Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-05-19
CHAPTER I.

81 a,, herself on the nearest seat, anu
t~oke into a very passion OF tears.
Tr,osa three things were all SO unlike
usual demeanor that the two girls
~ ~ were seated over the fire absorbed
81 reading started to their feet in real
I'm, wondering what could possibly
Lo,a happened to affect her in this ex-
binary manner, for, as a rule, her
I ~ affected dignified gait and leis-
~ To-, movements. and had rarely been
I-,,a;yn 10 give way to emotion, even at
- when Death laid his heavy hand on
the household.
~ Temper she frequently gave way to.
but tears never!
Sometimes had told her, years ago, that
.-,.;nr made lines round the eyes, dimmed
,boir mster. and spoilt the complexion,
sinca when her ladyship had rigidly re-
Frained from giving way to such very
doneprous emotion, for she had n great
weakness for her own beauty, and would
hove suffered tortures to enhance it; she
alnired herself so heartily, and expected
o,aryone else to echo her own opinions of
herself.
Truth to tell she was a very handsome
woman. and at As compared very favor
shIv with many at least ten years her
innior. while she had a seemingly gra-
CONS smile and manner plausible enough
IN make many people believe her a
hearty. good -natured, hospitable creature,
whose character matched her appearance
in beauty
In reality. underneath that surface
suaytv Lady Charters concealed not a
few unamiable traits which her own
household had the full benefit of, though
the outside public generally had quite "A
different idea of her disposition.
She was vain, grasping. mercenary,
selfish. worldly beyond telling, and put
her own interests first, and her daugh-
ters second, while everybody else's were
nowhere
OF the two girls she startled by her
sudden entrance that day, the elder, by
few months only. was her own daughter
Dot Sinclair; the other was her step
daughter Hildegarde Charters.
Her first husband had left her a widow
with one child and very scanty pro
vision, rs his death occurred at too early
an age Tor him to have saved much money
in his somewhat difficult profession of
medicine, especially encountered as he
had been. with very extravagant wife,
who never consulted anyone's wishes or
convenience but her own. and spent
small fortune yearly-for one in her po-
sitiOn--on dress.
Dr. Sinclair's death was certainly a
blow TO her. especially when the lawyer
explained precisely how she was left, and
what a sudden change there must be in
q her mode If living.
4 He made a pretty shrewd guess why
the clever, popular doctor left so little
money behind him. for it was an open
81 secret that Dr.. Sinclair had worked him
q self practically to death to meet the de-
n mands made upon him, and perhaps there
q was touch of reproof in the lawyers
4 voice as he strongly advised the widow
4 to sell off every superhuous thing she
possessed, and go into cheap apartments
until she had decided how she could ia
crease her email income. either by start
ing school or boarding house, he sug-
gested
Mrs Sinclair stared at him. in what
she believed petrifying manner; the
lnSolence, the want of tact he displayed
were beyond endurance, she thought, and
she longod to shrivel him up by her scorn-
full gaze
But indeed, he interpreted, or feigned
10 interpret, her prolonged stare in quite
different manner, and added a few
words of soothing, hopeful turn, as he
gathered up his papers, and went away,
leaving the newly made widow too angry
about her empty purse even TO grieve for
the loss of good, kind, generous hus-
land
1t didn't take her long to make up her
Hlhd' and arrange her plans. She could
not work, she did not mean to beg, at
Ihat period anyhow-and she had too
great faith in her own attractions to
give way to anxiety or despair.
Nhe sold up everything she could CON
/ vert INTO money: she realized the income
Oh hundred year, placing her whole
eaPi'aI at her bankers, and then set ont
On her new enterprise.
N"e meant to marry again, as speedily
- possible, and with that end in view.
accompanied only by her daughter, a
handsome girl of 10, made tour of En-
S"Sh watering places, then foreign re-
s,.'7' hnaliy succeeding in securing an
"Her OF marriage from a country baronet.
=" mary Charters by name widower
WIN one child also a daughterl, and
"' ',., 90 years of age.
ne chance came just in time to pre-
''ut catastrophe, for she had spent
ielNlessly during the eighteen months of
Ntl "idowhood, and could not have held
out much longer.
ne prospect of the title had its fas-
c'hation for her also, SO she spared no
PAINS TO please her admirer land she
,gulo be extremely agreeable when she
'.oSej' showing only the attractive side
vi her nature, fattering his every weak
ness dllating on the care she should be-
,u'" upon MS dear little girl. who of
, .g1s would be a second daughter to her
..' and a welcome sister to Dot. $50
.t- 1uaate, as she said to him. that
lucy arc about the same age-such com
P'H'ons as they will be for each other.
5a ling lessons, pleasures, everything; in
1othlng could be better for them, or