Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-22

asked him to give up his English
home, to bring his wealth over t
| Spain, and to call himself by he,
name of Monteleone; but he laughed
long and loudly at the mere idea.
Wait, Blanca" he said, lightly
until you have seen Lynnewolde
Why, my dear child, you could put
Serranto in one corner of it. YOU
must become English; I can never be
a Spaniard."
( Whatever she may have thought
Lady Lynne never expressed that wish
to her husband again.
=
They had been married almost a
year, when a sudden desire took
possession of Lady Lynne. 1t was to
return to Serranto, so that her child
might be born there Lord Lynne
said all he could to dissuade her, but
in vain. She was too gentle, too
yielding to persist in reverting to her
wish when her husband had expressed
disapprobation, in hundred ways he
perceived how much she was really
bent upon it.
They had spent year of unalloyed
happiness. Day by day Lord Lynne
loved more dearly and deeply the
beautiful gentle girl who had touched
his heart as no other woman ever
could or did. To make her happy, to
watch her beautiful girlish face
brighten at his loving words, was the
study and pleasure of his life. He
OWNED her wishes, and executed them
almost before they were uttered. They
wandered about in those fair Italian
cities, and life for them resembled
the golden dreams of the lotus-eater.
Il wish | could understand, dear
Blanca" said Lord Lynne to his wife,
one day, why you wish to return to
that gloomy old Serranto.'
Il cannot tell" she replied 81 do not
understand what it is that seems to
call me home, but my mothers face is
always before me; and, oh Stephen, |
would give anything for my little child
to be born in my old home!"
You shall have your WISH" replied
Lord Lyme, looking fondly at her;
but | fear we shall not have a very
warm reception from your mother"
'She will be pleased to see u.s. said
Lady Lynne; ''and perhaps we might
persuade her to leave Serranto and
go to England for a time
Solely to please his beautiful young
wife, to whom he could refuse nothing,
Lord Lynne undertook the journey to
SerrantO. 1t was long and some
what tedious one, for Blanca was deli
cate, and could not travel far without
fatigue.
Madame Monteleone received them
more warmly and kindly than they
had anticipated. Not by one single
word or act had she forwarded their
marriage; but now that they were
married, not one word of her blighted
hopes escaped her, and never once in
her daughters presence did she
breathe a sigh. Even the expression
Of her face seemed changed. She had
lived for one object, one hope
alone had sustained her, one
idea had directed all her words and
actions. 1t was all over now, and she
said to herself bitterly that she had
lived in vain. Something like resig-
nation had taken the place of the
determination that had made her face
stern and cold.
In after years Madame Monteleone
was thankful beyond words that she
had never reproached her daughter,
either by word or look. But in vain
did Lord and Lady Lynne try to per-
suade her to leave Serranto for time
and visit Lynnewolde.
81 should be lost in your English
home" she said, to the young lord;
and | do not think I could live away
from the myrtle and orange trees"
Neither mother nor daughter was
destined to see the stately English
home. Quite suddenly Blanca was
seized with a violent and dangerous
illness. In vain the distracted hus-
band summoned the most skillful
physicians in the country. The fiat
had gone forth; the short life of the
beautiful Andalusian was ended.
Hope and love and happiness were all
over; she only lived to hold her little
daughter in her arms and bless it.
stephen" she said, looking into the
loving face bent over her, 81 know
now what impulse called me home
I came here to die; but I have been
very happy, my beloved, with you"
She then laid the little babe in her
mothers arms, and said gently, Let
her do for you what I failed in DO
ing: she will repay your care and love
better than I have done"
Before the sun set that evening over
the Andalusian hills, Blanca Lady
Lynne slept the last long sleep.
No words can describe the despair
of the young husband. The blow was
so sudden, so unexpected, that it al
most deprived him of life and reason.
He could not realise the fact that his
lovely and loving young wife had left
him forever. Life lost all it's charms.
In the first bitterness Of his sorrow
Lord Lynne had but one wish; it was
to die, and so put an end 10 the an
guish for which there seemed no
remedy. He remained at Serranto
simply because all energy was dead in
him. At length he was reused from
his grief by letter from his mother
calling him home on urgent affairs.
CHAPTER XVI.
Two days before Lord Lynne left
SerrantO Madame Mon te1eone an.
peared before him in deep mourning
dress, holding the little babe in hel
| arms