH as
he called him; but he felt not the slightest
interest in Lash's latest fad. Lash had
always been full of fads. poor dear boy
OF course her ladyship. would do all that
was best and wisest for the child.
You'll make Il sort of sem-gcnteel
waiting lGaid of her, l suppose he said,
lightly: 'have her taught to clean your
laces and make your caps-whenever the
day comes that you take to caps.''
Perhaps that will not be till l an, a
grandmother, Victor" she answered. smil-
ing fondly at her beloved; when YOU
have wife and children 1 shall
feel myself verify dowagcr. and then /
suppose l must take to caps. BY the by,
dear. saw Clarice last week. They have
come back to the hail.
Indeed. Pulled up by her new dignity
as presented young person, l suppose"
answered Lashmar.
No, she was just as sweet as ever:
quite simple and childlke l am told she
was one of the prettiest debutantes of the
year. The newspapers all said as much.'
The newspapers are always ready to
puff Il girl whose father counts his for
tune by hundreds of thousands" sncered
Lashmar. II don't think the Brumm peo-
pie have quite made up their mind wheth
er Job Danebrook is worth one million or
half dozen, but they all agreed that his
father wheeled barrow. Now, l think
both you and l retain an old-fashioned
prejudice in favor of good blood'
''Therc is some very good blood in Clar-
ice Danebrook's veins. Victor. You for
get that her mother was Montmorency."
'.One thin trickle of blue blood cannot
~-OoN
purify the plebeian vat. mother. l know
very we'll what you are limiting at Clarice
is sweet, Clarice is pretty, Clarice has
been well brought up and had gentle
mother. She is. moreover, an only daugh-
ter and will inherit two or three millions.
You can t1ot her out by-and-by if you like,
and if l fall in love with her I'll ask her
to marry me. If I don't, 1 won't were
she worth the wealth of Aladdin"
do you suppose would ever wish you
to marry anyone you could not love?"
said his mother, masking her batteries.
II know you would only choose the best
and worthiest. You are too proud to make
one of those wretched matches by which
some of your order have degraded their
rank of late years. l should never fear
anything of that kind from you
''Well, no, am not quite an idiot" an
swered Lashmar.