The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-04-30
CHAPTER XIX.

perceive on account of the crowd, that
Ella had not Joined that lady; and it
was thus that the young woman contriv-
ed TO leave the station. and so found her
self in a suburb of the town of Eyers-
holt before she was missed.
She feared that she must he discov-
cred unless she could contrive IL put ply
steal distance between herself and her
mother. The easiest ana safest way TO
effect this was certainly the railway
but, as it was, with her mother at the
Eversholt station, it seemed 10 her as ii
all the lines in England were blocked
for her. for surely Mrs. Wycherly would
soon set all the telegraph wires in the
kingdom vibrating with the story of her
flight Ella knew enough of the world
and Of the law to be aware that if she
applied to the authorities. her mother
would have no right to imprison her for
life, but until she was of age, her mother
would have the right to place her wher-
ever she pleased, and three years of irk-
some Imprisonment seemed inevitable.
Ella said to herself, fervently, that she
would rather work as a housemaid, or
girl OF all work, in some shabby genteel
family, such as she had read of in novels,
but had never met in the sonber splendor
of her life, than be found by her mother,
and conveyed to the italian prison house.
She was in a narrow lane, with pretty,
old-fashioned houses of various sizes lying
back in gardens luxuriant with the fruit,
flowers and foliage of golden July. On
either side were verdant hedges of haw-
thorn, close-clipped, thick. impenetrable
WOW tbof hrop oh ha r.
den sides of these hedges.
Where Ella stood in the lane, she could
see that the blinds were down in all the
front windows. AS yet only a stray
housemaid or so was astir. No mistresses
or masters seemed to he awake in any of
the peaceful looking dwelling.
The instincts of youth naturally prompt
the lad or the lass, cast for the first time
alone on the world, to suppose that world
q kindly patron, beneicent friend, a
bountiful mother.
Hitherto, strangers and outsiders had
only shown smiling faces to Ella Wycher-
ly she had no idea that sneers or frowns
are what the world emphatically deals to
the poor and the friendless.
Upon her the white-blinded windows
seemed to look like plying eyes. She
would have entered one of the pretty gar
dens and have knocked at on of the neat
hall doors if people had been astir, but
road swiftly, and soon found herself in
the high street of the town.
1t was a pretty old high street, with a
market cross. an ancient town hall. which
dated from the reign Of Elizabeth, and
numbers of gable-pointed roofs and pro-
tecting fronts, picturesque as an engrav-
ing Of some Norman street corner. No
shops were yet open, but the milk carts
were about, and a few dogs ran hither
and thither, and in the center Of the road
suutted a golden-breasted cock, ard four
brown, demure hens.
Ii was strange that feeling OF secur-
ity lad come TO Ella since she left the
lane with the gardens and the pretty
houses. She was not afraid that her
mother would find her now. and yet what
could have been easier than for The coach
mar and three or four railway porters to
set of in quest o. her, and find her?
Il so happened, however, that although
by this time Mrs. Wycherly and Miss
Worthington had missed Ella, they lad
not mentioned the fact to anybody except
their confidential servant, the coachman.
lie and Miss Worthington had gone diff
ferent ways in search of Miss Wycherly,
but it happened that neither of them
had followed her up the pretty lane, or
into the quaint, ole high street of Eyers-
holt.
Ella paused before a gate, on which
was a brass plate, wnereon the words
were engraved, Establishment for Young
ladies'"
Beyond the gate was large, trim lawn,
fowerless brt yerdant. A number of
large evergreen shrubs grew I'D a great,
cir ular bed in he center of this lawn.
A tall, square, red-brick house was at the
end-a house with many windows, green
Venetian blinds, white, clean steps Leaf
ing up 10 the door.
~ school, said Ella to herself, where
young ladies. so-called. are educated-the
daughters OF the country attorneys and
chief tradespeo.le, l suppose"
Ella turned up her pretty lip a litti.
She. with her mothers pride and her
fathers hauteur, inherited a something
GARNER. and sweeter. and nobler. of which
thing to be able TO trace the ancestors
back on both sides as far the Norman
Conquest. and TO know that all her faith
ers had been lords of the soil for CEN
turtles. 1t was very fine thing, though
what good it was likely to do her on this
fne morning. when she stood before the
gate of Uckfeld House, it would be diff
cult 20 say.
For instance, she could not ask to see
the lady principal, and then thus address
that individual:
II am OF good birth. / have Norman
blood in my veins. My father is a great
landowner; but / have run away from
home, because my mother wishes to shut
me UP for life-or, at least, until am of
agc-in a sort of prison, and prefer to
work for my bread. Let me teach Ger
man and music in your school,"
If Ella said that, the lady principal
would want TO know who the great land
Owner was, or would not believe Elias
Ftory: and if she knew, others would
know. and her mother would find her
again
No; Ella must keep the secret of the
Norman ancestors and the blue blood to
herself She must not despise young
persons whose parents were in trade.
If she wanted to teach music and Ger
man she must hold her peace about her
antecedents-that was certain.
Whenever a young lady is required
suddenly to supply herself with bread and
butter, she naturally thinks Of becoming
gcverness, unless she is gifted as an
artist, who hopes to sell her pictures
an authoress, who hopes to sell her
stories; or an actress, who desires to go
on the stage.
1t seemed to Ella feasible that she
should live in a lodging in the town. call
herself Miss Clairmont, and give lessons
at two guineas a week at Uckfield House.
She knew Lionel Leigh was paid one
hundred year for being tutor to her
cousin. Why should not she gain half
as much for teaching numbers of stupid
girls every day?
Ella nodded at the red-brick house and