Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1908-03-20
CHAPTER II.

railway after a sea voyage is enough to
try the patience of any one. I wish /
had written, and then there would have
been comfortable carriage to meet me,
but as it is must put up with car.
''Where to, miss?" the driver inquiries
as he hoists one of my boxes ON to the
car-the rest am leaving at the station.
do you know Coomakesta?"
"Arrah bedad, miss, I YVES born here,
and never left oireland in my life"
How far is it,"
"A matter of seven or eight miles;
faith, me little mare'il do that aisy
enough in no time"
well, drive me there
81 will that, miss nothing aisier in the
world"
He starts off with speed that would
have frightened many people, but l am
used to driving and rather enjoy it,
though | am tired with my long journey
and shall be glad of a rest when we
get in.
We drive out of the town in a few
minutes, and the country through which
we pass is very lovely. Beautifully wood
ed and mountainous, each turn in the
road reveals fresh charms. Now and
again | get peep of picturesque cabins,
with sometimes an old woman at the
door or couple of children playing with
the pig, or little donkey-cart laden
with peat. The driver talks increasingly,
and at last, unsatisfed with my mono
syllable replies, remarks
"Yer honors English?"
No." / reply. Il am Irish, but this is
my first visit here"
"Ah," he says, then that accounts for
it, but wild only bare yes and mo- to
60 upon, shure it would puzzle st. Pat
rick himself to know what country We
belonged tot"
/ laugh; think l shall like Ireland
the people, at any rate, are uneonven-
tional
"Yell find it mighty quiet up to
Coomakesta," he continued. "She's a
mighty quare mysterious old lady.
Faith, 'twould be clever person entirely
that could be getting at the bottom of
her And she wild her money too-not a
penny will she spend"
l suppose he is speaking of my cousin,
and his words make me feel rather I'M
comfortable. l hope she is not a miser,
but l draw myself up rather haughtily
and say
Mrs. Fitzgeorge is my cousin
Begging yer honor's pardon" he says
hastily, but she's a grand old lady.
Losing himself was a terrible trouble to
her, and she's not got the better of it
yet. Shure, it's powerful great family
they are entirely"
/ do not answer because l think it
better to leave the driver to himself. /
do not care to question him, however Gu
Tious | may be in reality. We have
reached very wild part of the country
now, with thick wood on one side and
a high wall, evidently indicating some
house, on the other.
"Yonder's Coomakesta," the loquacious
driver volunteers, pointing with his whip
in the direction of the wall
see no sign of any habitation, but we
almost Immediately reach the end of the
wall, and l see pair of gates and a
lodge.
The avenue slopes downwards and runs
in between two rows of beeches which
nearly meet overhead. Then we make a
sudden sharp turn, and the house is ex-
posed to view.
1t is a stately looking building of
gray stone, with mullioned windows and
tower at the end. The whole is covered
with tangle of ivy and virginia creeper
which gives it a picturesque though rath-
er neglected appearance.
The dusk is just closing in when | ring
the bell and hear it clang mournfully
through the house.
VI feel very curious now, and mixed
with the feeling there is good deal OF
nervousness and apprehension.
A little old man appears in answer to
my summons-such strange parsonage
with face like a wrfnkled apple.
rs Mrs. Fitzgeorge at homer"
"She is, miss" he replied, looking at
me with startled wonderment; "but she
wouldn't be after seeing anybody at this
hour at ALL"
Tell her, please, that her cousin, Miss
Annette Tremaine, is here"
He tells me to sit down and disappears
The hall he leaves me in is a very fine
one, comfortably furnished with lounges
and armehairs, and evidently used as a
sitting room, for see couple of whips
and pipe lying on a table in the mid
die and a newspaper thrown down on
one OF the chairs.
There are several foxes brushes and
masks hanging on the walls, and at one
END there are glass cases filled with
stuffed offers and badgers.
Evidently my cousins are keen sports
men, think, with sigh of satisfaction
The old man-whose name / subse-
quently find is Hart-reappears and ush-
ers me into a room leading out of the
hall, and | find myself standing in the
presence of two people.
The one is man about eight and.
twenty, tall, with a thin face and spare
figure, and stern, frowning eyes. He
comes forward and shakes hands with
me and leads me to the second person
who | at once know must be my cousin
Elizabeth.
She has one of the strangest faces !
have ever seen. It is large and white
and her eyes stare out at me with a
look almost of fear in them The eyes
are black, and so is the hair, with not
one silver thread to soften the lace. She
wears large, unbecoming widows cap
and severe black dress unrelieved by
any trimming altogether a most unin-