Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-12-29

| tolerant, proud with a quick, bright
pride that was but "a virtue run to
seed''-a most charming, lovable char
| type.
| All her short, sweet life she had
been called heiress of Queenes Chace.
| She was woman enough to be more
| than pleased with her lot in life; she
was proud of it. She loved the bright.
| beautiful world, and, above all, she
| loved her own share in it, She
would rather have been heiress Of
| Queens Chace, she declared, than
Queen of England. She loved the
place, she enjoyed the honors and adj
vantages connected with it. She had
inherited just sufficient of her mother s
| character TO make her appreciate the
advantages of her position. The great
difference between them was that
Lady Brandon loved wealth, the pomp,
the honors of the world, while Kathe-
rine loved it's brightness and its pleas
ures.
Sir Jasper was very much attached
to his daughter; his own wife never
reminded him Of his lost love, but his
daughter did. Something in her
bright eyes, glad youth, in her sunny
laughter, in her Bright eyes, reminded
him of the beautiful Venetian girl
whom he had loved so madly. In
these latter years all the love of his
| life had conferred in his daughter, all
the little happiness that he enjoyed
came from her-with her he forgot his
| lifelong pain and was at peace.
She was heiress of Queens Chace.
He had taken the greatest pride and
care in her education She was ac-
| complished in the full sense of the
word. She spoke French, Italian.
and German. She sang with a clear.
sweet voice She danced gracefully.
| and was no mean artist. Her father
had taken care that no pains should
be spared in her education, no ex-
pense, no labor. The result was, she
developed into a brilliantly accom-
plished girl He was delighted with
her
Katherine Brandon had made her
debut; royal eyes had glanced kindly
at the fair, bright young face. She
had more lovers than she could count.
Ii there was one she liked a little bet
ter than the rest, it was Lord Wyn-
leigh, the second son of the Earl of
Woodwyn, the poorest earl in Eng
land
Lord Wynleigh was handsome and
o1o II ho1 hoA ND for n
the world, for he found it difficult to
keep up appearances on a small in
come; but he forgot his poverty and
everything else when he fell in love
with charming, tantalizing, imperious
Katherine Brandon. Would she ever
care for him? At present the diff
ference in her behavior toward him
and her other lovers was that she
laughed more at him, affected greater
Indifference to him, but never looked
at him, and she flushed crimson at the
mention of his name.
That same year Sir Jasper was
much overtasked with work; he was so
| i'll as to be compelled to consult a
physician, who told him that he could
not always live at high pressure, and
that if he wished to save himself he
must give up work and rest for a
time. In order to do this, the il
| lustrious statesman decided on going
| to Queens Chace, the home that he
loved so we'll. Some one suggested
| that he should go abroad. He
shrank with horror from the idea.
So the whole family went to Queens
! Chace. Sir Jasper invited a-party of
! friends for Christmas. Until Christ
mas he promised himself perfect rest.
It was at the beginning of October that
he received the letter which so altered
| the course of his life and that of
! others. It was from Assunta di
| Cynthia written on her deathbed Per-
| haps her approaching dissolution had
| shown her, that she had misjudged
/ some things and mistaken others.
| She wrote to the man whom she had
| hated with such deadly hate, and the
| words she used were more gracious
| than she had ever used Before. She
| told him that she should soon rejoin
her sister, the young wife he has so
|
die until her child was safe and we'll
| provided for.
IF l had money of my own" she
wrote. Il should not trouble you; but
| | have none-my income dies with me,
and the old palace that has been my
! home passes into other hands. l have
nothing to leave my beautiful YER
onica, and you must take her. She
is beautiful and gifted, but she is un-
like other girls because she has led
lonely life. She believes that her
father is dead. She knows nothing OF
her parentage or birth. 1 have taught
her-Heaven pardon me If have done
i wrong!-to hate the English. My les
sons may bear evil fruit or good.
no one else ever can, and | say to you
most decidedly, If ever you wish to
i win her love or her heart, do not shock
her first by telling her that you are
her father; remember that she has
i been taught to hate the English, anC
to believe that her father is dead
Let her learn to know you and to love
you first; then tell her when you will
l will forward by her all papers tha
are necessary to prove her birth. SEND
for Veronica at once | know that
have not many hours to live"
He was sitting in the drawing-roon
at Queens Chace when that letter wa.
brought to him. His daughter Kathe
rine was at the piano, singing some o
the old English Ballads that he loved
LADY brandon low ON tho oo,Iob an