The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-02-02

lildren, every room was filled.
At such times, Mr. Marriott appeared
to glance round him with mild aston
ishment that SO many children and
grandchildren really belonged to him.
For six generations there had been
Marriots at the Grange, eldest son
regularly succeeding eldest son. 1t
was the proudest boast of each in his
turn that the land had never decreased
by one acre; that no mortgage had
been raised upon it; and that none OF
the Marriots-man and woman-had
ever even remotely brought dishonor
ON the name.
One August the annual gathering
was not to be so numerous, as usual
The children of one of the married
daughters were ill with scarlet fever;
one of the unmarried sons had gone to
sea.
So when Ursula Marriott, who had
been at school in France by way of
finishing her education, wrote for per-
mission to bring friend home with
her, it was decided that there would
be room to put at the disposal of
this young lady.
A kindly letter of invitation was ae.
cordingly written by Mrs. Marriott To
Miss Winifred Warre, and enclosed in
that which told Ursula that her school
comrade would be made very welcome
at the Grange.
81 am sure you will all be charmed
with Winnie" the girl had written.
She was right; the Marriots we're all
delighted with their guest as soon as
she stepped inside the grand old en-,
trance hall.
She was tall, lovely creature, Older
certainly by year or two than Ursula,
who was just seventeen. She was
dressed in sober brown, with a pink
knot of ribbon at the throat; and the
rose tint was in her cheek, and the
brown eyes matched by the coils of hen
abundant hair.
Miss Warre was quite at her ease
among all these strangers; she laughed
and talked over the rough passage,
and over the little incidents of the
railway journey from Dover.
1t was impossible to be formal, with
such girl as this. She was winnie
even that first evening with the Mar.
riots. miss Winnie" with the ad
mlring servants, who waited on hel
assiduously.
After quarter of an hour passed
over q merry afternoon tea, the guest
was taken to the pretty room prepared
for her, and the general verdict given
in her absence was not only favorable
but fattering.
Dinner time at the Grange was al
ways six O'Clock, summer aud winter
an unfashionably early hour, but Mr.
Marriott liked it. He said it left
pleasantly long evening, during whicl
his sons and daughters read, sarg
played duets, or whatever else the,
saw fit to do, in the large drawing
room. Their parents usually retired
TO 'the little drawing-room, whicl
was separated from the other only b,
velvet curtains of moss green.
From the first evening Winni
Warre became as a queen among tn
younger party. And sometimes, whel
by knowing her better they grew NOR
| lOnO Vi ntls 4nIs AuQ n1Ios nkdIIlO
would ask her to sit with them for
half hour in ''the sanctum, as thei
children called it.
The girls parents were dead, an
she was quite without near relatives
or indeed any relatives at ALL Sh
possessed guardian whom she ha
only seen twice in her life, and VIII
did not interest himself in her no
care to introduce her to his family
He advised, even after she came Q
age, that she should make her hom
as ''lady boarder" in the foreig
, school where she had been educate
from quite little child.
Louis Marriott, the only grown-u
unmarried son. fell deeply in love wit
this lively, charming friend of his siste
Ursula.
But neither his father nor hi
mother liked the idea of such a maj
riage. They wanted for Louis th
daughter Of a thoroughly Englis
home; some one whose family wa
we'll known to him.
You have not engaged YOURSELF
, said Mrs. Marriott anxiously, whe
! her son made his little confession
love for pretty Winnie Ware
II have not said a word; nor hinte
to her what feel for her, +" exclaime