Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1913-01-09

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the way, shall not be able to attend
to you this week. / have gentleman
coming to me whilst his ship is in the
Downs. l will send you a message
after he has gone when you can come
again
Phyllida tripped up the stairs less
than was her wont. Not to
come to South Court for week, or
perhaps longer! 1t would be worse
even than when Mrs. Allen went every
June for her yearly visit to London.
Then it was haying-time, and she
could come to the house and
see the servants and get tidings
of her. Very wrathful she felt
against the visitor, who was to
shut her out of her Eden, and disin-
clined even to chat with Luckhurst.
The old servant had been at first
inclined to resent her intercourse with
Mrs. Allen, but her affection for her
mistress was too true not to welcome
one who pleased and cheered her;
and she was disarmed, too, by the
girls simplicity, never presuming to
overstep her place, as Luckhurst al
lowed though what that place was
she would have been puzzled to define.
rnyIuud nau enOHgu gOOQ Selrse ana
native dignity not to trouble herself
about her position as sort of Ma
hornets coffin between mistress and
maid. When Mrs. Allen did not want
her, she ran off, as now, to the laun.
dry, sure of a welcome from the ugly
little old woman-such a contrast to
her mistress-who was always to be
found there, generally in the afternoon
using her "oddments," as she called
them, of time and materials in the
manufacture of a gorgeous patchwork
quilt, which bid fair to rival Pene-
lope's web.
The laundry was in reality a COM
Portable sitting-room, with no claim
to it's name but disused mangle, on
which Phyllida now perched herself
and began the questions she had not
dared to put to Mrs. Allen.
''The squire has come home with his
wife, Luckhurst, and I have been to
see them. Who was she, and why did
he marry her if she is not a real
Iady?
"Ah! they have got hold of that al
ready, have they" said Luckhurst,
grimly. II told mistress it would not
be long first, and she said woman
takes rank from her husband, and
there is no more to be said about it,
but they'll say it all the same;" and
she shook her head sageIy.
"But why did he?" Phyllida persist
ed.
"That is long story, my dear, and
I could not tell you all the rights of it
if I would. You see, ne was like all
the young gentlemen in these parts;
he set his mind on Miss Barbara, and
she would have nothing to say to him,
so scorny and hotty she was, to be
sure. I can see him now, such fine
young man as he was, the last morn
ing he came over here. There had.
been a great ball at North Court the
night before, and Miss Barbara went
to it in pink satin and her mammals
though she did that, 1 may say, with
every new dress she put on. There
was he, stamping up and down the
hall here below, saying he would go
off and enlist for soldier, she used
him SO cruelty, and poor mistress and
the squire pretty we'll beside them
selves. And he was sent away to some
great relations near London, and
there he fell in love with the daugh-
ter of his lordship's bailiff. But her
parents would not hear Of it any
more than his would, and they sent
the girl away and made believe she
was dead, and he went across the
the seas. Not long ago, since his faith
er died, he found out that she was
alive after all, SO now at last he's
married her. There has been a deal
of writing about it between him and
the mistress lately, and I misdoubt
myself how it will be with them"
"And Miss Barbara, Luckhurst?"
asked Phyllida, eagerly. She did not
often find the old woman in such a
communicative mood. "She never
married, did she? Was it because
she died so young? What did she die
of"
Luckhurst made no answer, and |
went on diligently joining her pieces, |
upside down.
did she die here?" continued Phyl. |
Ida.
Eyes, she died in this house." said |
Luckhurst at last, slowly. "The doc
tors talked Of her going to Bath OF
to Tunbridge Wells, to drink their
nasty waters, but she would have |
none of it. Tt is my own doing, and |
let me die at home,' said she; and
SO she did, for she always had her
way, with her mamma and every one
else"
What did the doctors say was the
matter with herr" said Phyllida, in
a whisper.
well, some called it a waste, anc
III