Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-05-06


true to my promise to Yorke, l rather
avoided him now There were no more
friendly chats by the school room fire
no more afternoon teas.
AS the spring time grew more beauti-
full, and the young leaves clothed the
trees, and all the dark and frozen calm of
winter was displaced, so did I, in my
turn, seem to breathe new life, and tread
the earth with lighter step, and grow glad
with chastened gentle gladness that
such things as beauty, and love, and inn
mortality had been given to mortals, max
ing so fair world, promising SO holy
future
l kept my secret still to myself. Per
haps l kept it all the more closely because
some vague uneasiness was in my mind;
a doubt that, even to myself, l scarcely
whispered, as to whether Yorke's letters
were quite as frank, and long, and conf
Dental as they had used to be. This
doubt in time grew into trouble, as one
day Alfred came from Monks Hall with
the news that Sir Ralph had gone to Lon
don on business connected with his
nephew.
ITO tell the TRUTH" he added, 81 think
Master Yorke is going the pace little
too fast and Sir Ralph wants to bring
him to book"
The words gave me dreadful shock.
dared not ask for an explanation That
week l had no letter at all from Yorke.
/ began to consider whether l should tell
Yorke what l had heard or trust to his
candor to confess it.
He wrote at last A letter full Of apol
ogies, excuses and tender little phrases,
but with no word of what l had expected
to hear and just brief mention of his
uncle's visit. l felt disappointed, but l
could not press for an unoffered conf
dence, and / told myself that, after all,
there might only have been some business
affair to take Sir Ralph to town.
The next time he called | ventured to
ask him timidly how Yorke was getting
on, but he looked very stern indeed and
answered:
'Idling. as usual! When a young man
goes to bed at two or three in the morn
ing, and rises at noon, he hasn't much
time or inclination for work.
was silent and grevously disappoint-
ed. | thought of the three years that
were to work such wonders; one was more
than half over, but the results did not
seem promising.
/ ventured to write gentle remon-
STRANGE to Yorke. In reply l received
passionate. wrathful outburst that almost
frightened me.
$50 nv uncle has been at work trying
to undermine me in your oplnlon: ne
wrote. ''Is this your love-to listen to
tales of me behind my back? If 1 have
been a little unfortunate, it is not quite
nv own fault You have no idea what
EXPENSES are constantly arising, and fel-
low must live like gentleman. Sir
Ralph is a regular miser. He actually
refused me paltry twenty pounds to pay
NV tailor and has put me in nice hole
Said nv allowance was ample, and l must
make it do. l always told you hated
him. Oh. Joan, l am an unfortunate
wretch! But don't you turn against me.
Remember. whatever my faults are, love
YOU. and look to you to keep me straight
"A SORT of sheet-anchor for my own Wav-
ering temperament. l hope you don't dls-
cuss me with Sir Ralph. l distinctly OBJ
iect TO that. and l hate even to think OF
your lending an ear to his malicious ac-
counts of me; anyone could see why he
tells YOU them-it is just Jealousy.
This letter fell darkly upon my ideal
;zod nicture of my lover, blotting out its
bright colors and showing to me the plaln
family and by no means perfect reality
IT seemed to tear my soul with hight
ming fash of pain, for all that l tried to
Geo # in it's best aspect, or excuse it by my
own knowledge of Yorke's short and un-
certain temper.
For long could not bring myself to an
ever #. But then pity and softness broke
down the barriers 1 had raised, and led
me to plead against my own convictions.
1--WE are all weak, erring, faulty, more
or less / said to myself, and schooled
myself to write tenderly, encouragingly as
ever.
With the letter inclosed check for
+wantv pounds, the quarterly allowance
for nv dress and Darby's. Il do not need
It" told him, "and l have horror of
debt Take it, and say nothing about it,
or shall never forgive you.'
He obeyed me.