Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-12-24

you stole it and hid it away-on purpose
to vex papa!' She bit her lip and the
tears again dimmed her flashing eyes.
you would not mind-you know you
don't care whether things are right or
wrong-I've heard you say so-if only
they are pleasant"
Ralph kingscott gave a short laugh
and turned on his heel. But the mo-
mentary whitening of his lips, the keen.
steel-like glance that he shot at Molly
from out his narrow dark eyes, showed
that her shaft had, in some way or an
ether, gone straight home.
Mr.. Moncrieff stayed for some days in
Edinburgh, and Stella had thus no oppor-
tunity of consulting him, as she had wish
ed to do, about the plan of study which
Molly was to pursue. After the first day
or two, she found the girl tolerably easy
to manage.
Thus the fall and winter passed away
and was succeeded by bleak and biting
spring. In March Mr.. Moncrieff went to
London. His absence made little differ
ence to the household. Stella fancied,
however, that BERTHE was degenerating i'll
mind and feeling, and she made up her
mind that she ought to speak to Mr.. Mon
crieif about him as soon as he returned.
And yet she was terribly afraid that he
would think such speech presumptuous.
She did not find an opportunity for some
time, however. Mr.. Moncrieff paid
flying visit to his home in June, and then
it was chiefly in order to arrange that
Miss Jacky and Stella should take Molly
to the seaside for little change of air
during the month of July. He persuaded
Miss Jacky to agree to his plan, and CON-
missoned her to find suitable lodgings
at st. Andrews at his expense; and then
he vanished as suddenly as he had come.
taking BERTHE away with him, and leav-
ing Mr.. Kingscott free to follow his own
devices.
So it CHANGED that on one lovely day i'll
July, Stella was seated in a shady nook
of the castle at st. Andrews, with book
in her hand, while Miss Jacky and Molly
had gone to the bathing place. Her eyes
had strayed from it to the great expanse
of blue water, flashing and glittering in
the sunlight, breaking with long muir
murous rolls over the rocks below,
never-ending source of beauty and mys-
terry, of sorrow and joy. AS Stella watch
ed it, she was conscious of the awe, sol
emn and yet tender, which the sight of
IL
duces in us; feeling of the limitations
and narrowness and weakness of human
life in presence of the Eternal. Her own
sorrows seemed to die away in the con-
seriousness of Il greater life enveloping
her own.
And in this mood she was found by
Alan Moncrieff
She did not notice his approach until
L. l. L 1.,+n bod
and half rose He lifted his hat. us
Molly good girl?" he asked, a smile
curvng his lip beneath his dark mus
tache.
''Very good, indeed"
How handsome he was! she thought as
he stood there, his face little tanned
after his Swiss tour, with a new light ill
his brown eyes, and strength and energy
in every limb. No youth certainly; but
a vigorous man. full of manliness and
purpose She had never seen a man in
whom she had found more to admire.
John Harrington? All! the name had
almost lost it's power to wound; John
Harrington was commonplace beside
Alan Moncrieff.
'How is Bertie?'' she said, forcing her.
self to speak.
"Better, thank you. And l hope-I
trust-that he is losing his fear of me-"
She was surprised to hear him speak so
plainly. ct is unreasonable of him to
feel fear of YOU" she exclaimed.
Mr.. Moncrieff smiled as if well pleased.
"You would not feel it, would you?" he
said, and then caught himself up and
went on in a different tone. ''He tells me
that you have lectured him on the sub
iect. Perhaps it is not fair to repeat all
that he has said. But, at any rate, he has
made me sure of one thing: that l need
an interpreter to stand between me and
my children. They have no mother; and
they weed the gentle guidance of wom-
ans nand Therefore, after long consid-
eration-for l do not wish you to sup
pose that am speaking rashly or on the
impulse of the moment have come with
one purpose-one only-in my mind; and
that is, to ask you a question, or rather
make request. Will you-some day
honor me so far as to become my wife" !,
(To be continued.) E,
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Learn to Laugh.