Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-06-23
Won by w aiting.
EDNA LYALL.

ftaulnS at breakfast Inc lollo"AAS
morning.
F., Coming back" exclaimed Bertha
in her annoyed voice. Il thought she
was to spend the winter at ST. Leon
ards. 1t am sure she said in the
summer that she had taken the house
for a year"
She seems to wish 10 be at home
again, and as to the house, there was
little difficulty in disposing of that.
She will return early next week.
And now there will be those
wearisome pilgrimages down to the
Priory," groaned Mrs. Mortlake. How
tiresome of her to change her mind"
Where is the Priory?" asked Es-
perance, not little excited at the
conjecturing that "Grannie" was Mrs.
| Passmore.
THE Priory-my grandmother's
hcuse-is about two miles out of the
town, on the London road" ex-
planned Cornelia, after a moments
pause.
Esperance was sorry that it lay in
Hall. She did not make any more
inquiries. however, as her cousins
were evidently put out, but her Gu
riosity grew all the greater, and
she looked forward much to the first
of the "pilgrimages' which Mrs Mort
lake had mentioned
Mrs. Passmore arrived at Rilchester
m
Mrs. Mortlake insisted that some one
must go to see her. This led to dis
agreeable discussion between the
sisters as to who should perform the
tiresOme duty, to which Esperance
listened with some scorn and a good
deal OF amusement, congratulating
herself that for once she was out Of it.
After much arguing, Cornelia yield
ed, not very grac1ously, and consented
to go to the Priory. provided she
could have the carriage
And you may as we'll come with
me-" she added, turning to Esperance:
cit will be useful for you to know the
way to the Priory."
Esperance prudently refrained from
expressing too much satisfaction.
aware that any "foolishness" on her
part would put a stop to the whole
thing; but inwardly she was much
excited. To meet Mrs. Passmore.
her mothers friend and helper, was
indeed an unlooked-for pleasure, and
Cornelia would certainly have been
scornfully surprised had she known
that Esperance spent a good half
hour in curling her feather, prepar-
ing her dainty little neck-tie, and
mending her old but faultlessly
neat gloves, in view of the after
Moons expedition.
BY three o'clock the cousins were
driving through the sleepy streets of
Rilchester, Cornelia feeling virtuous
though inclined to be cross, and Es-
perance almost gay, in spite of
thick November fog, which usually
depressed her more than anything
Almost for the first time she saw the
really poor quarter of the city, the
deserted, tumble-down houses, and the
squalid, dirty little children.
This is different from the rest of
Rilchester," she exclaimed. SIS this
where Cousin Christabel goes to see
her poor people?"
ooh, no, she merely visits a few
Of the respectable houses near u.s."
replied Cornelia, shortly.
But who takes care of all this
poor part?"
I'm sure I don't know, it is not
in our parish?"
The parish belonging to the cathe
dral merely included the houses in
the close, and a very small sprinkling
of respectable poor" an arrange
ment singularly unfortunate since it
gave all the rich people the same
excuse for ignorance and idleness
which Cornelia had just made: at is
not in our parish, while the clergy
of the poorer districts were sadly
hampered by the dearth of church
workers.
Esperance asked no more questions,
and in a few minutes the houses were
left behind, and the bare, bleak coun-
try lay before them. Half mile be-
yond the town stood the Priory, a
| s.
but built in the antique style: Esper-
ance's heart beat quickly, when, in
| one of the lancet-headed windows, she
caught sight Of the snowy hair and
widows cap which could belong to no
one but Mrs. Passmore.
The cap. however, speedily disap-
peared, and by the time the carriage
had driven up the gravel sweep. the
old lady was standing by the open
door. with what Esperance considered
quite the right kind of welcome.
How good of you to come the very
! first day. my dear children-in all this
fog, too"
My dear grannie, do go in; how IN
wise to come out to the door," said
Cornelia.
Whereupon the old lady, but h II
understanding, held out her hand to
Esperance, till Cornelia herself led the
way to the prim little drawing room
and taking up Mrs. PASSWORDS speak
ing-trumpet, made the deaf old lady
understand who her companion was
"Amy's little girl come from France,
dear me, dear me! Come and kiss me
my dear"
Esperance obeyed willingly enough
but when Cornelia put the other enc
: of the speaking-trumpet into her hanC
with an injunction to SAY something,
every word of English suddenly es
capped her memory, and after a dread