Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-05-09

lowing week. She had resumed hel
maiden name; she would not hide
under any alias. Just as she had
taken Off her wedding-ring and placed
it away, so now she laid aside th6
name that she disliked and resumed
that of her parents.
The dowager and her childrer
wanted to annul her marriage, an[
they should be gratifed; she would
annul it herself. Deep down in hel
heart lay the firm conviction that nc
! human power cound undo marriage
! that it could be dissolved only by
death; but, if the dowager and her
children liked to speak of marriage as
; though it were a ceremony to be sci
aside at will and pleasure, let them
She would adopt the same view, and
SO free herself.
Mrs. Carstone listened, as she did
to everything Violet said with a
smile. She made no further attempt
to argue, to demonstrate, or interfere
She had begun to realize that time
was the only thing which would
bring matters right, and in silence
she agreed to all Violet's whims. She
said nothing about the wedding-ring
that lay in the drawer up stairs.
Dearly as she delighted to speak of a
grand acquaintance, she carefully re-
Trained from mentioning the fact that
the young Lady RIVERS of Ryversdale
was staying with her. She did all
she could to further Violet's views
and intentions. She told her to make
what use she would of her name, that
she would be only too pleased to be a
reference for her.
position you have chosen to fill" she
said "a few months will show you
how different it is from that which
you have hitherto occupied, and you
will be ready to forgive even the
dowager Lady RIVERS by that time"
ST will never forgive her while I
live" said Violet. passionately; land
would rather die of hunger than go
back to her"
Nevertheless you are going
amongst aristocrats again" remarked
Mrs. Carstone. quietly.
Violet looked perplexed.
at will not be forever" she said.
81 shall work my way back to my own
class in time"
The situation promised we'll
Violet was to act as companion to an
elderly lady, Mrs. Ingram, of Queen
Elm, who had long lost her husband,
and wanted some one to be con-
stantly with her. She had neither
sons nor daughters living, only one
grandchild. Of this grandchild Mrs.
Beresford knew nothing, except that
She was very beautiful and would be
a great heiress as all the accumulated
wealth of the Ingram family would
be hers.
The granddaughter, heiress and
beauty though she was, did not enter
did not spend much time at Queens
Elm, and would have nothing to do
with her. Insensibly she grew in
terested in Mrs. Beresford's account
Of Queens Elm, one of the oldest
immortal houses in the land, and
which took its name from the fact of
its having once been the residence
of Queen Phi1ippa of Hainault.
There was a lovely alley called
Queen Philippians walk, grand old
oaken room with quaint tapestry
called Queen Philippa's chamber; and
the long magnificent row of elms,
some of which the royal hands were
supposed to have planted, was called
the Queens Grove.
From the number of elms about it
the place had taken it's name. They
also gave the name to the pretty coun-
try town of Elm Green, which lay at a
distance Of about five miles from the
old manor-house. The scenery was
very beautiful; there were deep
streams, green hills crowned with
trees, fertile meadows, and fruit-laden
orchards.
1t was the end of September when
Violet reached Queens Elm. She
had been fercely Independent up to
the very last. She had refused any
assistance from Mrs Carstone; she
refuse<. any escort, laughed at the
idea, and seemed to take the keenest
delight in ignoring every aristocratic
tradition.
Mrs. Carstone had long since
ceased all remonstrance; she saw
sufficiently clearly into violet's
antiquity. Surely nothing could be
centuries and one built in the most
character to be quite sure that
neither opposition nor contradiction
would be Of any use.
The only thing was to let her take
her OWE way-and Violet did She
reached Queens Elm on a fine Sep
| TENDER evening, when the old place
| was all aglow in the sunset, and as
| her eyes fell on it she wondered if,
after all, there was not some merit in
antiquity. Surely nothing could be
more lovely than the fine old house
the gray stone almost covered with
! ivy, the growth of centuries. 1t was
worth whole mile Of modern palaces
all gliding and Stucco; no money, nc
art could impart that air of antiquity
And, in spite of herself, in spite of all
the ideas that had been instilled into
her, she found herself wondering
whether it were the same thing with
men as with houses-whether there
was as much difference between ar
aristocTat and a parvenu as between
an old house the home of many
centuries and one build in the most
modern style. And there came to hel
mind, as the thought occurred to her