Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-03-11
CHAPTER XXI.

Anne received a note from Mrs. Sey
mour the next day, and wrote back line
of acceptance, in spite of her aunt's re-
monstrances. She looked like the ghost
of her former self when she entered Mrs.
Seymour's sitting room. Clare's mother
gave her warmer greeting than usual,
then pierced her with her keen eyes and
said:
you look half dead, girl. What's the
matter?"
Il have had feverish cold,' said Anne
II am better now"
"Glad to hear It, And now, Anne Car
teret, answer me one thing. Did you ever
tell lie in all your life? Would you tell
lie for your own advantage, or would
you not?'
Certainly motif I knew what + was
doing"
Every well. Then you will speak the
truth if l ask you what were your rela-
tons with Denzil Lawrence?'
Anne rose from her chair looking very
pale "Mrs. Seymour" she said with dig
nifty, "there are questions which one may
utterly refuse to answer without any want
of truthfulness."
Come" said Mrs. Seymour, "you need
not go, and you need not answer my ques-
ton unless you like. Sit down, Anne. 1
know all about it. Denzil avowed it to
me last Tuesday, and 1 want to talk to
you about it,
Anne cast one swift glance at her, then
sank into her chair again, covered her
face with her hands and burst into tears
Eyes, cry, my dear; it will do you good.
Don't mind me; I'll wait till you are bet
ter. Denzil has behaved abominably to
us all. 1t was not your fault. OF course
Glare knows nothing. 1t would kill Glare
to be cast off by Denzil, after her long
engagement, and when she has fixed her
heart upon him. AS for Denzil he is al
most out of his senses. He does not be-
have like sane man. But you need not
look at me like that, my dear have
seen him just as mad before. A man
does not live to be thirty without love
affair or two. There was Rose Graeme Of
Cotsdeane, and Gertrude de la Poer, to
whom he was engaged; [ reminded him
of them the other day, and he had the as
surance to tell me that he had never cared
FOR woman in his life before he met you.
Take mems words for what they are
worth, Anne. He threatened to blow out
his brains for Rose Graeme, when he was
silly lad of nineteen; she accepted him
and they quarreled in a week. He said
his heart would break over Gertrude de
la Peers death five years ago, but in
six months he was perfectly cheerful and
reasonable again. In six months, my dear,
he will have forgotten all about you. You
ere stronger than Glare, stronger than
Denzil, almost think stronger than my
self, for | have tried to manage Denzil
and failed and | don't think YOU will
fall
"Fail? What imp
Gin making him keep his PROMISE my
dear He is so wild about you that if you
tell him to marry Glare he will do it. I'll
answer for that
Anne's face turned white again. ooh,
no. she said, "no, could not do that
Eyes, you could, if you thought it
right" said the sick woman, watching her
keenly.
"Let me in my sincerity add this, Mrs.
Seymour" said Anne bitterly, "that if
you force Mr.. Lawrence into marriage
with Glare against his will you will Sc
cure neither her happiness nor his"
II don't care for his happiness, my dear;
and you are mistaken about Clare's. I
shall secure hers by making her his wife.
He'll console himself with her when he is
bound to her, little as you may be disposed
to acknowledge it,
Anne rose suddenly. II can bear this
no longer" she said. "Have you tainted
me enough? Be so good as to excuse me;
it is time l went" And she began to ar
range her cloak, which she had loosened.
ITO be continued.)