The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-03-19

MIR. Leigh. have you heard the ews?'
cit concerns you. You are about to
be married. Miss Wycherly ="
1T is something infinitely less pleas
ant than that, and it concerns you. my
good German master. 1t IS an impor-
tant thing now, since it so concerns
that fashionable costume of my worthy
Instructor: for you are worthy-are you
not. monsieur?-good and learned. wise
and philosophical, fitted to become the
instructor of erring, faulty youth-the
guide, philosopher and friend of giddy
pates, empty heads, dancing dolls, pout-
ing babies. like myself"
She sprang about as she spoke. exc
cuted q back step as if she were taking
a dancing lesson, then stood suddenly
still, and drew a long face-at least. a
face as long as it wa possible to manu-
~facture out of her rosy, dimpled, piquant
~physiognomy.
Il I'm al unworthy specimen Of young
~ladyhood, sir" she said. speaking in a
nasal tSang. Il shock your notions of
propriety. Mr.. Leigh. If | had my scent
case L would offer it to you, for you
possibly may faint, and that would be
Sc awkward"
Lionel laughed. but his voice rembled
nervously. He was desperately. madly
in love with this fascinating. wild crea-
ture. and she was mocking him. He was
amused. enchanted, tormented, all at the
SAME time.
Whatever impelled Ella to tease her
tutor so. it is difficult to imagine. Was
il simply the outburst of high animal
/ spirits. and the triumph of an exultant
vanity? or was it a mask assumed to
hide deeper feelings? or was it a genuine
and cruel love of making a captive feel
her power and smart under IL?
The tide of passionate love which had
been swept away for a few moments from
Lioners heart, by the cold blasts of
Elias sarcasm, rushed back again impetu-
ously, and engulfed his whole being.
Ella" he said hoarsely-'Ella -
She started: she turned pale: she drew
herself up. cold and naughty as a statue.
Listen, Steps, Somebody pulling
aside the branches, Do not speak ~
And Ella glided away down a side
path. leaving the tutor with his face
blanched by contending emotions. He
NA( 1At~AoAJ aDD1ts nOL huON III
where to go. or what to do. He dared
not follow Ella.
Was she offended? Had her haughti-
ness taken offense! He walked on al
most sullenly toward the Hal. Turn
ing round a huge withered trunk of an
oak, which INSTRUCTED the path. he en-
countered a tall, sinewy fgure-a man in
a gray suit, with a blue velvet cap pull
ed low over his forehead. His shaggy
light eyebrows met in a puzzled frown.
Suddenly he raised his deep-set eyes,
and they flashed kindly recognition on
the German tutor.
"Hellol Mr.. Leigh. The top of the
morning to ou. | was looking for you.
I have a proposal TO make to YOU" DR..
Dundas came and linked his arm in that
of Lionel. Walk back with me. You
are not in n hurry. are you:"
Not very much only the lesson Mss
Wycherly-"
"Ah. well she can wait. I have a pro-
posal to make to you. Should you like
to come and reside at Wycherly Hall?"
Lionel's heart gave a great bound. then
thumped madly against his side. He was
afraid that the doctor would notice his
emotion.
you take me by surprise he said.
"Of course | do; but there is nothing
TO be alarmed at. The facts are simply
these: Colonel Wycherly has no male heir,
and there is a vast property attached to
Wycherly-more than Miss Wycherly can
have need of, anil. Under ordinary circum-
stances, she might become the prey OF
fortune hunters. That yorng lady is
headstrong-very headstrong.
He paused a moment. and glanced very
keenly at Lionel, with the deep-set, keen,
sarcastic eyes.
I'VE will guard her from all adventur-
ers; but the colonel has come to the wise
decision that ninety thousand n year is a
preposterous fortune for a girl. Thus. she
might marry a duke but Mrs. Wycherly
is a very peculiar person and so. in fact
twenty thousand a year is TO be Elias
portion, with her mother as guardian. Es-
tates to the value of seventy thousand
including Wycherly, are TO descend by will
70 one Graves Power, a seventh or eighth
cousin of the colonel. We have had
some trouble to rake this gentleman up
but he is found at length. He is coming
- ~ a. WIN us
full consent. his mother being a widow
"And he is to marry Miss. Wycherly?'
Indeed. no. He is a boy of nine. and
| wish you to be his tutor. The boy Is
delicate. He has been at a large public
school, is Industrious, and has o~verwork.
ed and / want to give him twelve
months fishing, and shooting, and riding
under the care of an intelligent tutor. who
won't let him carry his gun dangerously
nor swim, after a full meal. nor sit will
his feet in the stream, and a blazing July
sun on his head. l want you to teach
him English and grammar and spelling
and French and German. which nave al
been neglected at his great public school
and then he will be n young. merry com
panion for Ella. Poor child. she need;
a romp sorely; and if you come, Mr.
Leigh, the colonel will make it wortf
your while. Two hundred a year. a sit
ting room and bedroom to yourself: ant
when the boy goes to Eton, you can &C
company him as private tutor. | hay,
heard it limited that you are anxious t,
distinguish yourself in literary circles
YOU will have ample time to pursue you
st udies. Now, will you accept the posi-
tion?'
To Lionel it was as if the gates of al
%.rcnanted palace had opened wide, and h
A been invited TO enter.
Ella-Ella-Ella Would he lister
daily to the music of her voice, and il
time--who could say nay?-win her Il
something like pity, something like feel
ing. something like appreciation of hi
deep devotion-his intense love?
Then he remembered, with some pain
that Miss Wycherly had greeted hin
m~ockingly, that she had told him the new
concerned him and his velveteen coat, wa
something infinitely less agreeable thar
her own marriage, that all the Wycherl.
world were talking of it. He looked oil
the ground. Then he said:
"Dr. Dundas, 1 shall be delighted L
become an inmate of Wycherly. But, m.
other pupils?"
Give them a fortnight's notice" sal
| the doctor bruSklv "a fortnioh. ia lon,