Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-02-13

mo one may" was the answer. snols-
en- almost in whisper.
silence ensued.
oane was the first to speak.
IRA you are older than I, and have
seen more of life," she began, in a hard.
ulenaotlonal voice that told nothing of
Tue inward pain she felt and had been
ieellng Tor so long; 'let me have your
honest opinion. Given that love some
one can never hope to marry-not in
ahy circumstances that could occur
should 1 be doing wisely, or only MAX
,ns wrong worse, to accept another one
because he can give me what want so
"ucn-peace! You know how people are
"ritlng OF me now in the papers, and
insisting that l have knowledge
"netner they think it criminal knowl-
eoge or not, am sure I cannot tell-of
JACOB Lynn's death. And you must have
guessed that something else is troubling
me, though you are too good to question
me about it. Can't you imagine that when
Major Larron came forward Just now.
when others are holding rather aloof
from me- should be touched by his gen
erosity-don't you think it might be right
to secure such q haven for myself, if it
makes his happiness also, as he says it
will?"
Every one would say you were doing
wisely and WELL" answered Mrs. Dene,
constrainedly.
And you, Nora-and your
Il am not sure. Is there no chance
OF there being some misunderstanding
between you and-and the man you love?
He may care for you, and ask you to
marry him STILL"
"He has asked ME once, twice."
"And you refused him pin surprise.
Jane bowed her head.
Mrs. Dene understood then partly who
it was that troubled and had made her so
unlike the shy, happy child she had been
a year before.
mora" cried Jane, impulsively. '"Tell
me, is Major Larron good man, man
with whom might have q chance of be-
ing happy?"
HE is good-looking, well-mannered-
and he loves you, Jenny" she answered
hesitatingly. 9"
''That is not what 1 mean. Is he
good?"
''How should I know, dear? We all
wear our best side utward"-awkwardly
''But you know. They say-forgive me
right to mention it-they say you We're
'Why I did not marry him." finished
Mrs. Dene, in low, tremulous voice.
"Well, will tell you, and you shall judge
for yourself whether in that he was to
blame. No, it does not pain me, dear, to
speak of him; my feeling for him was
only girlish fancy-hero worship, | sup.
pose it might be called, although SO mis-
applied. 1t is only other things connect
ed with that time that have power to
move me so, for it was through his Jilt-
ing me that-that l won my husband"
"He Tilted you?" cried Jane.
Mrs. Dene WINGED. What it cost her to
reopen this old wound she alone knew,
yet she had resolved to tell all rather
than by her silence mislead Jane.
perhaps he was not altogether in fault.
was young and thoughtless, and t1irted,
though never untrue to him at heart"
''He Tilted you'll" repeated Jane, who,
having in her excitement risen to her
feet, was now pacing up and down the
room.
Her breathless indignation rather
startled Nora Dene, who had outlived
her first anger though the pain survived
still.
Then the whole story came out. nothing
extenuated, yet naught set down in NAL
ice. And Jane listened with rising wrath
against the man who, having acted so to
her best friend, had dared to ask her
also to be his wife.
"He would have Tilted me, too, proba-
blyv she exclaimed.
.'No, DEAR He loves you as he never
loved me. I think he would suffer any
thing at your hands rather than give you
up"
''He shall never have the chance"
"You don't mean--
81 mean that my answer to-day will be
moi No, no-emphatically nor
"Don't decide hastily, child. Think of
the position he can give you, the luxury
of wealth that would be yours; and, re-
member every one has some good in him
only waiting to be brought out. 10 love
any one. as Major Larron loves you, is
eleyating in itself; every man is the bet
FOR for marrying the woman he loves
"He sha'n't marry me-" said Jane, with
such mutinous pout that Mrs. Dene was
obliged to smile.
Going straight to her own room she
wrote two letters, The first was to her
mother. with an instructive feeling that
che ought to be the first to know OF the
stem that she was taking, and the second
to Major Larron.
Dear Major Larron," she wrote ana
smiled a little sadly-bitterly, too, at the
stereotyped beginning of what meant so
much to both-'do not come To-Day. ihe
answer which I have to give Will cause
lass nain TO both if written. will never
marry you-never! Nothing You can say
will alter my decision, and it will be
kinder TO say nothing at all. Circum-
stances have come to my knowledge that
make it impossible | could ever ehause
~. ,,,;nd And [ never loved you-never
shonld love you: so it is better that l
should have come to this decision-better
for me and for you, too. am yours
sincerely, 8 , 49, ~ 1at+nr
She smiled as she dispatched the letter
with something of her old mirthfulness.
mha+ sbo the former sergeant majors
daughter, should thus be dismisslng
coronet in prospective, and some present s:,,
Thousands a year, seemed irreslstloiS
comic. And she felt no regret only re-