Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-09-26

dinner" eAeon "
mo, no, dear Helen! Promise me
PROMISE me faithfully you will not" i'm
ploreo Nora, with such distressed ex-
preston OF countenance that Mrs, LES
TRANCE promised.
=, LUIS last day was bright and crisp,
tnere mad been light fall of snow and
dered ~"
NO exterior brightness, however, could
cheer Nora. She kept brave face, but
ner heart felt as if it must break; for the
moment life was to her like one of those
wretched dreams, where the dreamer all
burning to attain some joy almost with
IN touch, is kept back by incapable bar
rlers, vague obstacles, gossamer to the
eye, impregnable to the starving spirit.
1t was, she told herself, useless, un-
maldenly, to grieve so about man who
was evidently resolved not to renew his
proposal to her. She had begged to join
Bea and her governesss in their early
walk; anything was better than sitting
still.
She talked kindly and cheerfully in
German to the little fraulein about her
home and her people, every now and then
falling into silence and bitter thought,
and then with the restlessness of pain,
she wanted to go home and read, tough
book of some kind would draw her out of
herself. She complained of fatigue, and
they returned to the house.
Nora went listlessly upstairs, opened
the drawing-room door and stopped for
moment. Helen was speaking to some
one, another step, and she saw her step
mother seated q oh ~
to Mr.. Winton, who stood on the hearth
rug leaning his shoulder against the chin
ney-place. She instinctively turned her
face from the light, and assuming by an
effort an air of composure, advanced to
shake hands with nina charming figure,
as the reflection of the fire played on her
dark-green, clOse-ftting cloth coat, edged
with sable, and a pretty cap of the same
fur GROWING her golden brown curls. In
spite of her will and firmly exerted self
control, a vivid blush rose to her cheeks,
which left color enough even when it had
partially faded.
"Where is Bea?" asked Mrs LES
TRANCE when the others had bid each other
good-day.
"Gone to take off her things
II must bring her to see you," said
Mrs. L'Estrange, with rather q signif-
cant look TO Winton.
"He is going them" thought Nora, too
much taken up with the idea to heed her
step-mother leaving the room.
II thought you were to sail to-day"
she said, taking off her cap and parting
the fringe on her brow; the room was
quite too warm after the cold air, and
she drew chair forward, still keeping
her back to the windows.
81 have postponed my departure for a
week or two," returned Winton; and
there was an awkward pause, while Nora,
with unsteady fingers, drew off her gloves
and rubbed her hands gently together.
"You seem tired of your holiday?"
'No," said Winton, taking a step nearer
to her, and looking straight into her eyes.
Il must tell you the truth, even though it
may seem bad taste to do so, at least so
soon. am not tired of my holiday, but
wanted to throw myself into engrossing
work, to deaden the pain of disappoint-
ed hope-hope that probably had no right
to entertain, yet which could not resist"
Nora was silent. Il may seem tiresome,
persevering blockhead-but, once more.
Nora, offer you my future life! And
promise, with all my soul, to be your
truest friend, as we'll as your true lover!
Shall I go, or stay?
And Nora--the tears yelling over and
hanging on her lashes-said softly, but
most distinctly: "Stay!" Then she lost
hold on herself and burst into fit of
weeping.
GOOD heavens, Noraw cried Winton,
dismayed, "you do not accept me against
your will"
mo, no." she returned, recovering her.
self q little, 'but I have been so miser-
able and so foolish"
Tell me-" said Winton, bending one
knee on footstool beside her, and taking
her hand gently in his, why did you ac-
cept Marsden?"
because I thought he loved me very
much; and" with quick glance from
her sweet wet eyes, and a frank pressure
of the hand, ''that no one else did"
"How was that?' cried Winton, his
heart heating fast "You must have felt
how soon you grew dear to me!-dearer
than anything else on earth or in heaven,
either"
"Why did you not tell me so before"
asked Nora, smiling, though her lips still
trembled.
because, my love, my life, I was
afraid! Do you remember, one day, you
hid me good-by at the door, at Brookdale,
and I dared to hold your hand closer and
longer than l ought? The words, I love
YOU were on my lips at that moment, but
it was no time or place to speak them;
and ever after, in some nameless way: you
nut me from you, and virtually told me
Won would have nothing to do with me-
Eyes. I remember it, and | was told
tbat-that you had been engaged to Helen.
and were now hoping to marry her!''
"Who told you this? Marsden!' he
asked, sternly, catching her other hand
and holding both tight.
YES" faltered Nora
.'Then he is an Internal liar! Why did
YOU believe him?'
"Why should doubt him?"
s"Then you should not have doubted
me-"
to fancy a man must be--very. very fond
Of me-when he never told me so?'
"While thought every one must see