Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-05-27
CHAPTER XIII.

brief records of them here and theresa
brief and so far between that it seems to
me they must have been very unprolific of
events.
l have had two seasons in London, and
a winter in the South of France. l know
that the boys are tourishing, and that
MoorlandsHis still our own; that Darby is
my shadow as Of yore, a sweeter, gentler
and more tender shadow than even in her
childish days. [ know too, that my hus-
band is devotion itself to us both; that
every good and beautiful gift of life is
showered upon me, and that Joan, Lady
t'errers, is a parsonage of no small dig
nifty and Importance in the county.
1t is night, and late night too. Monks
Hall has been gay with guests and fes
tivities, but they have all departed now.
1t is the first night of the new year, and
| have been sitting alone in my dressing
room, gazing into the fre-alone, yet not
alone, for a host of memories peopled my
solitude and gazed at me from out the
Pickering flames. AS l so looked back
and thought, Il knock came at the door,
and, in answer to my "Come in!' pref
ty girl figure advanced and dropped into
the chair beside my own.
Il thought you would not mind" she
says, apologetically; land it is my last
night
She is very pretty, and she is the only
girl l have ever called friend, though
many bestow that name ON me. She is
no other, in fact, than that same Nettie
Croft of whom | was once so jealous.
She has been staying with us for this
Christmas week, but tomorrow she has
to go home-to a very dreary home, poor
girl! with the soured, embittered old wom-
an who is her only living relative, and
whose tongue and temper are proverbs in
the neighborhood.
81 am glad you have come l said,
cheerfully; Il thought you would
81 am sorry to go home" she said, with
q plaintive accent in her rich young voice;
$50 very, very sorry. l think you spoil
me, Joan; every time l come it is harder
to go away. But are you tired-you look
SO pale tonight
"Not more tired than usual" l answer
ed; "this has been very fatiguing week. :"
II envy you," she said suddenly; "oh,
/ envy you! What would you do if you
had the empty days, the dreary round of
commonplace events, the wretched beaten
track to tread that | have"
"You will have other chances" said.
''1ou are young yet. Ii think it is a
mistake to marry young
Il shall never marry at all, she said,
paling to the hue of her white wrapper.
IL put that idea aside long ago."
You mean," l said, looking gravely at
the sad young face, 'that you have cared
for some one too well-to forget"
yes" she said very low and with a
pained drawn look of the pretty brows;
81 suppose most girls have had an ex-
H. Iofo how
twenty. l can't help it if mine has taken
deeper root than most. You don't mind
my speaking to you?-it is a relief at
last
Mind ?-no The experience of one sea-
son. was it not? And you think it will
last?"
"It will last" she said solemnly, "all
my life"
The fire flames died down for mo-
ment. l think 1 was glad of the sudden
gloom. I bent a little nearer to the flames,
q shiver esemed to chill my veins
"Did he-did he love your l asked.
"He made me believe So" she answered,
the faint color springing into her face.
'And then he forgot
Suppose he returns:
s'He will never return to me, she SAID,
the slow tears rising to her eyes; even
if he did
81 know" said, in that broken pause,
at is never the same thing. One may
Join the thread but there is always the
knot to mar it.
She looked at me quickly.
you have not escaped either she said
tenderly. 'I-I feared it. But it is over,
is it not?"
"Oh, yesr' I answered at was over
long, long ago.
81 wish | could say the same, she SAID
brokenly st is SO hard-so terribly hard
to bear. Sometimes think, if we meet
again suddenly, face to face, without
warning or preparation, II should pc
tray myself. That"-with sudden shud-
der-"that would be terrible. | should Ole
of shame o.,
"You think he does not love you, then r
az am sure of it, She covered her face
with her hands, and for moment we
were both silent.
Then she rose slowly to her feet, and
leaned her arm on the mantelshelf, and
bent her head down ON it.
at is Yorke Ferrers you love- she said
in a low. hard voice, "Yorke Ferrers. ana
you are his uncle's wife, :,
"It il a complication, is it not!" SAID
bitterly .But you should have put 1t IN
the past tense 1t was Yorke Ferrers 1. :,
loved. That was two years ago. An
with sudden outburst of unreasonlns
passion. ..way did you speak of it! why
recall the dead? It is overturned crush
ed out-stamped out!
"Where is he2" she interposed calmly.
II do not know. l have not seen nm
for two years. He-he went abroad.
"And when he retnrns!"
s.He will not return here. He-he' care
not"
She raised her white face and looked at
me in a strange, dazed way.
kYorke Ferrers dares anything" she
said s'He will return.
CHAPTER XIV.
x.,h;ln r uyac sitting