Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-07-14
Won by w aiting.
EDNA LYALL


Frances listening with the creates
interest, and quite entering into
! all, though Esperance was sure-b.
the sharp contraction of her fore
| head every now and then-that sh
was in great pain.
In few minutes, however, Lad
/ Worthington came in and put a.
| end to the chatter with-'Now
| children, go to bed; I am sure yol
are all tired"
Not a bit, mamma" said the boys
But they were obedient enough, il
spite of their uproarious wildness
and went off at once.
After they were gone, Lady Wof.
Ellington, Frances, and Esperance
sat over the fire, talking, till Frances
thinking that three was no company
wished them goodnight, and left her
sister to win Esperance's love in a
tete-a-tete.
And very well she succeeded. Any
experience of real motherly tenderness
was entirely new to the poor child
and she was soon clinging to Lady
WofthingtOn with all the ardor OF
newly awakened love, and talking al
most more freely than she had with
Frances. They did not touch on Els
perance's present life at all, but Lady
Worthington, with the greatest tact
spoke OF her mother, recalling two
or three incidents in her life, which
her little daughter listened to eagerly,
and then going on to tell of her brief
visit to the Chateau de MabilIon,
when Gaspard was a baby, making
Esperance smile by her decriptions,
though it is true the tears were not
far Off, and came down in showers
when the conversation turned to the
troubles in the siege. Yet it was a
comfort to her to talk, particularly to
one who had known her father in
however slight a degree; and when
Lady Worthington learned that she
had never spoken to her cousins, or
to any one except Claude Magnay, on
the subject, she knew that it would be
a real kindness not to shun the topic,
feeling sure that it must be bad for
one so unreserved by nature, to be
shut into herself by the mistaken
kindness of others
So Esperance disburdened her
heart, and was warmed and cheered
and finally tucked up in bed by the
motherly Lady Worthington, who
had found a protegee quite after her
own heart.
When she went down to her hus-
band in the drawing-room, she could
not resist giving vent to her feelings
about the Collinsons, and Rilchester
people in general, who, by their
senseless want of tact and sympathy,
had given the poor child such a bad
idea of English people.
Your patriotic soul is grieved, Ell,
Kate?'' said Sir Henry, smiling.
We'll, l really don't think it is
fair. The dean is kind-hearted
man-at least you are always saying
60, but why does he not see to this
child? They will ruin her soon, if
be does not descend from his celes-
tial heights"
Don't speak evil of dignitaries,
my dear"
Il can't help it, 1 never did like
Dean Collinson, and 1 never shall.
In this, as in everything else, he
seems to me blindly selfish. | can't
see why any man, however clever he
may be, should receive an enormous
salary for doing nothing in the
world except looking through his
own telescope"
Shocking! shocking!" said Sir
Henry, but he laughed, nevertheless
We'll, Kate, you are wonderful
woman, and in time | dare say you
will reform Rilchester, but 1 very
much doubt if you will sever the dean
and his hobby, or rouse him to
sense of his duties"
And even hopeful and enterpris-
ing Lady Worthington fully &C.
guessed.
CHAPTER Xxx.
Oh! ye, who sunk in beds of down,
Feel not a want, but what yourselves
create,
Think for a moment on his wretched
fate
Whom friends and fortune quite dis
own.
Burns.
Esperance went back to Rilchester
really the better for her visit to the
Worthingtons, and with a desire to
make the best of everything at the
deanery. She was far brighter than
she had been before, and made honest
efforts to love her cousins, and
though she was daily in despair over
her failures the endeavor was doing
her great good. Nor was she by any
means destitute of pleasures. Fran
ces Neville lent her books, took her
for drives in her little pony-carriage
and talked in French as much as she
| pleased.
Mrs. Mortlake, it is true, was fond Of
making unpleasant illusions to Es-
perance's new friend" and Cornelis
INDUCED in a few sarcasms at her ex
pense, but Esperance could endure
| this as long as she was allowed still
| to see Frances.
Soon after Christmas, Bella had {
sharp attack of bronchitis, and was
so much pulled down by it that as
soon as the mild February days began
! it was decided that she should be Ia
ken to the south. Accordingly Mrs
Mortlake, with Esperance as a com
| panion and help, went down Il
| Bouremouth with the fractions littl