Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-01-11

ture with reverent fingers, gazing ab-
sorbedly at the dark rows of family por-
traits, and specializing what they had
been like. these dead and gone Kynas-
tons. who had once lived and laughed
and sorrowed and died, in the now empty
rooms.
1t was all wonderful and interesting to
Vera. She elaborated whole romances
to herself out of these portraits She
settled their loves and their temptations
heart-broken separations, and true lovers
meetings between them. Each one had
his Or her history woven out of the slen-
der materials which Mrs. Eccles could
give her of their real lives. Only one
thing disappointed her, there was no por-
trait Of the present Sir John, but only a
photograph, which she came across, and
which she somehow accepted as his. She
would have liked to have seen more fully
what he was like, this man who was un-
married still, and who had never cared to
live in the house of his fathers. She
wondered what the mystery had been
that kept him from it. She could not
understand that a man should deliber-
ately prefer dark, dirty, dingy London
to life in this quiet old-world red-brick
house, with the rocks cawing among the
trees, and the long chestnut glades
stretching away into the park, and all the
venerable associations of those portraits
Of his ancestors. His face made an inn
preston upon her. She did not forget
it; and when Sir John Kynaston's name
was mentioned, she invested him with
the likeness of the photograph she had
seen.
On this particular October morning
Vera did not feel inclined to wander
among the deserted rooms; the sunshine
came down too pleasantly through the
autumn leaves for her to care to go in
doors. She wandered on to the terrace
and leaned over the stone parapet that
looked over the gardens and the foun-
tains, and the distant park beyond, and
she thought of the photograph, and her
thought was this:
IF Sir John Kynaston ever comes
down here I will marry him."
She said it to herself, deliberately and
calmly, without the slightest particle of
hesitation or bashfulness. She told her
self that what her relations were perpet-
ually impressing upon her concerning the
desirableness of her marrying and max
ing a home of her own. was perfectly
just and true.
At that very moment someone was
passing along among the upper rooms Of
the house, followed by Mrs Eccles, pant
ing and exhausted. 81 am sure, Sir John,
I am quite ashamed that you should see
the place so choked up with dust and
lumber. If you had only let me have
days notice, instead of being took all of
10 ho
tidied up bit: but what with not ex-
pecting to see any Of the family, and
my being old. and not so quick at the
cleaning as used to be"
'Never mind, Mrs. Eccles; I had just
as soon see it as it is. I only wanted to
see if you could make three or four rooms
tolerably habitable in case I thought of
bringing my horse down for a month or
so. The stables. I find, are in good re-
pair"
Eyes, Sir John. and so is the house;
though the furniture is that old-fashioned
that it is hardly fit for you to use.'
ooh, it will do we'll enough; besides, I
have not made up my mind at ALL Who
is that?" stopping suddenly short before
the window.
"That! Oh, bless me, Sir John, it's
Miss Vera, from the vicarage. I hope
you won't object to her being here. I
had given her leave to walk in the
grounds"
'"The vicarage! Has Mr.. Daintree
daughter so old as that?'
"Oh, law. no. Sir John. 1t is Mrs.
Daintree's sister. She came from abroad
to live with them last year. A very nice
young lady, Sir John, is Miss Nevill, and
seems lonely like, and it kind of cheers
her up to come and see me and walk in
the garden. hope you won't take it
amiss."
'Take it amiss-good gracious, no!
Pray, let Miss-Miss Nevill, did you say?
come as often as she likes. What about
the cellars, Mrs. Eccles?"
81 will get the key, Sir john" The
housekeeper precedes him out of the
room, but Sir John stands still by the
window.
"What picture he says to himself
below his breath; chow we'll she looks
there. She gives to the old place just the
one thing it lacks-has always lacked
ever since I have known 1.-THE presence
of a beautiful woman. Yes, Mrs. Eccles,
I am coming" This last aloud, and he
hastens down stairs.
Five minutes later, Sir John Kynaston
says to the housekeeper:
''You need not scare that young lady
away from the place by telling her was
here to-day and saw her. And you may
get the rooms ready, Mrs. Eccles, and
order anything that is wanted, and get
in a couple of maids, for I have made up
my mind to bring my horses down next
month"
Go be continued.)