Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-02

manned standing before her. A lime tree
near by cast soft, Pickering shadow over
them, and the tall hedges of evergreen
which enclosed the square made sombel
but effective background.
You see that ruin and decay are all
that have to offer you here" Victor was
saying with cadence of bitterness in
his voice. "But if you had courage enough
to end the life which you despise, to cut
loose from all the ties which bind YOU in
America, and go with me to Egypt, there
| might have future and career for YOU
to share-there, at least, you would find
freedom and action and llte.'
A flush came to Eleanor's cheek, and a
light cleaned suddenly in her eyes, as il
the very wildness of this proposal lent il
| fascination; but she shook her head
smiling little sadly. "You are of nv
world" she said; you ought to know
better than that | must do what is ey.
pected of me, and | am expected to marry
MarstOn Brent"
Forget the world and come with me. -
THAT is impossible. If | had only my
self to care for, | would; but there are
others of whom | must think" She was
silent for moment, then looked up at
him piteously They have sacrificed so
| u,
they are so proud of me. They hope, de-
sire, count on this marriage; cannot dis
appoint them. Mr.. Brent himself has
been most kind and patient, and he does
not expect very much. | am a coward,
| perhaps, but what can | do?'
Again he said, "YOu can come with
| me-"
Again she answered, at is impossible.
Do you not see that it is impossible?
| Starting forth on a new career, it would
be insane for you to burden yourself with
wife. AS for me, [ am no more fit to
| marry poor man than to be hOusemad.
Victor, 1t is hopeless. For Heavens sake,
let us talk of it no longer, The only thing
we can do is to forget that we have ever
talked Of it at ALL"
"Will that be easy for you? | confess
that nothing on earth could be harder for
men
mo, it will not be easy, but shall try
| with all my strength to do it. God only
knows" putting her hand suddenly to
her face, chow | shall live if i am not
able to do it.''
''Are you going to marry him?"
Have | not told you sou
He turned from her and took one short,
quick turn across the square.
When he came back she rose to meet
him.
Let us CO." she said "By prolonging
| this we only give ourselves useless pain.
AL is said that can be said. Nothing re-
mains now but to forget; and that can
best be done IN silence. Victor, let us
go"
IF you will not think me fanciful-I
AM sure you will not think me presump-
I'm tcn lofn
| that man his answer YOU will share the
lotos with me of which you have spoken.
| may be superstitious, but | feel as if we
shall gain new strength with which to
face the future after we have together re-
nounced the past"
She shook her head. II am not super
stitious enough to think that it will en-
able US to forget one pang,' she said.
"But if you desire it, promise"
When the evening collation. Was over
Mr.. Brent asked Eleanor if she would not
| accompany him to the eastern side of the
mountain to see the moon rise. While
she hesitated, uncertain what to say,
Clare's voice spoke quietly at her side.
Miss Milbourne has an engagement with
me-" he said. Il fear you must defer the
pleasure Of admiring the moon in her
society for a little while, Mr.. Brent"
Then to Eleanor, "Shall we 90 now"
She assented, and they walked away
Eleanor said you should not have
spoken so CURLY to Mr. Brent"
"If can avoid it, shall never speak to
him again." Glare answered Don't let
| us talk Of him. | did not bring you away
to discuss anybody we have left behind,
| or anything of which we have talked be-
fore. We are to be like immortals-to
| forget the past and live only in the
| present"
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"ROund to point from whence we can
! overlook ClaremOnt"
| She said nothing more and he led her
| to the eastern side of the mountain,
| where, near the verge of an almost pre-
| cipitOus descent, they sat down together
| under the shadow Of a great gray rock.
| After they had been silent for some time,
| Glare turned and looked at his cOmpan-
| ion. Glow beautiful you aren' he said
| abruptly II wish had picture of you
| as you sit there now. 1t would be worth
| everything else in the world to me. But
perhaps, after all, the best pictures are
| those which are taken on the heart
| "1ou have forgotten" said Eleanor,
| trying to smile, that we are going to eat
| the lotos in order to efface all pictures"
May" said he. II thought it was to
enable us to forget everything but the
| present, and this IS the present"
"But it will be the past in little
WHILE" said she, land we must forget it,
| like all the rest. Victor, we must forget,
| They say that all things are possible to
| resolution: let US resolve to do that"
Glare said, with something like a grOan,
would to God | could die here and now,
or else that there aoas some spell by
| which one could make memory blank -
Let us try the lotos," said Eleanor.
"See, brought it as you told me-"
From her pocket she drew paper
which, being opened proved to contain
the dried petals of a flower, evidently an
aquatic plant. Yellow and lifeless as it
| was, Eleanor looked at it with wistful rev.
erence. ct came from Egypt" she said
then she added, "where you are going"
1--WE will see if there is any magic in
| it," said Clare
SO, together they took the dried petals
and began to eat them, smiling little
sadly at each other as they did so.
ut is not disagreeable," said Eleanor
"But fear we shall not find the effect
| for which we have hoped. 1t is of the
| lotos fruit that Homer and Tennyson
| have written"
"And the lotos flower Of mythology is
an East Indian, not an Egyptian, aquatic :;
| but since we desire to link oar fancy with
the flower of the Nile, we will ignore the
poets and the Brahmins. Eleanor, what