Year: 1867




Millcent Hutton to think Of, and. her we'd
ding, that was no doubt to be soon-she did
not know. But her fancy would fly over
hill and dale far faster than the posters, and
drop her in the midst now of a noisy sheep
washing at the beck then perch her atop
of hay-wain rolling sluggishly home from
the water-meads; and again, set her in a low,
old-faslioned parlour, at the knees of a
comely, cherry-cheeked dame, who was her
mother. Then Pennie wished herself going


home to the dear old Crofts of Craven, who


were of her own blood, instead of to the
gentefolks at Eastwood, who were kind
enough but not kin.


| Had fortune used the little woman consid-
erately in making her rich heiress, and set
ting her in place to which she was not


born Pennie thought not. She felt often


lonely. If only she had been pretty, or
graceful, or engaging! But she was none of
these things. She was only queer. Her


face provoked many furtive smile-there


was nothing in nature more grotesque than


Pennies face when she was pathetic She
| knew fortune was not in the habit of con-


sulting her clients as to what lot she should
| give them, but If she could have chosen hers,


she would have been interesting and poor.


She was already more interesting than she


knew A woman always is interesting who


has heaps of money, let her be as ugly as


she may. Even her guardian had many a


time privately wished his son Francis were


of an age to 60 a-wooing to his ward. But


Francis was only rough, hungry schoolboy,


with his heart in his stomach yet, and Pen


ME was just eighteen and sentimental


How had Pennie come by her heiress-ship?


That is soon told. Her father, Jonathan


Croft, tenant-farmer at AIayfield, had follow


ed the plough in peace, prosperity, and con-


tentment for score of years. The railway


mania set in. He was smitten with the gold


ever; he thirsted to become rich, drew his


thrifty savings out of the Norminster Bank,


invest d them in scrip, bou glt and sole, land


bought and sold again, and in few months


achieved d wonderful great fortune. II. did


not live to lose it again, but died literally OF


a nazement at his good luck; never having


seemed to realize it in any comfortable form,


but only as means of buying up Wynyard


of acknowledgement of Eastwood being


the name most honored in those parts since


icudal days.


Another idea that possessed his f-para-


USED brain was that his daughter Pen must


be lady. He sent for the Squire, and begged


him to accept her as his ward. The Squire


was astonished and little vexed. He was


not a man who loved business. He said he
1 would consult Hargrove-H -Hargrove was his


tactotum. Hargrove suggested that it might


be an excellent thing. He went over to May.


field, talked with Croft and his wife, ani
found that it might be even a better thing
than he had thought. He wrote the ole
mans will, and when it came to be read afte
his death, the charge of Penelope was cou
Piled with a bequest of two thousand pounds


to the Squire and five hundred to the lawyer
There was plenty of gossip about it ovel
) pipes and at market dinners as very queel
| will, which left the money too free to thu
handling even of trustees so honourable a!
Wynyard of Eastwood and Doctor Grey bu


Hargrove was cunning old file, bless you
and knew what he knew. Grey would never


act and he would have it all his own way,


for the Squire did nothing without him.
, Seventy thousand pounds? The little lass
! had seventy thousand pounds And how
that would grow before she came of age
Seventy thousand pounds! And the widow
, well left too, but tied up not to marry again.
Jonathan Croft was bit jealous, but not SC
; far north as his neighbours would have ex-
cepted-not nearly so far north. Trust, ay


trust-only let man make sure where he
trusts. Why wasn't his wife given any care
over the lass ? She came of good family
she was woman of sense. Ay,mary was
she, and downright hand at business. Ant
her brother, Lister of Rood, would have
made as honest guardian for the lass as any
squire in Craven. But where was the USE
of talking? Jonathan Croft had put Sigh
J on his own folks and his wife's; but he had


willed as he had willed, and Penelope was
to he a lady.


: Penelope was to be lady. Her mother
: gave her up with half sad, half proud re
luctance, and the ugly little woman was car
ried away to Eastwood in the yellow chario


"a much more pompous and shining chario
? then than now; for seven years wear ant


tear make mighty difference in chariots
though they may leave ugly little womei
much the same for ugliness. And during
2 those seven years there had been gradua
decay and light creeping over the splend
ours of Eastwood, such as dim the glossy


lacquer of charots yellow or various, and th'
' lacquer of all other things that need frequen
! gold-wash to keep them spruce. In fact
4 the mining property which had enriched thu
] ancient house for generations was workin!
, out and the Wynyard were going down il


the world-do,pn.


The children had not yet much character
but they had the germs of character. Oh
t the outside they were-the boys, noisy
domineering, fearless, generous the girls
g loving obedient, prone to serve what the!
l lov;d-all given to enjoy, and without th
D faintest, remotest idea of what signified self
D denial, self-renunciation, or worlds work o
! any sort. For were they not come of
master-race The traditions of Eastwol'


were long and honorable. The childrel


had been nurtured on them. 1t was as mucl
an article of their faith as anything in th
n catechism that Wynyard never had beel
> and never could be disloyal to king o
, church, to kindred OF friend. They ha'
. commonly been found ranged on the losin!
a side, and had shed their blood in many al
q historical quarrel on the field and on tn
4 scaffold; but their name remained to thei
e posterity without spot and blameless. No
v bit Of rusty old armour that hung about tn
i, old hall and on the old dstaircase but had bee
o in its day the defence of good man an


true. Francis had already made up hi
q mind that he was to be a soldier, and t
n tread in their steps; and Anna already look
i ed to him as the hero who would perpetual
< the glory of long line.