Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-09-01

F., lEtu ctlieu 50 pefSlSUeHu1y III MI. We
thuen's house as to feel almost like Z
beg who haunts a doorstep, the
answer always was the same; Major
Methuen was invariably cut
BY way Of variation, he was some
times out Of town, and his return in
definite, or had just gone out again
though the miracle of it was, that nc
one ever met him abroad, while he had
not showed at his club for months
| Mr.. Eyre at first attributed this
avoidance Of him TO the mans well
known aversion to any sort of society
and also the dislike he was known
to entertain to any friends Of the late
Lord Loyel; but when even his letters
were disfegarded, Mr.. Eyre began to
suspect that there was some secret
here, and became the more rersolute in
his advance as the other retrelted.
/ Could ii be possible that in dying
Frank Love- had dropped some words
that Methuen had picked up; that this
, dOppelganger actually held the clew
THAT Mr. Eyre believed 10 have been
lost with Frank:
| Yet he could have sworn that was
Frank himself whose eyes met had his:
ana at night and odd times strange
thoughts would come into Mr.. Eyre's
mind. and his brain was rapidIv paSS-
ing into that Seething, restless state
which i'll every instance had betokened
with him disaster. He Withdrew him
SET as much as possible from politics,
and even avoided the society Of every
one save Madcap. who had lost some
Of her brightness as the season ad-
Vanced, yet for some curious reason
did not once urge her father to leave
town.
Surely never had Il chit Of a country
girl such Il season before said the wO-
men who cnvied her, and reiOiced to
see her cheek pale Though men seemed
to find It new loyclineSS in it,, and
hoped she Slnarted inWardly from some
heart-WOund that even her ten thou
sand year was not able to cure One
thing was very clear. that she never
missed an opportunity of throwing
Nancy Lowell and her cousin together
to DOune'S secret dissatisfaction
though his love for Madcap would
not let him own it.
The two girls had somehow become
friends. and were to be seen every
where together; but while Madcap was
happy in thinking the cousins were
falling in love with each other, Miss
Nancicb"FS heart tlrlied behind with
the brother and sister, who followed
and only the blindness of :; fixed idea
could have kept enlightenment from
the girl who III this instance was en-
phatically her own fathers daughter
She thought Doune's careleSSncSS
about the House his dislike to talk of
that career into which he had formerly
thrown himself arose from Il feeling of
neglect toward herself and many Il
happy hour between him and Nanciebel
bad she
Twinn'd Of its sweet life,
in her ca@crncSS to give Gordon and
his cousin time III which TO arrive at
some pleasant understanding.
Those who watched Doune'S brilliant
youth said the young man was falling
off lamentably from his high ambitions.
and pointed 10 his daily pleasuring rs
Il diShonor to those intellectual gifts
that, properly developed, should be of
some service to his country. But per-
hlpS in discovering that n young Wo-
man in Il long gown may be as sweet,
fresh and lovable rs Il child in q short
one. Doune had included more than
his sister, was unconscioU sly making
his choice between the good of love,
the evil Of ambition, till one fine day
all his honors and brilliant hopes faded
before the answer of Il pair of blue
eyes that had grown shy of meeting his
but in which he might find that hap
piEeSS which had made his father dead
to ambition through over Il score of
years.
WAS he not choosing 1.-The better
part His death-bed some day would
answer that question. Nancirhrl ac
quicSccd in Madcap's whim, but re
served to herself the right of listen
ing for Doune'S footsteps by day and
dreaming Of him by night. She was
loye,.- as Madcap in her own style,
and had long ago forgotten the child
iSh fancy for her cousin that had
made her dislike Madcap at first sight.
The two girls talked of gowns and
chittonS, but never of hearts; SO that
the whole quartette were at odds. Cor
don prosed to Nancy of Madcap. Nan
CIV knew that Doune half suspected
her of IN attachment to Gordon, while
Madcap believed Gordon to have been
iudicousiy detached from herself TO his
cousin: and Doune, for the first time
in his life, found his sister as aggra-
waiting as the loveliest woman on earth
can be when by accident she finds her
self in the place of a much coveted
somebody else. Lady Ann looked on
with satisfaction, reading little between
the lines. and satisfied to see two pair
of lovers where before there was only
one.
One morning III late June, Gordon
read out at breakfast the announce
ment of Mrs Methuen's death, the
preceding day but one, and Madcap
trembed: but no one looked at her,
rs Mr. Eyre, starting up and eNclaim-
ing. He cannot be out this timer
left the room and, almost Immediately
after. the house.
I Poor chap; he'll be more cracked
than ever now" said Gordon, cheerful
ly: but what on earth can he mean
by lodging the father these three
monthS?''
Doune had walked to the window,
and stood looking after him; and for