Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-29
Lord Lynne'S Choice
BERTHA M. CLAY
BERTHA Nj, CLAY.

Many faults, many errors, must be
pardoned her; if there had been any
outlet for that ardent Imagination. the
fate of Inez Lynne would have been
different. Properly trained and edu-
Gated, she would have made an artist
O. an authoress. Her quick, active
glowing fancy would have found le-
Ultimate occupation; as it was, it fed
upon itself until the girls whole life
became one unreal dream. Even had
she known the future that Madame
Monteleone destined for her, it would
have been better, but that lady
frightened and rendered cautious by
her failure with Blanca, said nothing
to Inez Of Madrid, the Court, or the
grand marriage she expected her to
make. Let it come upon her sud-
denly" she thought; "and she will all
the more probably comply with my
wishes"
No word was said to Inez that gave
her any prospect or hopes of brighter
days. Il shall live here" she said to
herself, until am old and wrinkled
and cross as grandmamma. What will
my life have been?-how shall 1 bear
it through the long years?"
Wildly enough she bent against the
bars, but all in vain No bird in a cage
was ever more solitary or more sad.
Where was the English father of
whom she heard ever and anon from
the old servants a few mysterious
words? Months ago, one day when
she had longed more than ever to
leave Serranto, she went boldly to
Madame Monteleone and asked where
her father was. Her heart was touched
by the stately lady's face, as she fold
ed her in her arms and said, "YOu are
all mine, Inez; you were given to me
to be my own in your mothers place
No one in the wide world cares for you
but me-"
With her guardians tears still wet
upon her face, the girl lacked courage
to say that the love and care given to
her in Serranto were not sufficient
that she craved for a fuller life where
in she might have some pleasure and
So time passed on, and day by day
the wish and longing for some break
in her life's mOnotony grew stronger.
The time was to come, and did come,
when she looked back to those quiet
days with envy and regret,-when she
would have given beauty and talent,
ah, even life itself, to have been once
more a dreamy innocent child. But
no change came; winter and summer
spring and autumn, succeeded each
other, and found life the same at
Serranto.
8 < Il
Seventeen years old today" said
Inez, one bright morning; "I am
seventeen; in ten years more 7 shall
be twenty-seven, and the best part of
my life will be over. If something
does not happen soon, I shall run
away, and make a life for myself"
Little did Madame Monteleone know
the bitter, rebeIlious thoughts of which
the proud beautiful face she watched
with growing hope gave no trace.
''You have not been idle, Inez," she
said one day, with some complacency,
to her grandchild. tYou play and sing
we'll; you speak French and Italian
fluently. All accomplishments are
useful
Il know something more than that"
replied Inez, triumphantly. Il have
taught myself English; I can read
every English book in the library; I
should be able to speak it in short
time if 1 went to England"
A wistful, sad look came over Mad
anne Monteleone's face.
ut will be useless, my dear child"
she said. "You will never leave
Spain. You will never see England.
There is something for you to do here,
"a life's task to accomplish"
Those few words, You will never
see England" sounded like death
knell to the bright hopes and fancies
upon which the young girl had lived.
She made no reply, but the expression
of determination that fell upon that
young face might have alarmed
Madame Monteleone, had she seen it,
and caused her to fear for her plans.
Already a change was coming; the
one dark cloud that had hung so
heavily over her, the gloomy mon
otony of the girls life, was breaking.
Madame Monteleone, while ascend
ing the stairs, slipped and fell. At
first the little household were dread
fully alarmed, and believed, when they
saw their lady's still, white face, that
she was dead. But when the ser
wants raised her and laid her upon
the bed they found she still breathed.
In hot haste a physician was sum-
moned from Seville. For many long
dreary weeks the poor lady lay be-
tween life and death. She recovered
at last, but it was to find herself a
helpless cripple, and to hear the sad
sentence pronounced by the doctor
that she should not be able to move
without assistance.
When the first shock was over,
Madame MOnteleOne pondered seri-
ously as to what step she would take
with regard to her young grandch.ll,
Com mon sense and reason told her she
ought 20 write to Lord Lynne and ask
him to take his daughter; but the
treasured idea of her life chung to her
still, and she could not renounce it.
! Something will happen" she said to
herself. L may recover. Doctors are
not infallible. In any case, l will keep
Inez with me. If she goes to Eng
| land, she will marry an Englishman,
as her mother did and then fare
we'll forever to the race Of Montele-
one." So nothing was written to Lord
! Lynne. and he never heard either OF