The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-09-03


It was simple thing to do 80 much
harm-a strip of rose-pink silk-and
certainly harmless in ITSELF But it
caused Lauuce Lisle the worst heart
ache of his life. will tell you about it.
Virginia Payne, of CRANKY. never
hirted. That was fact patent among
her admirers. Handsome she was, witty
and charming, beyond compare; but
never had folly enough to think that the
warmest smile that ever parted her red
lips meant more than would read in an
open book. Ii Virginia would write be-
tween the lines, she had never done SO,
though she was one-and twenty.
For three months she had been mis-
tress of CRANKY, a magnificent old
family inheritance. The great mansion
of pale gray-stone, set among lawns and
gardens, beautiful beyond compare, was
her very own, and her home, and it had
been the home and possession of ali her
line for over 100 years. From father to
son, and finally from father to daughter,
CRANKY had come to her. And there she
dwelt with her guardian, Mr.. Israel, her
Aunt Content and goodly train of SER
wants. The heiress Of CRANKY, being
who she was and what she was, was
toasted far and near, and naturally would
have become prey to fortune hunters,
but for one clause of her fathers will.
1t had been the one prayer of his life,
and 1t was his dying request, carefully
worded upon paper, that Virginia, then
Il child of nine years, should marry
Launcelot.. Lisle. He was his step-son,
already young man of character and
weight. But he had never lived at
CRANKY, and when Virginia, at 16, met
him, she could not remember to have
seen him before.
1t was on the day of her fathers fu-
neral. Her stepsister had been dead
several years, and but for the sister of
her own mother, Aunt content, she was
quite alone. Launce had almost imme-
diately gone back to London, but he
had come to her, shivering in her black
robes, under all the excitement, and
said gently, that he feared she would be
very lonesome-that he wished he could
remain at Granby-that he might be
of some service to her, etc. but briefly
he was gone, and she had returned to
school.
At Is she was at CRANKY again, and,
with her guardians approval and per-
sonal oversight, saw much company. 1t
was better she should see something of
the world before choosing husband,
he said; and SO, people argued she was
not engaged to Launce Lisle, though
Virginia said feebly that she was SO, un-
less Mr.. Lisle preferred otherwise, since
her father had wished it. Whatever the
truth might be, the fact seemed to make
at least frequent. But
one fact, as / have said, was patent
Miss Payne never firted. Many argued
the proof of her engagement from this;
others instinctively read another cause
in certain vestal purity of the girls
cOuntenance when in utter repose.
In the play of conversation it was
charmingly vivacious and fascinating.
Her crimson lips and soft black eyes, the
white temples and radiant color, helped
make up a face which, when fully seen,
could never be forgotten. Certainly
Launce Lisle thought so, coming upon
it suddenly, for another brief week of
his life, on a hurried business trip to
New York.
1t was just after Virginia became
legally mistress of CRANKY. She was
spending the winter in the city.
81 say, Launce," said Peyton Lesley,
"you Will see your betrothed tonight
She is to be at Madame Hyacinth's.
Launce made lao reply, but when he
was alone with his sister, very sweet
woman, whom he dearly loved, he asked:
"Do you know Virginia Payne,
Prae?"
Mrs. Roberts replied that she did.
"Do you like her?"
eyes," said Mrs. Roberts, with de-
cision.
That was enough. Launce said no
more. But at supper Virginia's name
was again mentioned. He heard then
that she never tlirted.
He was conscious of dressing with
unusual care for the evenings entertain
ment. Before leaving the house he
took from a trunk photograph sent him
by Virginia's father some twelve years
previously. 1t represented a child of
eight, with soft. dark hair, and a wealth
of dark, durling hair. He had the pale
child's image dimly in his mind, con-
fused by the memory of the same at six
teen-a timid girl, trembling In her
black dress-when, an hour later, he
came face to face with Virginia, in her
flush of youthful loneliness.
Mr.. Israel, upon whose arm she lean
ed, welcomed him warmly.
eve are going back to CRANKY to-
morrow. Come soon and visit us, he
said.
Launce did not know what words he
used IN accepting this invitation-the
petite figure In white and gold confused
him so; but he had arrived late, and Vir-
ginla and guardian were already going,
and that was the end of the conversation.
He unused over it, thinking that the lady
was simply polite. and seemed indiffer-
ent simply because she was not so. At
sight of the frank, steel-blue eyes, the
firm, white brows Swallowed by rings OF
fair hair. the finely-chiseled mouth-all