Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-02-25
Mr.. Eastlake sent up his card by Hassan,

Mr.. Eastlake sent up his card by Hassan,
with the words written on it in pencil,
"What is the matter, Niche? Are you
not well? then turned into the library
and waited the result. She came dawn
| to him presently. He examined her with
a look of surprise.
"Why, Child" he said, ''they never told
me that You were ill.,
sI'm not ILL.," said Michele with soma
difficulty, as she steadied herself against
a table. He could see that her hands
were trembling. She looked white and
worn and miserable; and her eyes seemed
to be set in purple hollows with red rims,
as if they had been nearly extinguished
| by tears.
what is the matter, then!' he asked,
| still regarding her.
Nothing. At least-I suppose you
haven't heard that l am-going to Eng
| land-next week."
ITO England? Why Michele, how's
this?''
ut would take too long to tell you," she
said, turning away from him and looking
| down.
"Why are they sending your"
| "Because-oh, it is all muddle; and it
is my fault too, dare say. Mamma was
vexed about my keeping the boat so late
| the other night, and she told papa; and
then papa scolded me, and I was cross
and-and impertinent suppose; and so
they say that they think l am getting
spoiled here, and had better go to Eng
land for a year, especially as Anne has
come to take my place. And then Mi
chelle broke down again, and sobbed for
a few moments yehemently.
'Would-would your father listen to
| any one else-to me, for instance, if |
asked" Here Eastlake stopped alb
ruptly
Il don't suppose so," said Michele in
/ hopeless tone. Il said all could; said
| was sorry, and that I would be more
thoughtful for mamma another time; but
| it was no use. He had made up his
mind.'
"You are fond of Egypt?" he said gent
~.
''You know 1 am''
"Would it make you happier, Michele,
if you had the prospect of spending the
rest of your life-or at least great many
years of tin Egypt?"
'But [ have the prospect already" said
Michele, opening her great dark eyes.
lie smiled slightly, but looked pale and
moved, as if he were making some great
effort to govern himself.
"Your father talks of buying house
| in England and settling there
| A flash of feeling which he could not
exactly understand passed over the girls
| face; but again she said nothing.
! what | meant was that l myself was
likely to stay here for many years, and
that l might perhaps venture to ask you,
/ Michele, to stay with meas my wife,"
| The words We're soberly, gently uttered,
with the kind and almost tender look in
| his eyes to which Michele was we'll ac-
customed; and she did not notice that in
all his speech there was not one word of
love. For the moment it was natural
enough that this fact should not strike
her; il Paul asked her to be his wife, it
could be only because he loved her. Her
faith in him was unbounded; and in a
| great many matters she was still childish
ly simple and unsophisticated.
| The color rushed into her face; from
brow to chin she was scarlet. Then, as
suddenly, she turned pale, and the ready
tears came into her eyes.
ooh, Paul." she said, "do you really
mean it?''
| 1t was not dignifed sentence, but it
was the only one that her lips could
! frame. And then she impulsively held
out her hands, and Eastlake took them
| in his, drew her to him and kissed her
| forehead.
"Should I ask you, little one, if I did
not mean it?'' he said.
"Oh," she said, with a long-drawn
| breath, 81 am so glad!'
He smiled a little at that, but his face
was still pale and grave. He had made
| a great decision-made it almost without
| premeditation-and he was not sure after
| all whether that decision had been for the
| best.
''Don't you love me, Michelle?'' he ask
ed.
The question broke down all Michele's
| defenses. She answered so simply and
frankly that Eastlake reminded himself
with pang of remorse that after all she
was but child and that perhaps he was
taking an unfair advantage of her youth.
He had hardly meant to go SO far. OF one
thing, however, he was confident. Mr..
Dumaresq was not at all likely to object
to him as a son-in-law. Son-in-law! There
was something rather absurd in the idea
OF becoming the sOn-ln-laW or MS ola
friend and companion!
81 do love you, Paul." she said.
"And you think can make you happy,
little one?'' he asked. with an accent of
sadness which Michele did not remark
Happy she repeated almost scorn-
fully GAS if I could be happy with any
body elsev Then with sudden fall in
her voice, she said, "How good you are
70 ~ T hot
cared"
He kissed her, and she ran away, half
frightened at the prospect before her,
altogether tremulous with happiness.
Go be continued)
Scattered So, 600 in a Crowd.