Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-09-25
MINERAL POINT, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 25 1873

| not speak. But at last she spoke in a verv
10" tone: Yet you said you had not
! decided" p"
20, have not decided. I cannot
+ bring myself to think of selling Glare
mont. If were in Egypt it would not
! matter to me that some upstart speculator
| owned the old place.
| i think 1t would" said Miss Milbourne
NO, 1t would n0t" was the obstinate
| reply. II should take care to find lotos
| as soon as | reached the Nile Whoever
eats OF that torgets his past life, you know
| l have Scant reason for wishing to remem-
Der mine," he added, little bitterly.
Memory is certainly more often a sting
than pleasure" said Miss Milbourne
"lt is strange" she added, that we should
both have thought of obtaining forgetful-
ness through the same means. When Mr.
Brent asked me what he should bring me
| from Egypt | said a lotos of the Nile If
he ful1ilIs his promise | will share it with
you"
II am not sure that I care even to be
indebted even TO forgettulness to Mr.
Brent" said Victor Clare, ungratefully.
Mrs. Lancaster rose and sauntered
round the group to where Victor Glare
was lying.
Come, Monsieur Incidence, and take a
walk, she said. Il think the policeman
motto is right: Keep moving"
Now, however comfortable a man
may be, if he is hidden to rise by
pretty woman who stands imperiously
over him, the chances are that he obeys.
80 1t was with Clare. He most assuredly
dld not want to go with Mrs Lancaster,
ana quite as assuredly ne did want to stay
just where he was
g know won oro pot -
she said VIXEN they had gone some dis
tance. 81 want to know if that was \
mere assertion for effect minute ago, or
II YOU are in earnest in thinking of going
to Egypt"
Il never talk for effect" said Victor.
81 always mean what say, and | certain
Y am IN earnest in thinking of going to
Egypt"
May ask why?"
81 am surprised that you should need
to ask. Everybody vino knows me knows
that | am poor man"
Not SO poor that you need 60 to Egypt
IN search of a fortune, however" said
She, stopping short and looking at him
keenly. Confess she added, that YOU
are about to eXpatriate yourself in this
absurd fashion because Eleanor Mil
bourne means to marry Marston Brent"
Your acuteness has carried you TOO
far, said he laughing, but not quite nat
| uruIy. Miss Milbourne's matrimonial
choice Is nothing to me. | have thought
I Of this step for some time IS letter
IS Il reply to my application forwarded
| months ago. Yet now that the answer
has comt,' he went on, Il scarcely care
to grasp the advantage it offers In
difference has infected me like
poison. | feel more inclined to rust
out on the old place yhan to sound Boots
| and saddle again"
But why rust out?" she asked impetu-
! ousy. Thea, after a minute, Are there
not other women in the world besides
Eleanor Milbourne?"
'Perhaps SO, little doggedly. There
are other stars in the heavens beside We
nus, but who sees them when she is above
the horizon :"
How kind and complimentary you
are" said Mrs Lancaster with a slight
tone of bitterness in her voice.
Forgive me- said he after minute.
q am fool on this subject, and, like
fool, L always say more than | mean. No
doubt there are other women III the world
even more beautiful and more charming
than Eleanor MilbOurne, but they are
rothing to me"
In other words, you are determined to
believe that the grapes above your reach,
instead OF being sour, are the sweetest III
existence"
"At least | harm only myself by such
an hallucination, if it is IN hallucina-
ton"
But you may harm yourself more than
YOU imagine" said she with a nervous
cadence in her voice. For the sake Of a
hopeless passion for woman who has no
more heart than my fan you viii sacrifice
more than you are aware ot-mOre, per
haps, than you can ever regain"
She laid her hand-a pretty, white hand,
cleaning with jewels-on his arm at the
las, words, and it was fortunate, perhaps,
that she could not tell with what an effort
he restrained himself from shaking it i'm
patiently off. A quick feeling of repul-
sion came over him like an electric shock.
rs it was, he had sufficient command of
himself to speak carelessly. Il was never
quick at reading riddles" he said. 4
an unable to imagine what sacrifice |
should make by indulging the hopeless
passion for Miss Miibourne with which
yoo are kind enough to credit me"
With which | credit your she re
peaied eagerly. Am | wrong, then? If
len can tell me Hat, Victor"
but he interrupted her quickly: You
ought To know, Mrs. Lancaster, that this
y Fl thing which sensible man only tells
- one woman; but, since you seem to
.'hr an interest in the subject, there is
"9.AIng which | need hesitate to acknoWl-
"~' IN the fact that, however hopeless
1 ny passion for Eleanor Milbourne may
~, Z Is the very essence of my life, and
''H only end with my life"
.5 all think that when we are young
HIu ,I foolish, and very much in love-" said
-lf1 Lancaster coolly-"but | think you
are more than usually mad. If she is not
@i:gg3dy engaged TO Marston Brent, she
VIII be as soon as he returns. | know
lnal lnal her family confidently expect the
in'".1I' ana III any case Eleanor Mil
ugoIAe Is the last woman in the world
Nnom penniless man need hone to
=, i know that as well as YOU doo said
Glare. u have no hone of winnin~
/ month N@SPt heA'
As they emerged from the sb~,,hto,--
they. were both little surprised 10 sec >
I carriage standing in the full Glow of fee tha !"
light from the open hall door u
WHO can have arrivedq., s,;l sru-
Lancaster, not sorry, perhaps. for a diTa,,
sion. 81 did not know that Mr. P.SrtI-.-
Z was expecting any one" 'oJ