The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-03-26
A GROWN OF FAITH
CH VII

rolled on Tor three months. May
warm, wreathed with white
flowers, orchards abloom, woods dressed
In living green, butterflies Haunting, drag
on flies darling. There was glad music
and gay color everywhere in the fields and
woods; life, in every green bud, in the
rowing sap of the strong forest trees, in
the frisking gambols of the lambs. in the
noisy music of the thrush and ~blackbird,
and the loud voice of the lark.
Singing at heavens gate. Is that
heavens gate, Mr.. Leigh, that large,
white. sun-polished cloud. with edges of
black. like rich point lace? / think there
is storm within that cloud. for all its
sheen and beauty-electricity, Mr.. Leigh.
1 seem a bright. gay thing enough; but.
OH / am charged with the thunder of
war often. and often. and often, when /
am %grinning and bearing it, when mamma
Is storming. and Miss Worthington
preaching. Don't you hate Miss Worth
ington. Mr.. Leigh? Please say yes, and /
will love you ever after"
She was such a mocking bird. Ella
such a bright, fascinating little wag, such
a satirical creature. Lionel did not flush
a. hCA WOiuS- II was ScllAhS AAOAC ~
customed to these startling speeches, for
Ella Wycheriy made them to him every
day. and sometimes every hour of the day.
All the arrangements proposed had been
carried out. Lionel had given his months
notice, passed over his pupils to another
professor, and had been established at
Wycheriy as the tutor OF Master Graves
Power-who was to take the name of
Wycherly-for two months.
His duties were light; lessons from
nine till eleven in tine school room with
Master Power. and hen Ella Wycherly
appeared on the scene for her German
lesson. which lasted one hour. After that.
Lionel and his pupil wen riding, or walk
ing, or boating on the river. taking their
luncheon with them, and returning in the
afternoon, when Master Power was left
to his own devices, and he usually improv-
ed the shining hours in the society of Ella
Wycherly, who had conceived an extraor-
binary liking for him.
The boy himself was completely fasci-
mated with his beautiful. daring cousin.
He used seriously to tell Lionel that he
hoped she would wait for him, since 1T
was his intention to marry her when he
grew up.
IT don't care about her being nine
years older thar l am, Mr.. Leigh; but
what a splendid wife she would make! l
should have her always ~spangled over
of the fairies / saw at the pantomime.
She shall never wear tpnnets and hats :
only crowns and wreaths-"
Lionel taught Ella every day, talked to
her every day; sometimes he even rode
with her, for the colonel had lent him a
good horse, and he was at liberty to ride
IL. Had his heart and fancy been free,
his position at Wycherly might have been
considered ~enviable, with two hundred
pounds salary, rooms TO himself, liberty,
and courteous consideration from all the
family. save Miss Worthington.
That lady had always s~trenuously OPP
posed the advent of the German tutor.
She was civil to him now, but her civility
was of the coolest and her interruptions
OF his tete-a-tetes with Ella were con-
slant.
One lovely afternoon Lionel was read
ing Shakespeare. His back rested against
the stem of a large, fragrant lime. At his
feet was a cool, clear pond, where the fish
were darting round in the sunny water
rushess lily flags ornamented one side of
the pond but where Lionel sat the water
was clear. All at once came a song-a
sweet melody, chanted in a high, clear
soprano.
He LOOKED up. There she was-Ella
Wycherly, heiress and witch, belle and
romp, aristocrat and tomboy, perched up
amid the branches of IN elm, sitting with
her feet resting on a lower branch, her
head reclining against an upper one-an
attitude of nonchalant, luxurious repose.
do 1 look nice and comfortable up
here?' she asked Now for a leap! One
-two-three, and away"
Down she came safe amid the grass
and ferns. Her pure white dress, made
high to the throat, was scarcely rumpled.
She picked UP her rat, and puS it on her
head.
Now, Mr.. Leigh. pick up the basket,
and let us trot down to Woodmancote,
and lecture the old women and the young
girls, and all the folks. I've heard Miss
Worthington do it. / can do it beauti-
fully"
a L1ltA III a hlt TIA
If he committed the indiscretior of taking
a stroll through the village with Miss
Wycherly. IT, Woodmancote world would
gossip. True, he had accompanied Miss
Ella in her rides. but there had always
been his pupil with them.
Wont you come? That basket is
heavy. l wa supposed to bring Chatter
Iy. the housemaid, with me: but hate
Chatterly. as much as it lies in a young
!ady to hate a housemaid. Will yor
carry the basket"
What could Lionel do but pick it M
and follow Ella to the village? WOOD
mancote lay about a mile from the pond.
The way led through the woods-a wide
path. bordered with fern and blue bright
bird's-eye. Overhead chanted the. birds,
round about buzzed the bees, hither and
thither Haunted the flies
Ella walked a little ahead of the tutor
She was inexpressibly provoking that day
Her escapade IT. climbing the tree seemed
to have satisfied the exuberance of her
spirit that afternoon. She was a digni.
fed damsel as she walked On in white, her
head aloft, her furbelowed parasol be
tween her eyes and the SUM-
Lionel trudged after, carrying the bas-
ket. which should nave been Chatterly's
task. He felt strangely Inundated, inclin-
ed now and then to fling down the basket
and run to Miss Wycherly, and tell her
that he would not be treated as an errand
boy. even by her.
She did not look once over her shoulder,
she just kept on, now and then striking
4 lower bough with her ~parasol, but never
turning round. At length the village was
reached. The road was bordered on one
side with a bo~x-hedge, cut snd clipped
with punctilious neatness. On the other
side were little cottages and little gar
dens-gaudy gardens, starred with sun
flowers, with here and there a pear tree,
on which hung in those later May days
punches of tiny fruit. Ducks waddled
about the road, quacking loudly.
Yellow-haired children frolicked about
the tiny garden gates. but stood still to
stare at Miss Wycherly, their round eyes
wide open, their round faces afame with
- - ovaroiCa Ella e+1nDoI hoforo