Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-10-20
Continued.


ance had just taken off her wraps
WREN Frances's little maid appeared
Miss Neville would be very glad if
Mademoiselle de Mabillon would come
into the school-room for a moment. -
Ito say goodnight to the children,
1 suppose; you will not wait for me,
Cornelia? I can come down with
Frances
Cornelia nodded assent, and Esper-
ance followed the maid to the school
room; but none of the children were
there, only Frances and Claude Mag
nay, bending over a most lovely bas-
ketful of ferns and flowers.
Il am so glad you have come early"
Frances said, kissing her. Mr. Mag
nay has been spelling us all; he
walked over to the nursery gardens
this morning, and brought home the
most beautiful flowers, and we want
you to wear some of them
Claude was glad to have it put in
this way, for having spent the morn
ing in securing Rilchester in search
Of these flowers for ksperance, he
now hardly liked to offer them.
Her delighted gratitude was very
charming; and Claude colored deeply,
as, for a moment, her beautiful eyes
me- his.
How kind Of you. and how lovely
they are!" she exclaimed, raptur-
ously, you can't think how much I
wanted a flower-holly is so prickly."
Frances began to take the flowers
from the basket, and Esperance strug-
g!ed to take off her sprigs of holly,
but could not manage it with her
gloves on. Claude was delighted at
this excuse for helping her, and took
away the sharp leaves and scarlet
berries with unmixed satisfaction.
''You must enact Monsieur Worth,
Claude" said Frances, looking up.
Now Esperance, stand still, and we
3hall hear exactly where your flowers
ire to be placed"
She obeyed half laughingly, and
Claude surveyed her in silence, think
ng but little Of the flowers it must
,e confessed She had never looked
rettier than at that moment, stand
ne in her unadorned white dress,
ta" lips just parted, her eyes smiling
talf shyIy, her cheeks glowing with
Nch brown-red color, and the outline
of her shapely little head not at ali
vciled by the short, tendril-like curls
which clustered round her neck, and
overshadowed her low smooth fore
head.
Claude was recalled to his duties by
her clear, ringing laugh.
1T is as bad as having ones photo
graph taken," she said. Il am sure
Monsieur Worth does not keep his
ladies so long"
1.-The oracle is dumb, said Claude,
smiling. Shall we try the effect of
Christmas roses and maiden hair,
Miss Neville?"
So the dress was beautified with
tie exquisite white flowers, and
dropping lady-ferns, and light, feath-
cry maiden-hair; but Monsieur
Worth" had stipulated that the curls
should be left as they were, in their
unadorned beauty.
Then they went downstairs to the
great drawing-room, which had been
turned out for the occasion, and
where many OF the guests were al
ready assembled. Lady Worthington
was at the door and came into the
hall to meet them, STOPPING down to
kiss Esperance in defiance Of custom.
"You have come in the character OF
the Christmas rose," she said, glanc-
irg at the happy, glowing face, you
Will be just in time for the first
dance; Claude will take you in to
Mrs. Mortlake." Claude assented,
and led her across the brightly
lighted room to the sofa where Mrs.
Mortlake and Csrnelia were seated,
and Esperance began to tell of the
surprise that had awaited her in the
school-room, and to show the flowers
eAultingly. Cornelia smiled kindly.
|'She was disappointed of the flow
ers at home, but these are far love-
lier,'' she said to Claude, while Mrs.
Mortlake began abruptly to speak to
her next neighbor.
He made some trifing response,
and then turned eagerly to Esperance,
fearful that some one else might be
before him in asking her to dance.
Cornelia watched her in secret admir-
alton as she was borne swiftly away
her pure, childlike happiness was de-
! lightful to see; as they passed the
sofa every few minutes she caught a
! few words of French, and knew that
! Claude was talking to her in her own
! language, and once, when they paused
! for a minutes rest Esperance came
! to her, eager for sympathy.
cit is so delightful, Cornelia, and is
not this Blue Danube waltz a capital
one?"
| Cornelia could not understand the
delights of a troise temps; she hat
never cared for dancing or any kline
of exercise, but she liked being ap-
pealed to in this way, and watched
her little cousin with a certain com
Portable sense of prize and possession
This child whom she had nursed anC
tended was beginning to make large
demands on her love.
Claude meantime was perfectly hap
py. his diffidence soon vanished undel
tho influence of Esperance's naive re
marks and free simplicity, and yer.
soon they drifted into their forme
habits of easy, half-confdential talk
though Claude was more reverentia
and less plying than he had been il
old times.
|. He would have liked to proloni
|, their dance indefinitely, but Esper
arce had not come SimnlY to eniO-