Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-07-17

NO, papa, j llhe MIN Llhe pSl
laps | might love him"
ut would take half the bitterness
away If | could see you married, he
remarked; 1T is for you | dread the
change, not for myself"
1--WE must tell him tomorrow, papa"
said Lady Ianthe. See, It is striking
! two, and you look 80 tired, dear. /
will not stay to listen to any more; |
! know the worst. We will bear it TO-
gether-we shall always be together;
! and | am 80 young, so strong, 50
brave, can help you so much
Promise me you will try to sleep.
He looked gratefully at her.
There is one thing more Ianthc.
The letter calling in the mortgage IS
from the son, Herman Culross, and he
| speaks of coming over to see me
about 1t. You will be civil to him for
my sake If he comes, Ianthe?"
civil? Certainly papa. was
never guilty Of inclVility to an in
ferior--I consider 1t illbreeding.'
"He is heir to a millionaire now,
INTELLECTUALLY an inferior
eff he had the wealth of the whole
world, papa" she said haughtily, he
would still be inferior even to a
ruined and penniless Care"
The old earl looked kindly at her
for one minute, as she stood with all
the pride Of her race expressed in he"
face
Il will be civil, dear, for your sake;
but | must not forget that he ,his
manufacturers son, was presumptuoas
once. am afraid that I shall b"
prouder even in my poverty than |
was in prosperity"
All the haughtiness died away as
she bent down once more to kiss him
and say goodnight, and then she went
away. leaving him alone.
Lady Ianthe went back to her room,
to think over what she had heard.
Ruined, penniless, disgraced-she who
had been reputed heiress Of a grand
old house--she who had known
nothing but luxury and magnificenco!
1t was all over; she might bid farewell
to the pleasure and gayeties she had
enjoyed. There were no more
triumphs for her, no more jewels,
no marvels of costly dress, no crowds
of admIrng suitors--it was all endeG.
There was but one thing for her to
do; and that was to go away with her
father whore they might hide them
selves from ,ne gaze of all whom they
had ever known. That was all that
remained for her; and she was one OF
the fairest girls in England-just
eighteen. Stlll she had the courage
of the Cares, She shed no idle tears
she made no complaint. She smiled
bitterly to herself as The thought of
Lord Ravoncourt. She understood now
her fathers desire that she should ike
him.
Il may be thankful that | did not
she thought-"that his sweet words
and compliments have won no love
from me; for, unless | mistake-and
mistake greatly-when he understan Is
the real state of things, he will say
all that Is kind by way of coincidence,
and then ride away"
1t was her first lesson in the
trying realities of life, and, consider
ing how spoiled and INDUCED she had
been, It was terribly hard one.
on the morrow Lord Care gave
some slight intimation of that state of
affairs to his noble guest, who was
most profuse in his expressions Of
sympathy. The next morning he ali.
nounCed that business would call aim
away at once,
AS she watched him drive Off, Lady
lanthe smiled bitterly to herself,
Let me take that lesson to heart"
she said III yesterday n fortune had
fallen to my lot instead of the loss of
one, Lord Ravencourt would have per
suaded himself, and me too, perhaps,
that he was in love with me. lie
would have made me an offer VI
marriage, and it is just possible that
| might have become Lady Ravens
court Better poverty than that
better any fate than marriage with ~
man who wants nobility Of soul"
Did the words ever come homo ia
her whom years artorward, she knew
was a noble soul really was?
ono by one the guests departed
and Lord Carro was left with his
daughter.
lie received letter one morning.
saying that Mr. Culross would be al
the Abbey at night He gave IT
silently into his daughters hands.