Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-04-29

surd nonsense you are talking! Why
should l be jealous?'
"Ah, whyy' he echoes ironically "It
is only fools like myself who suffer from
that complaint. And, after all, | sup
pose you never gave a thought to me all
this week"
Il gave great many [ answer grave
ly. "Your uncle and l talked about you
very Often
''Thank you for nothing" he says an
grily. Il don't care to be discussed in
that manner"
"Why are you so bitter against Sir
Ralph" ask. ut is so foolish of you to
set yourself against him as you do, and ]
am sure he feels it,
II don't care if he Does" answers Yorke
doggedly. II hate him, and | always
SHALL 1t is not only that he has stepped
between me and fortune; but now he
chooses to thrust himself between me and
my-my friends. 1t is very hard"
IL do not think you should say that"
falter. "He has not thrust us away
from you. The boys are just the same
''The boysv he bursts out wrathfully.
"Who was talking about the boys? l
was not even thinking of them. l meant
you"
"Me!'' l cry, amazed, then stand there
in absolute silence, looking at him as he
looks at me. A sudden light flashes across
me-something that is both pain and
pleasure thrills my heart and sets my
pulses wildly beating; but. for the life of
me, | can speak no word, and my eyes
fall beneath his own as [ see something
leap into their gaze that never yet has
Il 1oI with hot nd
ness.
a little nearer eff you have not seen
cared for you, you must have been very
blind indeed. What else brought me to
dened me with jealousy-knowing as l
know that have nothing to offer-that he
has everything?"
| cannot speak. Dizzy and faint, lean
against the straight, slim stem of the
pine tree, and all the scene whirls madly
before my eyes. Then he holds out his
arms, and still with no word only a
faint and sobbing sigh, l creep into their
glad embrace, as one who finds home and
shelter, after long wandering tears.
For one week l seemed to myself to
have traced my way back to the golden
gates of Eden. For one week l lived,
moved, spoke, slept, as one in a dream.
l saw but one face in earth or sky. |
heard but one voice in the winds of twi-
light. Life paused and stood for me in
silent, full completeness, and heart and
soul were wrapped in living ecstasy Of
joy.
Day by day he came to me. Evening
after evening we sat by the school room
fire, and talked soft and low of happy
future-a future we believed in and ex-
pected to realize with all the sublime au-
dacity of youth. Sir Ralph had gone to
London. Yorke had decided upon his ca
reer; it was to be the Bar, and his uncle
had run up to town, SO he told me, to
make the necessary arrangements. We
were left to ourselves, my lover and I.
There was no need to tell any one of our
happy secret, and we told no one. My
father never troubled himself about me.
To him, doubtless, was still child, and
with no such thoughts as love or mar
riage in my head. And one night, through
the rain and mist of the wintry dusk,
strained my eyes to catch the last glimpse
Of the tall young figure l knew so we'll
and loved so dearly, then turned back to
the lonely room with streaming eyes and
sad and aching heart.