Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-10-07

II
that keen gaze. She wished he would
go away. and yet
But you avoid me on every posi-
Die occasion. never see you when I
call. What can / have done, Miss
Pauline, to merit your disapproval?"
You have done nothing, and n
deed, Mr.. Eliot, I do not avoid you, .
Pauline said, very earnestly.
Then it must have been my fancy.
since you have nothing against me,
Miss Pauline, you will surely shake
hands with me and wish me good luck
at the end of my journey?"
He held out his hand, and Pauline
could not choose but put hers into it.
Far down the river trailing line of
smoke marked the approach of the
train.
You'll have to hurry" she ex-
claimed.
How anxious you are to be rid of
me. Well, shall come again, re-
member, little Pauline" He looked
down into her face with curious
smile. "And now, good-by."
He lifted her hand to his lips, then
dropped it and hurried away.
Katherine wondered not little at
her sisters subdued and preoccupied
manner that evening. She wondered,
too, that Wilton Eliot should have
gone away without so much as bid
ding her goodby, for Pauline had
given matter-of-fact account of her
| chance meeting with him by the river.
| But she had no mind to make herself
unhappy over it, especially as she had
| just received a letter from the aunt
whose namesake she was which en-
| closed a generous check and the re-
| quest to use it in the replenishing of
| her wardrobe. Katherine's elasticity
OF temperament was one of the most
| delightful facts about her.
A week later Sterling, the social
portion of it, at least, was startled by
the news that Wilton Eliot had lost
all his fortune through an unwise
| speculation. 1t was Mrs. Westford
who brought the news to the Wards.
Pauline, who had been for a walk,
| came in to find her mother and Kath-
| crime still in the first bewilderment of
| their surprise.
'Oh, Pauline, what do you think
has happened to Mr.. Elliott" was the
exclamation that greeted her as she
entered the parlor.
! Pauline turned perfectly white, but
| managed to control herself sufficiently
to ask
what has happened to him,
mamma?'
'He has lost all his money. Did
you ever hear of anything SO dread
ful?" and Mrs. Ward drew a little
futtering sigh of sympathy and con-
| dolence. Her relief was so genuine
| that Pauline felt she must either cry
or laugh outright. She chose the lat
ter alternative as being the safest.
ooh, is that all?" she said.
"Why, you ridiculous child"
| screamed Katherine. "What more did
you expect? For my part, I can't
| possibly imagine worse disaster TO
| befall a man like Wilton Eliot"
81 can-several," said Pauline, who
had grown suddenly grave.
"What?" demanded Katherine.
But her sister slipped out of the
room without replying.
For several days thereafter Wilton
Eliot's misfortune was the theme of
| conversation in the Ward household
| with Katherine and her mother, that
| is, for Pauline made no mention of
| the affair and did not care to hear it
discussed.
Then the nine days wonder ceased
| to be wonder. and Wilton Eliot
dropped out of the minds of every
body apparently.
So few months glided by. One
| morning Pauline had been sitting at
the piano long time, playing me-
| chemically, for her thoughts were not
on the music before her. Suddenly
her hands fell from the keys into her
lap and tear rolled down her cheek,
splashing upon her blue gown. At
| that moment two hands were laid up
on her shoulders, and Jack Donelson's
voice, vibrating with happiness,
sounded in her ear.
"Pauline-Pauline, guess what
| Katherine mas just Deen saying W
me! Katherine, my Katherine now,
for she has promised at last to be my
wife,
Pauline sprang up with little joy
| full cry.
ooh, Jack, has she really? Oh, l
| am SO glad! Dear, dear Jack, you
cannot know how glad I ami"
ooh, yes, can," the young fellow
said, laughing and coloring, for am
so glad myself. Then for the first
| time he noticed Pauline's tear-wet
lashes. mot crying, Pauline-surely
/ not crying?"
Pauline laughed nervously.
81 don't know but I shall-for joy.
Let me go. Jack; want to find Kath-
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