Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-12-23

| costing the house-boat arrangement
| to Leicester; and he flattered himself
that the idea of having Lady Anne
| O'Neill in the house had been gener-
ously conceived entirely for his own
| benefit.
! Not only would he have been glad
| for the sake of his own inclination,
and for prudential reasons, to s'cut
out" his cousin the Duke IN that direc-
| ton, but he was we'll aware of Pal
! graves scientific theories regarding
the hidden existence of coal at pow
serty-stricken Kildaragh, and knew that
/, despite appearances the penniless
beauty might not prove to be such a
bad match after all.
| 1t seemed to Blandon that if his
father had gone to the expenses of rem
ovating the Moated Grange solely in
the hope of giving him fortnight or
so in the society of Anne O'Neill, the
same object might somehow have been
obtained in a less troublesome and
elaborate manner. Still, on mentally
debating the matter, he was able to
fix upon no very plausible alternative
reason, and finally concluded that
there could be no other
1t was early in May when Randall
and Blandon Palgrave left the fiat in
Bloomsbury, and moved into the
Moated Grange Life went quietly,
not to say gloomily there, though oc-
casionally few people land the Duke
| of Leicester among others) tore them
selves from the gaities of the town,
and ran down from Saturday to Mon
day.
The invitation to the Clancardens
including Lady Anne O'Neill, was duly
sent, however; and duly accepted
| therefore a break in the dull routine
might be looked forward to. Blan-
| don was glad Of this, but he was more
than astonished when the suggestion
once made with apparent carelessness
| by his father, was religiously carried
| out.
The season before the Duke had in
| dulged his fancy by buying house
boat. But the chances were that, save
for Henley week, perhaps, it would
have remained unused by its erratic
young proprietor had not Palgrave
painted in glowing colors the delights
of having it towed to the point in the
! river nearest the Moated Grange. The
place would be full of people for a
fortnight or so, Palgrave said by way
| Of apology for not asking the Duke to
stop at the house, but there would be
advantages in having the boat. 1t
might amuse Lady Anne and the other
young girls who would be among the
guests at the Moated Grange, to spend
many hours; duly chaperoned, on the
Dukes charming house-boat There
might be picnics, and all sorts Of odd
original little entertainments; and
besides, there might be some rather
jolly poker and baccarat parties on
board the Mischief, when the ladies
were all safely sleeping in their own
rooms at the Moated Grange
Leicester had thought it rather odd
that he should not be invited to the
l. l,,+ NIB 80 wiz
was presented to him, he accepted it
with enthusiasm.
Despite Blandon's sulky looks the
plan was carried out as arranged.
During Henley week the two Pal
graves and such guests as they had
with them were all accommodated on
board the roomy and well-appointed
Mischief gay with rose and white
awnings, quantities of pink hydrangeas
and brilliantly colored electric lights.
After the last grand night of the re-
gatta and its illumination and frivo-
tiles all went back to the Moated
Grange, the Mischief meanwhile being
toWed to the Swallowed backwater
selected for it's sojourn.
Of the party on board the house boat
and at the Moated Grange Lady Mary
Blandon violently disapproved. If she
had changed little in appearances dur
ing the past one-and-twenty years
still less had she changed in her bitter
hatred and distrust of Randall Pal
grave. But the Duke was of age and
his own master, and after more than
one npleasant scene between himself
and his aunt he had, as a matter of
course, taken his own way. 1t went
without saying also that though in
vited for conventionality' sake, Lady
Mary would not countenance by her
presence the two guests on the Mis-
chief whom she had so long and con-
sistently detested.
AS for Leicester. he had never been
so happy in his life True. as he said
to himself in certain lonely hours,
when he had plenty of time for
thought, Anne was cold to him as
statue; and this was the more CALLING
because there was that in her face ard