Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-03-08

days / dare say she has forgotten all
about it by this time.
She signs The charming face so near
the professors is looking sad again. The
white brow is pickering, the soft lips
drop No, she cannot stay here that is
certain-and yet it was her fathers wish,
and who is he, the professor, that he
should pretend to know how girls should
be treated? What if he should make a
mistake? And yet again, should Il little
brilliant face like that know sadness
1t is a problem difficult to solve All
the professors learning fails him now.
Il hope she will remember. Oh. she
| must, declares he. gazing at Perpetual.
I'You know | would do what [ could for
you, but your aunt-you heard her-she
would not let you go anywhere with
| me-"
True" said Perpetual. Here she
moves back, and folds her arms stif1y
across her bosom. and pokes out her
| chin, in an aggressive fashion, that Gre
ates a likeness on the spot, in spite of
| the youthful eyes, and brow, and hair.
Young gentlewomen i'll our time Mr.
| CurZon, never went out walking, alone,
| with a mani!
| The mimicry is perfect. The professor,
after faint struggle with his dignity,
/ joins in her naughty mirth, and both
! laugh together.
Our time. She thinks you are 150!''
| Says MISS w ynCcT. 3
i WELL SO | am, in a way" returns the
| professor, somewhat sadly.
No, you're not" says she. Il know
! better than that. |, patting his arm re-
assuringly, "can guess your age better
| than she can. l can see at once that
YOU are not a day older than poor, dar-
| ling papa. In fact. you may be younger
| | am perfectly certain you are not more
! than fifty"
| The professor says nothing. He is star
ing at her. He is beginning to feel lit
tie forlorn. He has forgotten youth for
many days; has youth in revenge for
| gotten him?
..'That is taking off clear hundred all
at once says she, lightly. mo small
amount" Here, as if noticing his 81
lence, she looks quickly at him, and per-
| haps something in his face strikes her,
because she goes on hurriedly: ooh!
and what is age, after all? | wish
were old, and then / should be able to
| get away from Aunt Jane-without-
| without any trouble"
Il am afraid you are indeed very un-
happy here" says the professor gravely.
Il hate the place." cries she with
| frown Il shan't be able to stay here
Oh. why didn't poor papa send me to
live with you?'
| the. professor finds great difficulty in ex-
planning to her. An ''old man" of fifty
might very easily give home to a
| young girl without comment from the
world. But then if an "old man of fifty"
wasn't an old man of fifty-the professor
checks his thoughts, they are growing
too mixed.
I'VE should have been so happy" Per-
petua is going on, her tone regretful
I'VE could have gone everywhere to-
gether, you and |. [ should have taken
you to the theater, to balls, to concerts,
10 of4
happy, and SO should /. You would
wouldn't youY'
The professor mods his head The aw-
full vista she has opened up to him has
completely deprived him of speech.
.'Ah! yes signs she, taking that de-
you would have been good to me, too,
and let me look i'll at the shop windows.
| should have taken such care of you,
and made your tea for you, just" sadly,
'as | used to do for poor papa, and"
1t is becoming too much for the pro-
fessor.
ct is late. 1 must go" says he.
1t is a week later when he meets her
again The season is now at it's height,
and some stray wave of life casting the
professor into fashionable thorough
fare, he there finds her.
Marching along, as usual, with his
head in the air, and his thoughts in the
ages when dates were unknown, a soft,
eager voice calling his name brings him
back to the fact that he is walking up
Bond street.
In a carriage, exceedingly well APP
pointed, with her face wreathed in smiles
and one hand impulsively extended, sits
Perpetua. Evidently the owner of the
carriage is in the shop making purchases
whilst Perpetual sits without, awaiting
her.
''Were you going to cut me?' cries she.
What luck to meet you here! l am haV-
ing such lovely day. Mrs. COnstans
has taken me out with her, and am to
dine with her, and go with her to a con-
cert in the evening"
She has poured it all out, all her good
news in a breath, as though sure of a
sympathetic listener
He is too good a listener. He is listen
ing SO hard, he is looking so Intensely,
that he forgets to sneak, and Perpetua's
sudden gayety forsakes her. Is he an
CRY? Does he think?
Its only a concert" says she, flushing
and hesitating. DO you think that one
should not go to a concert
''Yes? questions the professor alb
stractedly, as she comes to full stop. lie
has never seen her dressed like this be-
fore. She is all in black to be sure,
but such black, and her air! She looks
quite the little heiress, like little queen
indeed radiant, lovely.
''WelI-when one is in mourning" says
she somewhat impatiently> the color once
again dyeing her cheek: Quick tears have
sprung to her eyes. They seem to hurt
the professor.
'One cannot be in mourning always"
says he slowly. His manner is still I'M
fortunate.
''You evade the question:" says she
frowning: But concert isn't like
ball. is it?"
who indeed has had little knowledge of
either for years, and whose unlucky an
swer arises solely for inability to give
her an honest reply.
You hesitate says she, you ,disap-
prove then But defiantly. Il don't care
IA concert is not like ball.
Mo- suppose not"
II can see what you are thinking, re-
turns she, struggling with her mortifica,,
ton ''And it is very hard of you. Just
because you don't care to go anywhere
you think l oughn't to care either; That.
is what is so selfish about people who
are old You," willfully, ARE just as
bad as Aunt Jane"
The professor looks at her. His face
is perplexed- distressed-and something