Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-13
Won by w aiting.

tBYS
EDNA LYALL-

1
presents is firing work, and the all
was intensely cold. Lady Worthing,
ton paused involuntarily as they
/ passed the gateway Of the Wears
/ Court.
| What do you say to cup of tea
Claudc, and just few minutes by 2
| fire, before we leave the town. l am
sure the dean would be delighted to
see you, and Mrs. Mortlake's tea is
excellent"
Claude thought the idea a good
one, and certainly it was a relief
even to stand in the shelter of the
deanery porch, for the night was bit
terly cold.
! When the door was thrown open
pretty picture was revealed. The
hall was brightly lighted, the tiled
floor was strewn with holly and ever
green. Bertha stood in the back
ground struggling with some tough
sprays of yew, while Esperance sat at
the top of pair of steps putting
the finishing touches to a wreath for
one of the pictures.
She sprung down in a great hurry
on seeing the visitors, and Lady Wor-
Ellington kissed her affectionately,
while Claude looked and wondered.
His Mariana was gone! this glow
ing-complexioned child Of the south,
with her innocent wavy hair and her
bright eyes, was not Mariana at all.
Was it possible that it was indeed
Esperance?
He still gazed and wondered. Es-
perance half put out her hand, then
drew it back, a little vexed that he
had so evidently forgotten her.
my uncle will be delighted to see
you, Mr.. Magnay," she said, with a
charming little touch of hauteur.
Claude started as if from a dream,
and the two shook hands warmly.
GA thousand pardons!-but you are
so altered that I hardly recognized
you"
"Ah! it is my short hair said Es-
perance, coloring and laughing.
Claude did not contradict her, but
in reality it was the change in her
expression which he meant. Mari
ara" had fascinated him, but this
was something far higher! He
longed for fresh opportunities of
studying her face, so bewitching,
whether in its sweet gravity or it's
smiling radiance and animation.
'T hope you have good accounts of
YOUR brother" he said, delghting in
the swift kindling of the eyes at his
words.
eyes, Gaspard is very we'll" she
rcrlied; "I hear from him every
week. such long letters, too, almost
like q journal"
And does he like his work.
VERY much indeed. He has to
superintend the coolies you know,
and see that they work well; he IS
out-of-doors all day long, and is get
ting so strong and we'll again.
always feel when I read his letters
how very much we owe to you and
Sir Henry Worthington; I have al
ways longed to tell you how very,
very grateful I was, and Gaspard
told me it was quite your doing that
he came to Rilchester-it was so GOOD
of you to send him; it made the part
ing so much less bitter"
There was deep gratitude in her
expression, just touched with sadness,
then in a moment she smiled again,
that pure, radiant, winning smile.
Claude felt as if he were in some deli
cious dream-he made some brief re-
spouse, he hardly knew what, and
then Esperance spoke again.
"There is tea in the drawing-room'
will you not come in? you must be
very cold after your long walk"
Claude rubbed his snowy shoes on
the mat. and followed her into the
almost oppressively hot drawing
room, where he was warmly received
BY the rest of the family. He was
fayorite with the dean. and was at
once bounced upon to listen to some
thing about the planet Mars, ana
some late improvements which had
been made in the telescope, and for
tunately the dean was too much en-
crossed to notice that Claude's an
swers were vague and monosyllabic,
or to perceive that he was bestow-
ing all his attention on Esperance.
He did not speak to her much
more that evening. Lady Worthing-
ton soon rose to go, and he was glad
to hear her say to Esperance, I'VE
shall see you then on Thursday even
ing. mind you come in good time"
Esperance promised, smiling, and
then she followed them into the hall,
picking up her fallen wreath, and
standing in the doorway to wish them
good-by in spite of the cold.
Claude walked away in silence,
treasuring up his last vision Of her as
she stood on the white doorstep,
holding her holly wreath. He began
to think less about painting her.
What if he could make her his own,
not artistically but in reality! What
if he could shield her from some OF
the sharp, piercing sorrows of this
wintery world
well, Claude, you found your
Mariana a good deal changed, did
you not?" Said Lady Worthington.
quite; it is an angel face now,
and Claude did not speak again, but
fell into deep reverie, and Lady
Worthington did not disturb him.
He was startled to find how strong
" this new thought possessed him;
he could not believe that but brief
hour ago he had been living without
it. carelessly walking through the Ril
chester streets without even
thought that he was near Esperance.
And vet it seemed to him that this