The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-06-12
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| Told BY !: tho i aIet.
By Cella Myroser Robinson.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

I AM an old. man now, but remem-
i Der it as j. it, were yesterday
that it happened. Sir Lionel was a
young. fellow then, full of life and
vigor, thespnly son mid thexapple, of
the old gaaaster's eye. Ny. lord had
set his hs1rt on bringing. about q
marriage betweenghis son and; the
Lady Elisabeth staunton. Her .yes-.
tate was5inean adjoinfngA coanty 3;sshs
was haughtysssonad, g cold and
proud, ami, in spite of her station
and wealth, no one could call her a
beauty. Sir Lionel had no mind to
settle down and the wooing Jagged.
Now and again he would grow FESTIVE
at the dull routine of country gen
tleman's life and he. would 2up and
away, always taking me with him. :
In one Of these wanderings he
went to the. south of France, and it
was therehe met Madelon Deschap-
pelles. She was the most beautiful
woman that I had ever seen. Her
mother had been an actress, and a
noted beauty in her day, and it was
said that the daughter was even
more beautiful than her mother be-
fore her. Sir Lionel seemed to fall
under her spell the moment he set
eyes on her; he was like somebody
daft and she returned his love-, And
one had only to look into those deep,
dark eyesssof hers to know how she
could love-, Sir Lionel for, a. time
seemed to forget all else; he forgot
the woman in England, to whom he
was all but bound; he forgot the
wishes of his father, the noble line
age of his house: He thought, only
of this slight girl, with all her
beauty, and romance, and poetry
of France, embodied in her. --e.rse.
This state of affairs went on for
some time. Often L slonged to re.
monstrate with him., as I saw him
falling more and more surely under
her spell, but who was to speak to
him of his duty? 1t grieyed me, hows
ever, to- think Of the sorrow of my
old master if this, his only son,
should fail him in his old age.
Theirs was an old and honored name,
and well. knew, and Sir Lionel
knew, that he would never be per-
mitted to take her beneath his
fathers roof. One night Sir Lionel
received a letter from England tell
ing him Of the illness of his father.
1--WE will 60 tomorrow" he said.
But tomorrow came and went, and
other to-morrows, and still he linz
gered. About week later there
came telegram with the news that
the master was dying Sir Lionel
was like one mad, what with his love,
and sorrow, and self reproach. He
bade the girl. goodbye down by the
river, on June night, with the soft,
white moonlight wrapping them
round, and the heavy, fragrance Of
roses in the air.
When he reached the station at
: Sthey told him that there was
only one chance in thousand that
he could reach the Hall in time to see
his father alive. I shall never for
get that drive. feared for my
masters reason and the distance
seemed interminab1e.
On his knees that night, with his
shaking fingers grasping the mas
ter's, now growing cold in death, he
promised to marry the Lady Eliza
beth Stanton. After the funeral
he shut himself out from the world
and would see no one, not even Lady
Elizabeth. He lived the life of her
NIT, closeted with his books and his
long and deep thoughts. Not even a
servant was allowed to penetrate
his seclusion, with the exception of
myself; he was used to having me
about, and noticed me no more than
had I been faithful dog.
He wrote one letter to Madelon
Deschappelles after his fathers
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