Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-01-26
CHAPTER XXI.

GVer-murmurlng sea. MISS EaLCOn
had tn ewhole day to herself; she had
no great household to manage as at
Brentwood, she had no care about
the entertainment of visitors; the
long, bright hours were hers, to spend
as she would.
Lady Maude Trevar had gladly ac-
copied the duchess invitation; but
pretty May LusOn had promised to pay
a visit elsewhere, and could not break
her engagement. The military ele-
ment had dispersed. Sir Basil Carl
ton had been delighted with her
grace's proposal to join the party at
the Abbey. He liked the duchess; her
kindly gracious manner pleased him;
he was touched by her great kindness
to himself, although he did not know
the cause. He did not go with the
party from Brentwood, but he fol
lowed them in a few days. 1t was a
wonderful change from the green,
sweet woodlands Of Warwickshire, to
the country bordering on a sunny
southern sea.
Dene Abbey was very old house,
one that hundreds of years before had
belonged to an ancient order Of friars.
Bluff King Harry took possession of
it, and gave it to one Of his favorite
cOurtiers In course of time it came
into the hands of the Rosedene family,
who valued highly the grand old man
sion and magnificent estate. The
duchess always insisted upon spending
a few months there every year.
Modern rooms and modern luxuries
had been added to the old mansion,
but it still retained enough Of it's an
tiquity to be one of the show places of
England.
From the windows, from the ter
races, from the grassy knobs in the
park-from every part, the sea was
visible
Dene lay in Sussex. near the little
town of Southwood, which was favo-
rite watering place. When calm,
the water of the Channel lay like fair
mirror in the distance. When it was
rough, the foam and the dashing spray
seemed almost to- envelop the Abbey.
There. had been nothing wanting in
the poetry of Leah's loye-story; but if
anything could deepen the romance Of
it, it was certainly the presence of the
BEAUTIFUL, restless heaving sea.
The duchess had but one notion of
pleasing her guests at Dene, and it
was to give them perfect liberty. Some
liked the woods, some the yellow
sands, some the ever-changing sea.
They went where they liked and did
as they liked, which was the great
charm Of the place.
So Sir Basil, who liked the sea, and
Leah, whose passionate soul delighted
in it were often on the beach to-
gether. They enjoyed the firm vel
low sands, the dancing, crested
waves the tall white cliffs covered
with luxuriant vegetation, the briny
odor Of the sea-breeze, the pretty
shells and pebbles on the beach, the
seaweed which drifted with the
waters. They spent long hours to-
gether listening to the music Of the
waves and talking Of the beauty that
lay around. And during this time,
while the sea-guIls whired in the air,
while the southern wind kissed the
waves, the heart Of the girl who loved
Sir Basil became so entirely his, her
life so wholly wrapped in his that
death would have been easier than to
see him pass out of it.
The duchess remarked it, and
mOurned over it, but did not inter
fere-it was too late. But she said to
herself over and over again that it
was ten thousand pities Leah had so
much romance in her nature; she
would have been so much happier
had she been more like ordinary girls.
The evenings at Dene were delight
full. The drawing-roOm was an i'm
mense apartment, containing five
large windows. From them one STEP
ped on to q smooth, green lawn; and
from the lawn a short path led through
the woods to the cliffs and the sea.
When the moon shone on the white
cliffs and the shifting water, the eff
feet was dazzling. Then the duchess
liked the lamps to be'1owered and the
windows all thrown open, when the
wind, laden with sweet odors from
land and sea, came in. ..c
One evening the moon shone I'M
wontedly bright; in the distance the
sea looked like molten silver-it was a
night to fill all hearts with an unde-
fined sense Of passionate longing.
Then from out of the soft shadows
appeared Leah's tall graceful figure
enveIOpcd in sweeping folds of black
lace. She went quietly to the piano.
The white, slender hands moved gent
ly over the keys; the beautiful face
grew fairer as the passionate words
fell from her lips. She sang:
My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a watered shoot;
My heart is like an apple-tree
Whose boughs are bent with thick
set fruit;
NV hpaT RI iS like q rain how she'll