Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-11-22

| go without coming to tell her the rea-
son why. He would surely call on his
return, and then she could persuade
him to go. Margaret and Rachel, who
were both older than she, had tri-
umphed over her little the year
previous, when they came to grand
fathers with their lovers, and she had
her little vanity to please in introduce
| ing her handsome beau.
She turned a face feebly smiling
| toward her mother.
"I just came here because I was
tired and warm. hope you did not
think I cared about what father told
me-"
"Why, no, I did not really suppose
you did care" the mother said, great
ly relieved. "But your collars will get
too dry. Hadn't you better come
down now?"
'She don't seem to feel very bad, :"
Mrs. Elworthy reported. II guess she
understands about it.
Three days were yet to elapse before
Thanksgiving Mark did not call on
that day, and on the next Miss Prud-
ence came, full of the gossip of the
neighborhood. She sewed and talked,
and it was difficult to tell whether her
hands or tongue moved faster. All
day Lucy had been moody and fitful,
but when night fell her spirits rose
in inverse proportion. She had begun
to despair-there was but one day
more, and she said to herself that he
need not come now, she did not care.
And so she laughed and chatted until
Miss Prudence began to- think what a
nice story of the girls light-hearted-
ness she would have to- tell at her
next place.
The dress was done and hung in the
closet, with a sigh that contradicted
the smile with which she had received
it from Miss Prudence's hands. She
resolved that unless Mark came for
her she would not go; and though
she stitched the snowy lace into the
full sleeves and round the throat of
the dress, it was with a feeling that
she should not need to wear it. The
next day passed Thanksgiving eve
gave way to Thanksgiving morning,
and still he had not come.
"And SO you won't go, Lucy?" ex-
claimed Mr.. Elworthy, as he hastily
swallowed his early breakfast "Now,
if L was you, I would just get into the
sleigh between father and mother, and
go off to grandfather's, and have a
orr of in Of
Sheldon. Wouldn't you, mother?"
Mrs. Elworthy would have uttered
her usual assent to her husband
question, but she caught sight of a
suspicious glimmering in Lucy's eye.
She made a sign to her husband, which
he possibly interpreted wrongly, for
he continued:
Margaret and Rachel will be there,
and Mr. Butler is coming from New
Haven. / think it's a pity you should
not be there too
Il can't go, father; please don't ask
me again. ] told Rachel, Monday,
that Mark was going with me, and
how that he has chosen to treat me so,
I will not CO."
''Well, we'll, child, you shall do just
as you like. But I'm afraid you'll feel
pretty lonely here, without anybody
but Katy and Joe in the house, till IL
o'clock at night"
''No, I won't, father; you and mother
don't give yourselves any more
trouble about me-"
Lucy was very brave, and she helped
her mother to get ready, and saw her
parents drive away with a smile upon
her lips.
But she was very lonely after they
were gone. She strolled about the
empty rooms for awhile, went up
stairs and almost cried as she looked
at the new dress hanging in the closet.
There were more wanderings, q few
tears shed in her bedroom, little at
tempt at reading. So passed away the
morning and the dinner was ready
But she could not taste it when she
sat down alone.
The afternoon was worse. She went
up to her room, and cried herself into
a fever. Restless and miserable, she
felt too languid to sit up, and she
tossed sleeplessly upon her bed until
the early November twilight set in.
When at last she bathed her face, ar
ranged her disordered dress and curls,
and went down, Katy had frightened
the sitting room fire till the cheerful
room was all aglow with red light.
But Lucy felt too sad to perceive its
beauties. She threw herself upon the
rug, and laying her head upon her
mothers arm chair, burst into tears.
She was only II, and this was her first
sorrow.
The fire cracked and sparkled, and
the red CLEANS fell over the recum bent
figure. Her grief had nearly spent
itself in tears and lamentations; she
had tasted all day and was exhausted,
and now the heat and silence made
her drowsy, and she fell into half
conscious state that was almost
swoon Katy came once or twice TO
look at her, for she feared she was
really i'll, but only an impatient mo-
&INn