Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-09-25
CHAPTER XIV.

There are no finer woods in England
than the woods that surround Bramber
Towers BramDer is a glorious estate,
and the woods extend to Lilford. They
form the massive background OF trees
which help TO render the old church so
picturesque and artistic.
The Earl of Arlington. the master of
the Towers had but one fault in the eyes
of the county-he was too fond of trav-
cling. IL was no unusual thing for the
Towers 10 he closed for two or three
years, while the earl. with his wife and
daughter, delighted in fair Continental
cities. Ii was the one drawback to no.
Sle character; for Lord Arlington was one
of those fortunate men who was born
with keen sense of duty. He had been
absent nearly three years this time. lin
Gering with his beautiful wife and daugh-
ter in the quaint cities Of old Spain. He
reached home on the eleventh of Septem-
her
The countess was quiet. refined wom-
an. One of her great characteristics was
her sympathetic manners. IT was natural
10 her 10 feel intensely the sorrows and
Joys OF others There were two children
the young heir, Lord Bramber, who was
still ar Oxford, and Lady Maude Bran
Der, a lovely young girl about two years
older than her brother.
Lady Maude inherited her mothers Pc
culiarly sympathetic nature She was as
gifted rs she was beautiful. and the one
thing in. which she excelled was art. She
set out one morning with her sketch book
aud pencils The countess suggested that
she should take maid or q footman with
her Lady Maude laughed.
''No danger turks in our English woods.
mamma" she said. III were in Italy
or Greece | might meet few brigands:
here. ut Bramber. there will be nothing
worse than the pretty brown hares and
the little squirrels.
So she went alone into the Bramber
Woods. Tic sky was blue, the sun bright
and warm. the air full OF music and song.
AS she entered the woods she fancied
that she heard a faint Ginning OF distant
bells.
They are the old church bells Of Lii
ford" she said TO herself: what a mel
low. rich sound, l shall not hear it
presently"
II died away as she entered the beauti-
ful green gladeS; the sound could not pen
citrate the thick masses OF foliage.
As she became absorbed in the keen de-
light Of her sketching she forgot her
feathered neighbors. They no longer dis
tarbed her The wind sounded like an
Aeelian harp among the trees. but that
was music She liked; the merry rabbits
hoped among the bracken and fern. the
squirrels played among the spreading
bo0ghS. II was all 50 still. 50 peaceful.
so beautiful that she thought she could
sit there sketching forever. Once she was
disturbed; she fancied that from the long
western glade on the other side Of her
there came the sound OF reckless running
footsteps and then Of a heavy fail. but
after moment or two she concluded that
< WAS only the rabbits.
Then the pencil trembied in her fingers.
fer surely she heard the sound ot terrible
sobhing greet, passionate, bitter sohS.
She could not be mistaken. they grew
more bitter and deep and then ali was
st.H. She could not persuade herself that
what she heard was faacy-eh fancy.
Something must have made the noise
she would 20 and see.
She put her drawing materials aside