Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-03-01
CHAPTER IL.

CHAPTER ~.
Dear. if you knew what tears they shed,
Who live apart from home and friend,
TO pass my house, by pity led,
Your steps would tend.
| He makes the acquaintance of the lat
| ter very shortly. but requires no spoon to
sup with her. as Miss Majendie's invi-
| tations to supper or indeed to luncheon,
breakfast or dinner, are so few and rare
| that it might be rash for hungry man
| to count on them.
The professor who has felt it to be his
| duty to call on his ward regularly every
| week, has learned to know and a regret
| to say to loathe that eStimable spinster,
christened Jane Majendie.
| After every visit to her house he has
sworn to himself that this one
shall be his last, and every Wednes-
| day following he has gone again.
| Indeed, today being Wednesday in
| the heart of June, he may be seen sitting
| bolt upright in hanson on his way to
| the unlovely house that holds Miss Jane
i Majendie.
AS he enters the dismal drawing room,
| where he finds Miss Majendie and her
niece, it becomes plain. even to his mex
perienced brain. that there has just been
q row on. somewhere.
Perpetual is sitting on distant lounge,
her small, vivacious face one thunder
| cloud Miss Majendie, sitting OH the
hardest chair this hideous room contains,
! is smiling. A terrible sign. The pro-
| fessor Dales before it.
Il am glad to see you, Mr.. Curzon,
says Miss Maiendie, rising and extend
| ing Il bony hand ''As Perpetua's guar
DIAM you may perhaps have some int1u-
| ence over her. | say perhaps advisedly,
as | scarcely dare to hope anyone could
influence mind SO distorted as hers
NV hat is IT." asks the professor nerv-
ously-of Perpetual. not of Miss Majen-
| die.
''I'm dull" says Perpetua sullenly.
The professor glances keenly at the
| girls downcast face, and then at Miss
Majendie. The latter glance is ques-
| ton.
''You hear her. says Miss Majendie
| coldly-she draws her shawl round her
| meager shoulders, and breath through
| her lean nostrils that may be heard.
| Perhaps you may be able to discover
| her meaning"
what is it," asks the professor, turn
| ing to the girl, his tone anxious, uncer-
| tain. Young women with wrongs are
unknown to him, as are all other sorts of
| young women for the matter of that.
| And this particular young woman looks
little unsafe at the present moment.
II have told you! | am tired of this
| life. 1 am dull-stupid. | want to go
] out Her lovely eyes are flashing, her
| face is white-her lips trembling. Take
me out" says she suddenly.
"Perpetuar' exclaims Miss Majendie.
How unmaidenly! How immodestv
Perpetual looks at her with large, sur
| prised eyes.
| 'Who?" says She
| 81 really think interrupts the profess
sor hurriedly, who sees breakers ahead,
IF were to take Perpetual for walk
a drive-to-er--to some place or other
| II mi Oht AQStIOU tho nOnIli of w HIGH she
complains. If you will allow her to come
! out with ME for an hour or so. L
IF you are waiting for my sanction,
Mr. Curzon, to that extraordinary pro-
posal, you will wait some, time says
| Miss Majendie slowly. frigidly. She
again.
.aThere is no But, sir. The subject
| doesn't admit of argument In my young
| days, and | should think -scrutinizng
him exhaustively through her glasses,
| ''in yours, it was not customary Tor a
young gentlewoman to go out walking,
alone with "A man!n' Ii she had said
with a famished tiger, she couldn't have
| thrown more horror into her tone.
The professor had shrunk a little from
| that CHASING of her age with his. but has
now found matter for hope i'll it.
"Still-my age-as you suggest-so far
exceeds PerDetua's-I am indeed so
much older than she is, that | might be
allowed to escort her wherever 1t might
please her 70 go"
''rhe real age of a man nowadays, SIT,
is thing impossible to know. says
| Miss Majendie. You wear glasses--a cap
! ital disguise! | mean nothing offensive
| so far-sir, but it behooves me to be care
| full. and behind those glasses. who can
| tell what demon turks! Nay! No Of
Tense. An innocent man would feel no
| Otfense!'
Really, Miss Majendie!'' begins the
poor professor, who IS us red as though
| he were the guiltiest soul alive.
LET me proceed. sir We were talk
'We?"
Certainly! 1t was you who suggested
| the idea that, being so much older than
nv niece, Miss Wynter, you could there
| fore escort her here and therein fact
| everywhere-in fact'-with awful mcan-
| ing" anywhere!'
81 assure you, madam. begins the
professor springing to his feet-Perpetua
| put out a white hand.
"Ah let her talk says she. Then
you will understand"
but mems ages, sir are Il snare and
a delusionr' continues Miss Majendie,
| who has mounted her hobby. and will
ride it to death. "Who can tell the age
of any man in this degenerate age? We
| look at their faces. and say he must be
so and so, and he Il few years younger.
but looks are vain. they tell us nothing.
| Some look old because they are old, some
| look old-thrOugh vice.
The professor makes an impatient ges-
! ture. But Miss Majendie is equal to
most things.
"Who excuses himself accuses him
| self" quotes she with terrible readiness.
''Why that gesture, Mr.. Curzon? ] made
| no mention of your pame. And. indeed.
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