Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-26

ued Lady EiDOr, agitatiug her fan gently
but glancing eGgewise at the soldiers dacb
face
He turned to her with half smile
WELL he said. rs that all!''
''AllI Upon my word, Max, I can't make
you outr'
Hadn't you better leave off trying:''
Impossible. I really began to think
Falere's wiles were succeeding; you have
been Leading her to think so, anyhow"
i thIak Valerie can take care of herself
Nellie" said Beauregard, very quietly.
Certainly she cam said Lady Elinor
trying to turn of with laugh words whose
meaning, as regarded herself, was perfect
y clear to her; no one better Lawford
is, of course, resuming his offer; he can
have nothing else to writs to Valerie about
Mrs, Langley told me she had the letters. 81
That Won might tell me:"
Il don't know; but only repeated this
for YOU sake, Max"
''Traimeut' Well, by your leave, Wen
talk Of something else"
But, all the same, the news was another
stab to an open wound. Had Valerie done
anything to lure this ssel-gentIe back
again, so that if she failed to win the great
er prize she could still fall back on the
sutton so remorselessly thrown over?
No. he would not think this of her; but
he did not doubt that Mrs. Langley had
taken some such steps.
Was Valerie consenting? Had she read
| AstOn's letter, and was she holding over
a reply until she saw whether-even at the
eleventh hour-she would score a triumph,
and bring the owner of Abbot's Leigh to
her feet, or close her visit to the Hall with
out succeeding in the object that took her
| there?
1t was rnaddening even to ask such men
tai questions concerning Valerie; and yet,
horrible as they were, he could not quite
| dismiss them; he could not say such DELHI
crate calculation of chances was impossible
to her; and yet, there was ever the para
doX which the girl presented to all that
she had done-all of which she might Tar
guing from past acts) seem capable She
| made no effort to win the man for whom
she had abandoned a rich sutton (yet that
might be profoundest cOquetry); she was
so fresh, SO pure, so innocent; in her face
no guile; in her acts, in her looks, none of
! the arts of the cOquette. Could design SO
| completely, SO successfully, wear the mask
of innocence?
No wonder these things perplexed Max
|
| the truth-seeing only through a glass
| darkly"
1t was not till near the close of the even
ing that he approached Valerie's couch
and asked her if they should finish the
| chess-gane sometime tomorrow.
Yes" she said, "any time you like"
Nay, put it the other way"
Valerie shook her head.
cit would be all one to me-" she said.
81 shall have to keep still, so one time
! would be like another and you may only
have few times you can call your own"
can ingenious plea for me-thank you
for it; and if you are not inclined to play
| when I ask you, will you refuse?''
But I shall like to play anytime"
Suppose you were reading fascinating
novel;"
81 would prefer chess.''
VERY well, I see must take you at your
VOID"
So they parted for the night.
The next morning Walerie's foot was
! much better; and Max told her that anoth-
err days complete rest, and partial rest for
a day or two afterward, would make ''Rich,
| ard himself again." though Of course, she
| could not walk any distance for a fortnight
or more.
In the morning nothing was done but
general pottering, OF which Valerie was the
center; and Mrs. Langley waited patiently
for an opportunity of seeing her niece
alone. It came at last, just after luncheon
when the girl had gone to her dressing
room to change her dress, and was resting
her foot a little before going down again
Valerie looked up, vaguely apprehensive
as her aunt entered the room, but she said
nothing. Mrs. Langley sat down by the
couch, facing her niece.
Il hope your foot will be quite well by
| Saturday, she said-this was Tuesday
''as we have to leave on that day"
f'Oh, it will be alright before thatr' said
| Valerie, carelessly.
''Well enough. at any rate. TO travel
We are due at the Morton's on Saturday
evening, you see"
Yes
Mrs. Langley drew from her pocket an
envelope.
81 received these letters,' she said. Eyes
terday, while you were out. Read this
She placed an enclosure in Valerie's
hands, and, rising, walked to the other
side Of the room.
Valerie looked at the address on the en-
| felOpe, anu CIe D1GOu rushed uOGly 70 HSE
brow. Aston Lawford!
She opened the letter hastily, her fingers
trembling, a bright scorn in her eyes.
Not many words-asking her, begging
her to reconsider her decision-she was
still free-to give him some hope of win
ming her.
If Valerie had been the cOquette she was
believed to be, here was a triumph indeed
| IN mo 10 hor eff
on her part, this man whom she had cast
aside 50 coolly for higher prize, came back
TO her feet again-abased himself to the
very dust before her.
But Valerie cIenched the letter in her
| hand, setting her teeth hard to keep back
from her lips the scorn that blazed in her
dark eyes, that made her bosom heave, her
whole frame tremble.
| Mrs. Langley seeing that her niece had
read the letter, came back to the couch.
"Well," she said, nothing of the girls
aspect lost upon her, nor yet the crumpled
letter still held in the little hand. HE is
a constant lover, is he not?"
| ''Loverr'
| Valerie proved, by the manner in which
she uttered the word, how much contempt
can be thrown into single word.
"What then, my dear?"
"What them" Valerie laughed, and tear
ing the letterup, scattered it on the ground.
| INFATUATED slave! Don't call such slavery
love. This man believes-told me-that l
befooled, tricked him, led him on-then
threw him over for more brilliant prize
and now he thinks l have failed to grasp
that prize be comes back and grovels at
my feet; a spaniel would have more spirit
"a whipped hound might have more
pride!'
| Heaven pity the man of whom a woman