River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-03-09

Your sister. " he asked, at last, ''your
sister likes these flowers
My sister thought them lovely. She
has gone on a visit to Aunt Lou at Cliff
ton; she went yesterday"
''She saw the flowers and went?"
Lola nodded her head.
"Alr," mut:ered shortly by Sir Reg
gle, and then long pause.
Even Lola was non-plussed and be-
gan TO think there must be some mis-
take.
''Oh, / see-yes-she thought"
What she thought he did not say.
perhaps he did not quite know; at all
events, he was too shy TO express it.
Lola. however, was not afflicted
with difiidence, and. as this big fish was
wriggling at the end of her line, she
intended to land it, If possible.
''She thought, l suppose" she went
on, still laughing a little restrainedly.
that You and | could settle arrange
ments best without her"
Exactly. Yet do not quite see
why she should go away. Perhaps il
would be better if came again
another day"
Certainly not. Papa expects you
to luncheon, and afterwards Won can
have mics long talk with him. and
after the talk GU can come and sit in
the garden with toe.
They went into luncheon. The
squire was aggressively hospitable in
his efforts to set Sir Reggie at his ease.
for he was well aware OF the baronet's
prOelivities. which lie by no means les
sened by his tremendous attempts to
what he called-''draw him out"
Eventually the two men adjourned
TO the smOlSing-roOm, where Lola had
ordered coffee and where she would
certainly have made third but for
the important issue that she hoped
would be the result of their conversa-
ton.
Not that she felt by any means as
assured about the future as she had
been before Sir Reggie arrived that
morning. lie was so strange, so unde-
cided. that it would not surprise her if
he did not speak to her father at all,
aud, If he did, what would ne say?
And Lola grew white and faint from
a sudden pain which this query seemed
unexpectedly to have brought her.
Could il be possible. after all. that il
was Nora he loved? Had she. the in
fallible Lola, made a mistake? She
took out the note and read it once more
No. It was addressed and written to
her; there could he no mistake. Yet
why was he so anxious to have Nora
there? She supposed he wanted the
little sister TO back him up.
The interview in the smoking-ruom
was long one, and the farther il was
protracted the more anxious Lola
grew.
At last the clock struck four; If she
had not feared To be thought I'M
maidenly she would have gone into
the smOBing-rOom and broken up the
conclave, so impatient had she be-
come, when she saw her father walk
ing towards the house from a totally
opposite directiOn--and alone.
Where, then, was Sir Reggie? II
could not be possible that the proud
old squire had refused this good match,
because. forsOoth. his son-in-law would
be richer than himself?
HAS Sir Reggie gomez" she asked,
as soon as her father was near enough
to hear.
''Yes, have just unlocked the pad
dock gate for him. 1t IS much shorter
walk that wav.
Lola could contain herself nc
longer. ''Nou have not refused your
consent to the marriage, papa? You
have not locked Sir Reggie out for.
ever"
Not bit of it. not bit of It, child.
On the contrary, l have told him that
shall be proud to have him for son-in-
law
Then why on earth has he gone
avay?"
why should he stay? lie is going to
Clifton by the evening train, believe. -
TO Clifton"
s.Well. isn't Nora therea"
Nora, You mean that Sir Reggie
wants to marry Nora?"
There was such a sob in Lolla's voice
that her words were barely eompre-
hensible.
The squire looked at her rather com
icaIly Tor few seconds, then he burst
out laughing. His nature was some
what coarse and brutal.
by Jove. and YOU thought Breton
wanted to marry you. by the stars,
but here Is a blessed imbroglio-quite
a family drama" And the squire set
up another gruff discordant peal
If he wishes to marry Nora, why
did he write 10 me?'' asked Lola,
angrily. taking Sir Reggie's letter from
her pocket and handing it to her IA
ther.
lie read it through from end to end,
becoming more serious as he did so.
a manly, straightforward letter;
YES. as ] said before. am proud of
him. lie Will make little Nora a good
husband.
straightforward. you call it, TO
write 20 me when he means Nora"
lit is all your own fault. Lola, and
the less you say about il the better"
''Mv fault, indeed"
YES, you are always trying to ad-
vance yourself and thrust Nora into
the shade. II all came out during my
talk with Breton"
Il don't IN the least know what you
mean"
NO. of course not. : and the squire
sneered. You quite forget that you
told Breton Nora was older than You
IL isn't the first time you have tried to
play the juvenile in reference TO Nora,
and like all liars you have got caught
in your own trap at last
Lola hung her head. She remem-
is-ad nov, how several weeks ago i'm
a foolish. thoughtless moment she had
made this false statement 10 Sir Reg
gle. and she skulked away into the
house TO hide her confusion and bitter
annoyance.
Tho first piece of petty spite in which
she INDUCED was TO empty the basket
of its roses and scatter the petals 20
the four winds OF heaven. Then she
sat down TO contemplate the unplsas-
ant knowledge that SIR Reggie was on
his way TO Clifton. where. in truth.
he arrived that evening. but too late to
call at the pretty house opposite the
pension bridge.
lie did the next best. however: he
put up at the hotel close by, ard then
went ont for a stroll
II might, yes, il might just be posi-