The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1882-05-06
THE ICE.

girls had been rivals almost to the
death. Society has its restraints, well
for many of us that is SO. For, on the
last evening of her stay at the farm
house the heart of Kate Jervis was
full of cold and deadly anger, as she
reviewed the events of the campaign,
and knew that it had failed.
She had come to that lonely and
secluded place only because Charles
Edwards, the handsome and wealthy
widower from Australia, was to be
there. Throughout the cool days of
autumn, and the hazy beauty of the
Indian summer, she had fingered on,
hoping continually that she might win
him away from Lily Melville, whom,
in her secret heart, she ST ,matized as
"a dark little thing" with not an atom
of style about her"
But to the end of time the question;
"Why does a man love one woman and
not another" will never be satisfac-
torily answered.
Miss Jervis, large, tall, stately, and
fair, devoted to dress, and with social
talents of the very highest order, had
only received from the gallant widow
er the ordinary attentions which every
gentleman is bound to pay the ladies
near him.
While Lily Melville, who was poor
and unnoticed, who toiled daily with
her pencil for her daily bread, and
who was utterly unable to follow the
shifting fashions of the day, even if
she had wished to do so-Lily Mel
Vile had won the widower's heart, and
need only say the word to receive the
offer Of his hand.
Kate Jervis did not deceive herself.
She had watched their parting only
two days previously, and had read her
own doom in Charles Edwards face.
May l write to you 2" had been his
last words to Lilly.
For Kate he had only the conven-
tional regrets at parting. mingled with
his adieu. Not one word of hope as
to any future meeting.
Yes, she had failed-utterly and
ignominiously failed-and now she
must pack up the useless fnery, which
had cost so much, and go back to the
city boarding house-to the marrow
pinching consideration of ways and
means, from which, by the capture OF
| this man and his fortune, she had
hoped to be freed forever.
''If [ could only spoil her happiness,
| I would not so much mind giving up
my own," she thought, as she walked
along the road that led from the farm
/ to the village, on the third evening af-
ter Mr.. Edwards departure. "But,
how? And how disgustingly self sat
isfed she looks. | hate her | hated
her from the first day of her coming,
though I did not then know why?
At that moment she saw the boy
who was employed at the farm to run
on errands to and from the village. He
was running up the road at a great
pace, with a countenance black with
discomfort.
"Have you seen Farmer Williams,
miss ?" he asked anxiously.
| "He came home from the village
half an hour ago." said Kate.
"Just my luck, whined the boy.
II wanted to give him these, and now
| must 90 all the way with them. And
the minstrels are up in Telson's Hall.
/ THEY'LL be half through before | can
get back"
He held out two letters as he spoke,
with an appealing look at Kate, one
for herself, the other sealed with 8
seal, and directed to Lily Melville in
hand that she knew only too well.
"I'm going back. I'll take them
for YOU she said mechanically.
The boy gave her the letters, thank
ed her, and tore back to the village
whistling,
"Shall | I? Shall | not ?" thought
Kate, standing still in that lonely
place.
She opened her own letter. 1t con-
tanned only the dress-makers bill fol
those beautiful summer toilets which
had been of so little use to her. How
was she to pay that bill, now that the
rich husband on whom she had so Sc.
curely counted had turned out to be q
myth?
1T is too hard" she exclaimed
aloud, in sudden passion. 'Why
should the good fortune come to he
and not me? She shall never hav,
the satisfaction of triumphing over me
| wonder what he has written?"
Crack wont the saal "a she trifef