Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-12-05


would say no more, though Jack storm
ed and raEed.
Meanwhile the Dayenant party had
thanks to Stephen, made comfortable
journey. They found carriage and
pair waiting for them at the station;
not the ramshackle vehicle of. the old
sources time, but a new carriage from
the best man in Long Acre, and they
were rolled along the country lanes in
a style. Ralph Dayenant would have
marveled at,
Presently they came in sight of the
Hurst, and Mrs. Davenant uttered an
exclamation.
''Why, Stephen, it is altered!' she
said. =.
Stephen smiled proudly.
Short as the time had been he had
effected radical change in the old
house; a hundred workmen had been
busy, and the ramshackle old mansion
had been transformed. Wings had
been added, the grounds had been new
ly laid out; the road, even, had been
altered, and they drove through an
avenue Of thriving young lines.
Una, silent and interested, kept her
eyes fixed on the house. She had
often heard Jack describe it, but this
.palatial residence did not answer to
his description. Stephens money and
energy had entirely transformed the
place.
The carriage pulled up at the en-
trance, and half a dozen grooms flew to
the horses heads; footmen in hand
some liveries stood in attendance, and
the servants formed lane for their
master to pass through. Una had
often read of such reception, but here
was a reality.
Stephen helped her to alight, and
took her and his mother on his arm,
his head erect, a warm flush on his
cheek.
Suddenly the flush disappeared and a
frown took it's place as he saw amongst
the. crowd gathered together at the en-
trance the parchment-lil1e yisage of old
Skettle.
But the frown disappeared as he
entered the house, and stood SILENT
to the approving comments
OF. Mrs. DaYenant.
"AIy dear Stephen" she said, "you
have certainly altered the place.
should not have known it. And is this
what was the gloomy old Hall?"
eyes" said Stephen, proudly, and
he glanced round at the alterations
with an air, of satisfaction, and looked
at Una's face for some sign of ap-
prevail.
But Una was looking around anxious
ly If it was SO much altered, then it
was not the old home that Jack knew
and remembered.
''You will find everything altered and
improved, l hope, said Stephen.
Altered, indeed! They have even
shifted the old staircase, SO that it
would have been difficult to have found
the room in which the old squire died,
exclaiming:
"You thief! you thief! what have
you done with the will?"
Yes, indeed, there was great altera-
ton The old squire, if he had come
to life again, would not have known
Hurst as Stephen had made it. Masons,
carpenters, and decorators had been at
work to some purpose. Everything was
changed, and Enthusiastically for the bet
ter
Stephen looked around with an air OF
pride
"They have been very quick" he
said 81 placed it in good hands. You
will find everything you require up
stairs. You must know" he said,
turning to Una, "that I found the place
little better than barn, and have
done my best to make it fit to receive
you! You are looking at the por-
traits" he added, seeing Unas gaze
wandering along the double line of
dead and gone Dayenants. Most OF
them you would not have seen two
months ago, they had been terribly
but I have had them clean
ed and renewed. That is the old
squire, my poor uncle" and he sighed
comfortably
Una paused before this, the last por-
trait of the series, and looked at it
long and curiously, and the other two
stood and watched her, Stephen with
a keen glance of scrutiny and with a
nervous tremer about his heart. II
she could but know that she was look
ing at the portrait of her own father!
Una turned away at last with faint
sigh. She was thinking that this was
the old man who had once loved Jack
and left him to poverty.
Mrs. Davenant shuddered slightly.
. HE was a terrible old man, my
dear,p she murmured, ''and always
me. I trembled when he
looked at me-"
''He does not look so terrible" said
Una, sadly.
Stephen fdgeted slightly.
LII