Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-06-16
Won by w aiting.
EDNA LYALL.

Was this worth all that it had cost
her?
She had only arrived at the conclu-
sion that morning calls were neces-
sary and right but without having
discovered any way for improving
them, when her sister returned, fol-
lowed by Sir Henry-a tall, hand
some man, with iron-gray hair, a
very powerful face, and the bearing
of one accustomed to command, tenn
pered by the most perfect courtesy.
Lady Worthington, distressed by her
sisters pale, suffering face, fastened
to arrange her cushions, tending her
with an assiduity which might have
been tiresome had it not been done
with such grace and with such loving
anxiety.
IF l had only thought about it ami
come home sooner you would have
| been spared all this she said, with
' comp dnction. People seem to come
! back TO town so much earlier than
, they used to do can't imagine
why"
year" said Sir Henry; that may, per-
haps, account for it. The state Of
France has frightened people"
All! your speaking of France re-
minds me-whom do you think I met
this afternoOn?-a son of that Mon
sieur de Mabillon, who married Amy
Collinson."
Monsieur de Mabillon!" exclaimed
Sir Henry, smiling; my some time
rival, whom I have been blessing ever
since I"
Now, Henry!' interrupted Lady
Worthington, coloring and smiling.
He answered by STOPPING to kiss
her on the forehead, and there was a
moments silence while Frances, un-
derstanding it all, could not resist
watching her sisters beautiful and
still wonderfully youthful face soft
ened as it was by love and happiness.
you net Monsieur de Mabillon, did
you say?" asked Sir Henry, half alb
stractedly.
mo, his son." answered Lady
Worthington. He, poor man, was
killed during the siege of Paris.
| Curiously enough, when l went to
say goodbye to Claude Magnay this
afternoon, l found young Gaspard de
! Mabillon at his studio, and half rec
! ognized him. Afterward Claude told
me who he was, and l went to see
him myself at his rooms. 1t seems
that he and his sister left France in
the spring; she is now with the Col
linsons, at Rilchester, and he is trying
for work here, but quite unsuccess-
fully"
And you, of course, adopted him
at once, and said that / would find
him employment" said Sir Henry,
smiling.
No, not quite; l really was very
prudent; my precipitation in the case
of that young architect the other
day, has taught me wisdom. I made
no rash promises; but seriously,
Henry, l do wish you could help the
poor fellow in some way"
Il will bear him in mind then, but
you remember that I have had two of
your proteges commended to my spe-
cial attention ever since June
Julius Wright, you mean, and that
young Mr. FARMLAND, I wish we could
get them disposed of. Certainly all
the professions are very much over
stocked"
why does not Dean CoIlinson help
him." asked Sir Henry.
He has done so in a manner by
taking the little girl to live with him,
but l fancy from what the poor boy
said his afternoon, that it went sorely
against the grain to take help from
that quarter. And that reminds me,
Frances, we must really take the
deanery by storm as soon as we go
home, and rescue little Mademoiselle
de Mabillon, who, from Claude's &C
count, is very unhappy there"
"A rescue during a morning calf
said Frances, laughing. Il will &c
with you, if it is only for the pleas,
ure of seeing your tactics, though i
am afraid you will never battle Mrs
Mortlake."
1--WE shall see," said Lady Worth
ington, with a smile Of anticipated
success.
The season." so to speak, of Ri,
chester, began when the Worthing-
tons returned. Every one recognized
, Lady Worthington as the leader Of
the neighborhood, and, to a certain
. extent, even the inhabitants of tn
), deanery bowed to her opinion.
0 Esperance had heard references t.
! them all through the autumn: ''Whe1
@ the WOrthingtons come back we mus
: begin a series of dinners" or, "Whel
Lady Worthing is here all the ladies
g committees will come to life again:
c or most frequently of all in justifyin
, any questioning act, I am sure Lad,
- Worthington does it,
4 From such remarks as these, Esper
= ance formed her own ideas, and bein
: predisposed to think that nothin
r good could come out of Rilchestel
,s she pictured Lady Worthington t
- herself as a tall, managing, masculil
= English woman, and the more sh
,, heard her quoted the more she fel
= inclined to dislike her The onI
II thing which made her waver now an
a then was the recollection of Claud
W Magnays great regard for the Who'll
"A family, but even this had littl
% weight with her, so contradictory an
n a -l,a