Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-12-29
CHARLES GARVICE
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laws.
She dropped the bride reluctantly,
and taking his hand dismounted.
Then he led the horse around the
drive with Stella walking beside.
what an alteration you have
made" she said, looking around. And
vet it looks quite as romantic as ever.
This shrubbery is surely the prettiest
in England.
"Do you think so?" he said, with a
gratified smile upon his face, which
| was handsome in its classical regular
| ity and spirited in it's expression OF
genius and culture. ''Then / may hope
you will approve my reverence, which
has not dared to destroy the antique
air of the interior. Will you honor me
by an inspection of my studio?"
And as he stood upon the first of
| the fight of broad stone steps he held
out his hand.
Stella hesitated
What would Mrs. Newton ay?-
What Sir Richard ?-what all the pro
prieties put together?
"My-my horse she said. 81 can
not leave her."
NO." he said. 81 will have her taken
care of and the bride mended. Ste
phen! Stephen!" he called.
Stella started and turned around
and saw the man Stephen Hargrave
approach and take the horse, touching
his hat to Stella as he did so with
keen, watchful expression on his set
face.
Stella waited until he had led the
horse away, then she said:
do you know that that man was a
discharged servant of Sir Richard
Wildfang, Mr.. Felton,"
eyes," he replied, with a quiet, mu-
steal laugh. 81 know it; if you re-
member, the poor fellow came to grief
on Christmas night at this door,
81 do remember" said Stella and
then added, mentally: 81 shall never
forget that Christmas night
well, rough and surley as he is, l
took fancy to him then, and was
quite sorry to hear that he was Sir
Richards permanent servant. The
other night he came here and vow1ng
that he was starving, asked me to en-
gage him. Of course, he told me that
he bad been discharged for no fault;
they never are; and equally, of course,
| did not engage him until | had writ
ten Sir Richard"
Stella looked surprised,
"You wrote to him? He said nothing
of it, and we lunched with him yester-
| day"
Louis FELTON, smiled significantly.
Sir Richard is a man of business
and the world" be said, concisely.
''But see, there is the first fake of my
prophesied shower. Will you enter?"
He held her hand to assist her on
the steps, and, with the air of a Knight
Templar, ushered her into the hall.
'Well,'' she said, please go on; |
! am curious to know how you came to
eng gage him after ALL
Sir Richard courteously and speed
lily replied to my note by sending per
special messenger an answer to the
effect that the man stephen Hargrave,
had left his service for no particular
| fault; that he had been disobedient
and was too unpublished for gentle
mans servant, so as 1 thought his
roughness would not offend my unre-
fined ears and sensibilities, and, as l
lid not dread disobedience so much
as Sir Richard evidently does, en-
gagged him.
"And he has behaved" asked Stel-
la.
Admirably" replied Louis FELTON,.
He is not a count in disguise, but he
is civil and obeys like Newfoundland
| dog In fact, l congratulate myself up
On having that rare acquisition, a good
and faithful servant"
you don't think" hesitated Stella,
that he has a bad face?"
mo" he replied. I think he has
seen some trouble Or horror which he
cannot rid himself of and think he
fancies himself under some strain or
mental slavery, to whom l know not.
But let us leave Mr.. Hargrave to time
and circumstances. Will you not come
to the fire? Fuel is not so scarce an
article as it was on Christmas day."
THANK you,' said Stella, gazing
around the little hall with unfeigned
interest. "But may l look little
longer? This might be the hall of one
of King Arthurs Knights of the Round
Table. 1t is beautiful. Why, there Is
rot a piece of oak furniture or armor
in it younger than three hundred
years.
NO." said Louis FELTON,. 81 do moi
suppose there is
Then he drew aside curtain which
had hidden small oriel window, and
Stella uttered an exclamation of ad
miration.
How beautiful! And did you restore
that stained window with your OWL
hands?"
Yes he said, s'and not so difficul'
an undertaking as it may seem. But
will you walk into my studio?' he
said, opening door leading from the
hall.
A11o n K