Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-04-13


sent to their becoming husband and wife
Mr.. Jones was man of quick resolution
and action
One October day, only five months af-
ter his arrival in the village, he and
Sarah were married in the little church.
and the big brick house with the bav
windows received them as its occupants.
That marriage to Sarah Higgins. the
tenancy of the big house, and the general
amiability and kindness of the strange
mans manners at length dissipated all
the suspicious the village had entertained
concerning him. The villagers even
agreed that he was worthy to fill the
post of church warden. No one in Bolas
Magma was more respected than Mr..
Jones and his wife. When sorrow fell
upon the big brick house. and its occu-
pants mourned the death of little baby
girl that had been born to them. Bolas
Magma grieved with the young couple
Two years had thus passed when Mr..
Jones, while pne day reading a newspa-
per, discovered in it a piece of news
which, he informed his wife, rendered it
necessary that they should at once set
out upon journey to Northamptonshre
Mrs. Jones had grown to love and trust
that man of mystery. She at cnce made
ready to 90 with him without question
ing; and they set out.
1t was a December day when they
found themselves in front of large Eliz-
abethan mansion standing in the midst
of a magnificent park, up the broad ave
nue of which Mr.. Jones had conducted
his wife. He had seemed strangely ia
miliar with the neighborhood Was he.
Mrs. Jones wondered, acquainted with
someone who lived in that noble resi-
dence? Perhaps he knew one of the
servants?
"What wonderful housed" she ex-
claimed. How beautiful!"
How would you like to be the mis-
tress of it" he asked her.
Very much indeed. But what an i'm
mense amount of money one would want
to live in it' she replied
Il am glad you like it." remarked Mr..
Jones. "The house is yours, my dear.
| must tell you now, Sarah, that | am
not Mr. Jones. My real name is Henry
Cecil and / am Earl of Exeter. You,
being my wife are the countess
She hardly believed him, in spite of
Mr.. Zones" being a serious person who
rarely INDUCED in jokes. But all doubt
was speedily set at rest. The servants
of the house. when he presented himself
at the door, recognized him as their new
master
The old earl was dead, and Mr.. Jones"
had come with his couREa:ss to claim pos,
session of his own
The mansion was Burleigh house
The previous Earl of Exeter had been
Henry Cecil's uncle, an old man with
whom Henry Cecil had not found it
possible to have friendly intercourse.
Uncle and nephew had rarely met, and
the visits of Henry Cecil to Burleieh
house had been as few and as brief as
the young man could make them.
Henry Cecil, going his own way and
leaving the old, unamiable earl to 90 his.
lad married the daughter OF a country
squire. The marriage had proved unhap-
by, so much so that seven wears later
the young husband had applied for and
secured a divorce.
Then Henry Cecil had suddenly dissp.
peared from his usual baunts That In.
happy marriage experience had for a
| time filled him with bitter disgust for
society. He was occupying himself in
walking tours through the country 20
plain Mr. Jones, and having CHANGED to
come to Boas Magma, and having met
pretty Sarah Higgins, had determined to
make her his wife.
Now Sarah Higgins understood why
her husband had. during the two years
that they had occupied the big brick
house with the bay windows, taken such
pains to teach her so many accomplish
ments which had hardly seemed neces-
| sary to impress the people of Bolas Mag
ma. She would be countess some dav.
In the billiard room of Burleigh house
| today hangs a portrait painted by Sir
Thomas Lawrence. 1t is the picture of
young woman in beautiful costume and
wearing splendid jewels. The face is
peculiarly sweet, though it would not,
perhaps, be reckoned as one of remark
able beauty. A certain sadness fingers
in the depths of the large dark eyes. 1t
is the portrait of the peasant countess.
Was she happier as countess, one
wonders, looking on that picture, than as
plain Mrs. Jones, the mistress OF the big
| brick house in Bolas Magma, now known
as Burleigh villa?-LOndon Tit-Bits.