Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-11-23

YOU sunk SO low as to do his bidding?'
She laid her hand on my arm. More,
she said. Listen! Before we parted ne
struck me. Struck-me! He cursed me
and struck me! Basil, did you ever hate
a man?''
l threw out my arms. My heart was
full of rage and bitterness. And you
became this mans mistress rather than
my wife!" / gasDed. Neither my love
nor her sorrow could stop this one re-
proach from passing my lips.
She sprang to her feet. your she
cried. do you hink-do you imagine
Read! Only this morning | learned it.
She threw a letter toward me--threw
it with a gesture of loathing, as one
throws nauseous reptile from ones
hand. [ opened it mechanically.
EYES," she said, ''you were right in
thinking l had fallen low. SO low that
| went where he chose to send me. So
low that | would have forgiven the III
treatment of months-the blow, even.
Why? Because until this morning he
was my husband. Read the letter. Basil,
did you ever hate a manv'
Before | read [ glanced at her in
alarm. She spoke with almost feverish
excitement. Her words followed one an
other with headlong rapidity. But who.
could wonder at this mood with a woman
who had such a wrong to declare? She
p
'Read" she said, beseechingly. "Ah,
God! I have fallen low; but not so low
as you thought
She buried her face in her hands while
/ opened and read the letter. 1t was
dated from Paris, and ran SO:
Gas it seems to me that we can't exact
ly hit it off together, / think the farce
had better end. The simplest way to
make my meaning clear is to tell you
that when / married you [ had a wife.
alive. She has died since then; and /
dare say, had we managed to get on bet
ter together, should have asked you to
go through the marriage ceremony once
more. However, as things are now, so
they had better stop. You have the salts
faction of knowing that morally you are
blameless.
eff, like a sensible girl you are ready to
accept the situation, am prepared to act
generously, and do the right thing in
money matters. AS Ihate to have anything
hanging over me unsettled, and do not
care to trust delicate negotiations to a
third party, [ shall run across to Eng
land and see you. | shall reach Roding
on Wednesday evening. Do not send to
the station to meet me; | would rather
walk"
The letter was unsigned. My blood
boiled as | read it.; yet, i'll spite of my
rage, felt grim humor as | realized
the exquisite cynicism possessed by the
writer. Here was a man striking foul
and recreant blow at woman whom he
once loved-a blow that must crush her
to the earth. His own words confess
him rogue, bigamist; and yet he can
speak coOlly about money arrangements;
can even enter into petty details concern
ing his approaching visit! He must be
without shame, without remorse; a vii
lain, absolutely heartlesS!
falI nI f1,fN1 o4fn 11lo
breast. | wished to keep it, that [
might read it again and again during
the next twenty-four hours. Long hours
they would be. This letter would aid
me TO make them pass. Philippa made
no objection TO my keeping it. She sat
mOtiOnless, gazing gloomily into the fire.
You knew the mans right name and
title % l asked.
Eyes, from the first. All. there
wronged myself, Basil. The rank, the
riches, perhaps tempted me; and-Basil
l loved him then"
Oh the piteous regret breathed in that
last sentence! | ground my teeth, and
felt that there was stronger passion
than even love. THAT man and | meet
tomorrow" | told myself, softly.
But you spoke of a child?'' | said
turning to Philippa.
1T is dead dead-dead!'' she cried
with wild laugh. "a fortnight ago ii
died. Dead! My grief then; my JOY
today See! | am in mourning; tomor-
row shall put that mourning off. Why
mourn for what is happy event? No
black after tomorrow"
Her mood had once more become ex
cited. AS before her words came with
feverish rapidity. | took her hands in
mine; they were now burning.
"Philippa, dearest, be calm. You will
see that man no more?'
Il will see him no more. It is to
save myself from seeing him that
come to you. Little right have ]
to ask aid from you; but your
words came back to me in my need
There was one friend to turn to- Help
me, Basil! | come to you as sister
may come to a brother
las a sister to a brother" | echoed.
II accept the trust" [ added, laying my
lips reverentially on her white forehead.
to her.
you will stay here now?' I asked
mo, | must go back Tomorrow |
will come-tomorrow. Basil, my brother,
you will take me far away-far away?"
Where you wish Every land is as
one to me now"
She had given me the right, broth
er's right, to stand between her and
the villain who had wronged her. To
morrow that man would be here! How /
Ionged Tor the moment which would
bring us face to face.
Philippa rose. II must co. she said.
pressed food and wine upon her; she
would take nothing. She made however,
no objection to my accompanying her to
her home. We left the house by the
easement by which she entered. Togeth-
er we stepped out on the snow whitened
road. She took my arm, and we walked
toward her home.
asked her with whom she was stay
ing. She told me with widow lady and
two children, named Wilson, She went
to them at Sir Mervyn Ferrand's com
mand. Mrs. Wilson. he told her. was a
distant connection of his own, and he
had made arrangements for her to look
after Philippa during her illness.
1t was but another proof of the mans
revolving cynicism. To send the woman
who falsely believed herself to be his
wife. to one of his own relations Oh. |
would have a full reckoning with him!
What name do they know you by?" I
asked
Gle said I was to call myself by the
false name, which. for purposes of his
own, he chose TO pass under But ! felt
myself ahSOIyod from nv nropoiSn of co