Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-02-01

y
cious little packet in his hands, and he
will say. You will marry me, ma chere,
or will make public these letters. Do
you see? Till then enjoy your life and
your liberty as much as you desire. Only
you will not venture to marry-beeause l
have these letters?''
''You will prevent my marrying?' said
Helen, family.
"Mais, certanment that | should Do,
you suppose any man would care to be
your husband after he had read that last
letter-the fifth. you know? 2"
M. d'Arblet waited few minutes,
watching her; then, as she did not raise
riage, where she had buried it, the
Frenchman pulled the check string of
the carriage.
In another minute he was gone, and
Helen, hoping that the darkness had
concealed the traces of her agitation
from the servants prying eyes, was driv-
en- on. more dead than alive. to her
grandfather's house.
CHAPTER VI.
About five miles from Ky1faston Hall,
as the crow flies, across the fields, stood,
as the house agents would have describ-
ed it, "a large and commodious modern
mansion, standing in about eighty acres
of welltimbered park land.'
There had been an old house once at
Shadonake, old and picturesque and un-
comfortable; but when the property had
been purchased by the present owner
Mr.. Andrew Whitewater he had been
returned as Conservative member for
IL nIl
away, and modern mansion, more suit
ed to the requirements of his family,
arose in it's place.
Where Mr.. Miller had originally. come,
from nobody exactly knew. 1t was gen
orally supposed that he had migrated
early in life from northern and manu-
featuring districts, where his father had
amassed large fortune. In spite, how
ever, of his wealth, it is doubtful wheth-
er he would ever have achieved the diff
cult task of being returned for SO exclu
sive and aristocratic county as Mead
owshire had he not made a most prudent
and polite marriage. He had married
one of the Miss Esterworths, Of Lutter-
ton.
The Esterworths are the very oldest
and best of the old country families.
Therefore, when Andrew Miller married
Caroline Esterworth there was at once
an end of all hesitation as to how he
was to be treated among them. Mead
owshire might wonder at Miss Caroline's
taste. but it kept the wonder to itself,
and held out the right hand of fellowship
to Andrew Miller then and ever after
ward.
One afternoon-it is about week later
than that soiree at Walpole Lodge, men
toned in a previous chapter-Mrs. Miller
and her eldest daughter are sitting to-
gether in the large drawing room at
Shadonake. Beatrice is twenty. Guy
is only eleven months older, and Edwin
is a year younger-they are both at Ok
ford; next comes Geraldine, who is still
in the school room; then Ernest and
Charley, the Elton boys; and lastly, Ted
dy and Ralph, who are at a famous pre-
paratory school.
OF all this large family it is Beatrice,
the eldest daughter, who causes her
mother the most anxiety. Beatrice is
like her mother-a plain but clever look
ing girl, with the dark swart features
and coloring of the Esterworths. who are
not a handsome race. That Beatrice is
to marry is a matter Of course, and Mrs.
Miller has wei! determined that the mar
riage is to be good one, and that her
daughter is to strengthen her fathers
position in Meadowshire by union with
one or other of its leading families. Now,
when Mrs. Miller came to pass the mar
riageable men of Meadowthorpe under
review, there was no such eligible bach
elor among them all as Sir John Kynas-
ton Of Kynaston Hall.
It was on him, therefore, that her
hopes with regard to Beatrice were fixed.
Fortune hitherto had seemed to smile
favOrably upon her. Beatrice bad had
one season in town, during which she
had met Sir John frequently, and he had,
contrary to his usual custom, asked her
to dance several times when he had met
her at balls. Mrs. Miller said to her
self that Sir John. not being a very
young man. did not set much store upon
mere personal beauty; that he probably
valued mental qualities in woman more
highly than the transient glitter of beau
ty; and that Beatrice's good sense and
sharp, shrewd conversation had evident
" made a favorable impression upon
him.
She never was more mistaken in her
life. Sir John did like Miss Miller. he
found her unconventional and amusing;
but his only object in distinguishing her
by his attentions had been to pay nee
essary compliment to the new NJ. P.'s
daughter, duty which he would have
fulfilled equally had she been stupid as
well as plain.
The mother and daughter were settling
together the preliminaries of weeks
festivities which Mrs. Miller has decided
shall be held at Shadonake this winter.
The house is to be filed, and there are
to be a series of dinner parties. culmi-
mating in ball.
''The Bayleys, the Westons, the For
esters, and two daughters, suppose,
reads Mrs. Miller, aloud, from the list in
her hand. ANY more for the second
dinner party, Beatrice?"
Are you not going to ask the Dain-
trees, mother9
..Oh. dear me, another parson, Bea-
trice. I really don't think we can; /
have got three already. They shall have
a card for the ball.
ssxy..S...lr IL that ho CANA al ri xt-hO