Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-05-05

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CHAPTER VII.
BY
BERTHA M. CLAY

Inc BTdUu Olu bdIutHSl anu uIh WIZ
Smile at the claims Of long DESCENT
Howe'er It be, 1t seems to me,
'Tis only noble to be good;
Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman
blood"
Twelve o'clock-the hour strikes
from Thornleigh church tower; the
twelve strokes seem to cleave the sun
lit air, warm with sunshine, odorous
with the breath of flowers. The rosy
children have gone home from school,;
the room Is empty now, the windows
open. The sound OF merry voices
comes from the far distance--laughter
and song-tiny childish trebles In
highest glee.
The pale, sad governess, with trem.
bling limbs and quivering lips has
gone out again into the garden. The
cottage seems small and narrow; she
can not breathe there Only under the
vast expanse Of the summer sky can
coming today. There is no time for
she find rest. Her nerves, 80 severely
tried, are all on the stretch now.
Master Rupert Is coming today with
rules" How little the proud, state.
ly woman who had uttered those words
knew To whom they were addressed,
And this Master Rupert, the heir Of
the Selwyns, the future lord of this
broad domain, was her own son, the
golden.haired babe whose head had
lain on her breast, whose sweet eyes
had known her before they recognized
any other, whose little fingers had wan.
dered SO lovingly over her face and
neck whose silver-sweet voice had
called her mamma" and brought tears
of unutterabe happiness In her eyes.
The same hoy who, on the banks Of the
Arno, had lavished loving caresses up
on her; who had worshlped her despite
the sneers Of Beatrice Leigh. The
same child by whose little white bed
she had knelt on the night Of her fatal
flight from home He whom for long
years she had believed she should
never see again until he stood among
the angels of God.
And now she was to look upon his
face again; to hear him speak to see
the eyes and the lips that had been
said to resemble her own. When his
eyes looked into hers, would there be
any recognition In them? Would the
wondrous mother-loye she bore him
that mighty, tender passlon--awake
any emotion In him when she gazed
upon him? Had he dreamed of her
since he believed her dead, and would
the dream betray her? What would
he he Hike, this brave young son of
hers? How well she remembered
the gallant face and figure, SO like to
that Of the old cavalier, Rupert
Sclwyn How well she remembered
the day he lay a tiny nesting babe in
her arms and the first great pain had
smote her because she was aot allow.
ed TO give him her fathers Eame.
Pity her, the gentle loving mother,
whose whole heart yearns with hun.
cry desperate love for the child who
believes her dead Did ever summer
sun shine on one SO sad SO desolate,
80 utterly alone? There among the
green trees rose the proud towers of
the grand old homes he had aban-
doned; there in that lordly castle lived
The husband she had loved yet had
left There reignCd the woman whose
petty prosecutions, whose taunts and
sneers had driven her forth to die.
There too, lived the child for whom her
heart yearned SO wildly, What had
she done ?? what had She dcne? II
wns too late now, she must 1.-Two and
henr IT, remembering II was by her
own act II was done Well might
burning tears rise To her aching eyes,
while she cried to Heaven for mercy
when her most fatal error had in enc
sense closed the gates of mercy upon
her
He was coming today hut when
would no come? Would It he in this
warm, fragrant nocntide; In the sutry
afternoon or in the evening cleaning
Surprising it to he soon he must not
lind her IN that foyer or despair. So
she hathed her face In cool water and
went to the gate that lcd into the hph
road
Picture q long, winding road Dor
dcrcd on either side hy tall trees, with
ovorhanging branches, the hodges
brilliant With wild rcso aud woodhinr
with climbing foNglOvy ana strawberry
blossom, the thick loafy branches
meeting In some places twnng thotr
giant arms SO MS to form shady arch
the sunlight falling through and casting
quaint graceful shadows ON the
ground Thon through the sunltt
foliage, under the moving houghs OF
the tail trees, 4 handsome youth. with
eager eyes and clustering hair. rides
slowly along, looking sometimes AT the
Sky above him, AMI sometimes nj the
blooming flowers \ gallant, princely
boy with the face Of a cavalier and
the frank. grand smHc Of crowned
king
As he comes riding over tho shadows