Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-03-09

few lines of the Times a little
later he asked Mrs. Diamond if she
could find him paper and pencil, as he
wanted 20 write a note home Life
was worth living again with Moylis-
callan drawing nearer day by day
Mrs. Diamond was little widow lady
who, since her husbands death, had
been keeping house for a brother in
the civil service. "The Judge" as she
called him, had fallen a victim to the
charms of an 18-year-old school girl
fresh from England, and Mrs. Dia-
mond's services were required no
longer. Coming down country she
had stumbled upon Teddie Blake.
feVer-stricken and virtually alone, and
it was undoubtedly to her care that
he owed his recovery from the relapse,
which had been wose than the origi-
nal attack. She had deferred her
own plans to the convenience of the
patient, had superintendent his trans
fer 10 the steamship from the Bombay
MOTEL which she had hardly dared to
nope he would leave alive and was a
witness Of his convalescence on board
ship, as day by day his strength and
spirits returned. So it was not won
derful that Teddie turned to her for
paper and pencil on the very first oc-
casion that he felt he could scrawl a
line, and imperiously demanded that
he be allowed to write 'to his people"
Are you sure you can do it," Mrs.
Diamond asked, producing the writ
ing board, but not giving it over to
him Internationally.
Quite sure-that is not a bit Of it
but I'll try"
l thought you said you had nobody
belonging to your"
No more | have-no real relations
but an adopted family that is the
dearest in the world-not a mere ac-
cident Of birth like other peoples
families. l must write them just a
few words to say I'm alive and COM
ing home, and it'll be ready when an
opportunity comes for posting it, |
though it can't reach Moyliscallan
more than an hour or two before do
myself"
"Moyliscallan," repeated Mrs. Dia-
mond, what do you know of Moylis- |
callan? | only heard of the place for
the first time month ago, and now it
turns up again."
It's my home,' Blake said, pain
fully scrawling the date at the top of |
his sheet of paper. "The castle be-
longs to me, only I've never been able
to live in it yet. My people live at the
rectory-it is to Mr.. O'Malley, the rec
tor, that I'm writing. And what did
you hear about Moyliscallan, the
sweetest place on all the earth?'
Why cried Mrs. Diamond excited
ly, this is the oldest thing! My cou-
sin, George Strangways, rented the
castle from some one some years ago
from you it appears-and now he is
married probably by this
time, to one of the rector's girls,
Ellen O'Malley, a daughter, I suppose,
Of this very old gentleman you're writ
ing to! l had the letter just before
met you at Rahmednugged, and had
gwen it a thought SINCE
One Of the rector's girls!
Teddy Blake had seen death glaring
at him from a wall of black Afghan
faces; he had looked fever in the eyes
more than once; but he had never
known what despair meant till Marcia
Diamond told him her little story of
odd condolences sitting on the steam
ship deck, halfway through their
nomeward voyage. For a moment he
the words, ELLEN O'Malley;
there is only one daughter at the rec
tory" and Mrs. Diamond, whose eyes
we're on the silk sock she was knit
ting, went on cheerfully: ooh,
then, that's the girl. | did not hear
from George Strangways direct! the
news came through my brother, but
Of course it is the same-the young
lady at the rectory. Fancy old George
Succumbing to an Irish girls fascina-
tions after going all over the habi-
table globe unscathed until now.''
us he good fellow" Teddy asked.
Something in his voice made Mrs.
Diamond give a swift glance at her
companion, and in that glance she
everything.
He is a very good fellow she
answered, little more seriously than
she had hitherto spoken; amy girl
will be happy and tenderly treated |
by him, though he is an elderly man
So, | should thinlI-and little &C.
centric and old-fashioned in his ways. |
You will find letters telling you all |
about it when you reach England, you |
may be sure. Don't you think you
had better let me take that writing |
board down stairs again? 1t will be
time enough to write when there is a
chance of posting your letter"
He let her lift the writing things
away, only putting out a feeble hand
to crumble up the sheet on which he
had begun his letter. Then he lay
back with his eyes shut, and her tact
took her a little apart, for the strug-
gle which he had to go through now
must be fought out alone. BY and by
his servant came and helped him down
stairs. and Mrs. Diamond saw him
again no more that day.
Poor, POOR lad-if l could only
haN z saved him from such a blow!"
she kept saying over ard over again
to herself, but those Wretched coin
cidences are too strong for us
Moyliscalian woods in September.
How often reddie Blake had pictured
his Homecoming through the green
glades that stretched between the cas-
tie and the rectory. Those sylvan
aiSleS were the rallving place of all