Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-08-31

ana or TINS exlrayagdnt ana unnmlted
household Lady Florence had been
sole mistress almost from the time she
had been ablefto walk
True, there was stately old house
keeper. even as there were a butler
and steward; but the chief occupa-
ton of the servants at Severnoke
Castle seemed to be, in plain and per
haps somewhat vulgar English, what
is generally known as "feathering
their own nest"
The earl himself seldom, If ever,
came to Seyernoke; he was engaged
in a round Of dissipation and pleasure
that emptied his once well-flled cof-
fers rapidly.
| The end to his career came at last,
and Lord Wyvern awoke from long
dream of folly and indulgence, to find
himself old, feeble, and ruined OF his
large fortune nothing remained. The
estate, which was entailed, was al
ready plunged into debt and difficult
les. The sale of every personal eff
feet he had in the world would not
clear 1t; and, worse than all, no pro-
vision had been made for his beauti-
full young daughter. At his death,
when Seyernoke Castle passed into
the hands of his heir, the poor girl
would be homeless and penniless.
II was this fact that tortured him
above all others when he came to his
senses, but he was powerless to help
himself. 1t was then too late to undo the
evil he had done. The few last
months Of his life were embittered by
this knowledge; II shortened his days,
and Lady Florence knew nothing of
the dark future that lay before her
until she stood by her fathers death
bed. Then he confessed his folly and
his crime; but he knew not where to
turn to find a friend for his unfortu-
nate child He had not one. Men
had drunk and gampled with him, and
had taken his money in bets, but there
was not one among his old companions
to whom he could turn in his hour
OF bitter need Lady Florence was
even more friendless: she had spent
her life at the Castle, and no one
visited there. The only relation she
had was Lady Blake; some distant
cousins of the earl were still in Eng
land--the Dudleys of Houton-but
they refused to acknowledge the prodi-
gal peer during his life. and they re-
fused to assist his daughter after his
death. The next heir, the present Earl
OF Wyyern, was young. and of a mean.
parsimonious disposition. He SLAM
ferhd the name of the old
earl And this he did in the
presence of the child who had never
known anything but indulgence and
tenderness from that same father. ana
who had loved him with all the
warmth of her young heart: so that
when the young earl offered to Lady
Florence meagre income from the es-
tate, she Indignantly refused 1t, and
told him she would rather starve than
be under any obligation to the man
who had slandered her father.
Something like pity seized him when
he saw the young girl bid farewell to
the stately home where she had so
long reigned as queen. But she passed
out of his life, and he was easily con-
soled for the slight pain he suffered
Lady Blake offered the friendless
orphan home; but the bread of de-
pendence is proverbially bitter. and
that OF Lady Blake was of the BIT |
crest. Years and years ago she had
herself wronged in some
business matters by the dead earl.
she had never forgiven him; and she
'ound no better subject of conversa-
ion with which to entertain his un-
Happy daughter than the constant
lbuse OF her fathers memory.
Lady Florence endured II for time
'ut she had tenderly loved this poor,
'rodigal father and her heart bled
I every fresh taunt and insult heaped
Ipon him,
He is dead; they might spare him
low at least" she cried to herself.
Then the poor child went to Lady
3lake, and begged her to refrain from
subject that caused her so much
'ain. Her ladyship's anger at what
he was pleased to call such imperti-
lent Interference. was\ unbounded.
he spoke angrily to pooh Lady Flor
nee, haunting her with her)dependence
md her poverty.
Then the child. for she was little
more, found herself alpne in her sor-
'owi her thoughts flew to Lord Lynne
ana she longed in her grief for kind.
word from one who had
been friend; but he made no sign.
she heard he was married, and she
SAID % herself bitterly, that he u
happiness and prosperity had forg6t-l,
yen her. But to continue at Lady I
sake s was an impossibility.
There is no help for IL said
Lady Florence, Il must do as other
Slrls have done before me. mus
TSrk for my living"
SA> knew where her old sfnS,ng |
masteS Sisnor Bacchl. rested. In her
despair she %snt to him ana asked
his assisSanceySs
Find n something d DO she |
cried, Il wiiNteach, work. or beg. but
remain with Lady Blake cannot"
Signor Bacchi was too astounaed
Tor speech. Whefnlast he had seen
this young girl. she was mistress of