Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-05-24
CHAPTER XVI.

CHATTER XVI.
A bright, beautiful May day. In
Brookdale House every one seemed to
be unusually busy and excited, for to-
day Lady st. Norman and Miss st.
| Norman were to be introduced to her
most gracious majesty. Lady st. Nor
man, usually so calm, so gentle, so
! placid, owned that she was agitated.
She was surprised that Ethel did not
manifest more interest. Lord st. Nor
mans daughter seemed to think but liz
tie OF the great event which gave her
step-mother so much pleasure. If her
father had not insisted, she would not
have agreed to go at all.
ut is all very well for Others" said
Ethel to herself; for girls who had
happy future, a bright, pleasant life
before them; but for her there seemed
something incongruous about it."
The wife of forger and a theft to
be received at court! She smiled Bit
terly to herself as she thought of It..
Instead of going to court or miogling
with the gay and happy, the poor child
would fain have hidden herself, her
sorrow, and despair from all mortal
eyes. In vain she had begged her
father to leave her at Norman's Keen.
to let her stay at Fountayne, to place
her anywhere, rather than ask her to
take her position in the great world.
"Of what use is it?" she asked 20
herself. Other girls have some hope
the hope of love, of marriage, of hap
piness. OF pleasure; | have none"
rhe very word love" was distaste-
full to her. What had love done for her
but plunge her into such a dark gulf
of misery as she could not be rescued
from?
Lord and Lady st. Norman both
wondered why Ethel shrank from the
society of young girls of her own age.
She seemed to avoid and dread them.
Their pretty, innocent conversation.
their ideas OF love and lovers, we're all
tull OF pain to her; their GIRLS. laugh
ter seemed to hurt her; their freedom
from care was to her like a reproach.
* shall never be as they are" she
was wont to say to herself: there will
be no more laughter or song no mo e
pleasure or brightness for me-"
Lord st. Norman had taken pos es-
sion OF his new estates; he had at
tended the funeral of the late lord.
had administered to his WILL arrang ed
all his affairs, and had decided that
Norman's Keep should be the principal
place of abode of himself and his fam
lily. He had been warmly welcomed by
the tenantry, with whom the late lord
had not been a favorite; young and
thoughtless, he had not looked after
their interests or attended to their
wants.
The new lord promised to be very
different. and he was welcomed accord
ingly People were all anxious to
make his acquaintance. As Sir Leon
ard Gordon he had been wen known
in diplomatic circles, but not beyond
them; now. with his new title, every
one felt an interest in him.
IL was known that he had only one
daughter, and much wonder was afioat
about her Some had known beautiful
Ethel Gordon when she lived in the
quiet retirement of Fountayne-wheu
she had been content with county So
ciety; but Lord st. Norman's heiress
was a very different person. In the
great world people were all DESTROYS OF
welcoming her.
The family had gone to London. and
had taken possession of Brookdale
House. Both ladies were presented on
the same day. the only difference being
that enc looked forward to the event
with the keenest pleasure, the other
with the keenest pain,
Lady st. Norman was pleased with
her court coStume-she was delighted
with the grand old family diamonds;
while Ethel stood in all the grandeur
/ OF her beauty before the large mirror
, ana never even remarked the color OF
the dress she was wearing.
OF what use is IL allg" was the bur-
den OF her thoughts. "of what use?''
Lord St. Norman had purchased an