Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-06-24

"A
70 move. The faithful Mavis attended
mo and Darby, Ike a tender sentinel,
was ever by my side. From them l learn
ed that the party had been roughly broken
up and that Sir Ralph had gone to London
on .urrent business" Mrs. March had
left also that same evening, and amaze
mont was rife in the sers ants hall at her
sudden departure.
"And Yorker l asked Darby, family.
"Where is he"
.'He left last night" she said but he
said good-by to me. and begged me 10
give You this letter.
Law there weak and faint, and read
that letter. 1t began without prelude or
formal address.
81 hear YOU are i'll. l am not surprised
7 know. too. that this illness has been has
tened by what occurred yesterday on ac-
count of that letter. Sir Ralph as good as
told me TO leave here. and | have done so,
but I am not far off. | mean to see you
again before go back to London. | will
sec you. have no intention of calling at
the Hall while your husband is away, but
I shall be in the plantation by the Old sum-
mer house every afternoon from to TIL
I see YOU. Joan. you must meet me, Or 1t
you from no idle motive or unworthy one,
but l think you will regret it to the last
hour you live if you refuse my request
.sEver Yours. YORKE."
7 read the mad, impulsive words with
an ever-;ncreasing sense of indignation.
| tore the letter in half, and was just
about 70 bid Darby throw it into the fire,
when some strange, ineXplicable fancy
nj Il to
two halves together, and replaced the let
ter in its envelope, then turned to the
chiids wistful face.
did Yorke say anything to you about
his unc!e?" l asked. ''Do you think they
have quarreled""
Il don't know" she said sthoughtfully.
"But Yorke seemed very, very sad. lie
told me he would like to shoot himself
l shivered.
'.Poor Nette!' l thought, with a pas
sionate reyusion of feeling. "She is walk
ing along b,indfold on her path; /, at
beast. see mine, black and dreary as it is"
The day passed. the night came. Though
wearied and worn in mind and body, l
slept but little Towards morning l fell
into deep sleep. When I awoke it was
ten o'clock-ten o'clock, and a chill, damp,
excitement took possession of me; a fever
ish flush burned in my cheeks; new and
vivid strength seemed to bear up my
limbs, and inaction grew more and more
irksome. After lunch, Darby lay down
on the couch and presently fell asleep. /
sat by the fire, and read again and again
that strange, wild letter; and, as l read
It, stronger grew the impulse to meet
YOrke Ferrers.
"He shall not persecute me any more
I said to myself passionately. II will
tell him the truth without disguise to-day
tell him that l hate him; that to his
selfishness l owe all my misery; that l
never, never wish to see his face again!'
Desperation nerved me with its reckless
courage, and | remember l went to my
room and dressed myself in thick fur
fined cloak. whose long straight folds fell
to my feet, and fastened my hat with
cold and trembling fingers, and, like
thief or culprit. crept out of the warm,
bright room, past the sleeping child, and
then out by the library door, on to the
terrace and through the strawberries, I'M
seen by living soul.
In a quarter of an hour l was at the
plantation. Outlined against the dreari-
ness, and the darkness, and the mist, the
old summer house stood in melancholy iso-
lation; and close beside it, leaning on his
gun, and with strained and eager eyes
fixed on the path l trod, stood Yorke Fer
rers.
He saw me. He came straight toward
me- his eyes wild, his hand outstretched
/ did not take it. l kept mine folded
within my cloak | read something in his
face-a sort of shock
slave YOU been very in?' he asked,
huskily.
"Whatever l have been," I said, be-
ginning to tremble with excitement, ST
owe to you. First to last you have been
the evil genius of my life. Now" with
an effort at calmness, II have come here
for the last time of my own free will.
What have you to say to me?'
MANY things he said; "but you put
them all out of my head while you look
at me like that"
81 will not look at you at ALL" I said.
turning my eyes away: but l think it
struck me with strange pang of pity
that the bright young face should have
grown so lined and haggard ''Beginv'
ut is hard to dash into a subject in
cold blood like that" he said: ''bat Sir
Ralph has found out that THAT love
Fou."
''That you did love me, you mean," 1
corrected quickly.
''Do not deceive yourself he said, with
passion II have never changed to you
IN heart / tried to play at it. / would
not believe in myself. II engaged my
self to Nettie Croft in one of these des-
perate moods when you had stung and
tortured me with your GOODNESS. / kept
away from you; that was just as bad. I
came, and was irritated to fresh agony
The very touch of your hand is like no
other wemans. My life and days are
haunted by you. Joan, let us recapture
the old joys and live for each other as
rs once we vowed to do
| had listened, rigid, dumb, mute from
sheer amazement. My eyes were ON the
somerset $ - u