Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-08-15
Continued.

as he rode quickly up.
Meredith drew back.
Lady Darrell!-this young lovely
girl who had just accepted his
friendship! Could it be true? he
thought.
eve thought you were lost, my
Lady Alice" observed Valerie with
q drawl, glancing at her young rival
with an expression that said: eve
wished it, too
How did you miss us?" asked
Roy coldly. 'You have come much
the longest way round"
81 enjoyed my ride, Alice replied,
quietly and coldly too.
''I am so sorry you did not see me
beckon,'' continued Lord Radine.
''But now let us explore the ruins. .
'sBy all means" cried Valerie. Then
in a lower tone: "Who is this gentle
man?"
"This is Mr.. Meredith, who was
kind enough to show me my way,
Lord DARRELL explained Alice.
The earl spoke a few cold words of
thanks to the young man; then, with
an expressive glance at Alice, Mere
dith bowed and took his leave, still
plunged in amazement, yet strangely
pleased to think he was her friend.
"a very pretty boy!" exclaimed
Valerie. Don't you think so, my
Lady Alice"
He looks good and honest" Alice
replied, speaking her thoughts
Lord Radine looked sulky, and
Valerie observed cnce more in alarm
that Roy was gazing at his wife with
an expression of strange interest.
Could it be possible he was begin
ming to admire her, after all?
She must work this away, at all
hazards.
"Now for the ruins! Roy give me
your hand
The earl was beside her instantly,
and she jumped to the ground. Lord
Radine put up his hand to help Alice.
81 don't think I will come" she
said drawing back.
"What, Lady Alice afraid" observed
Valerie with a sheer
eff you are nervous! remain out in
the air, by all means" said Roy con-
temptuously.
When he was not looking at Alice,
he forgot her charms, and only
remembered her as the blot on his
life.
st will stay with you," whispered
Lord Radine.
s'No, I will co. Alice said firmly,
her face growing white beneath Val
cries sneers. 81 am only tired, not
frightened"
She slipped from her horse, and
gathering her habit in her hand,
hurried after the others.
Lord Radine tied the reins Of the
four horses to a stout branch and
followed.
At first Alice could see nothing, as
she crept through the damp, mouldy
ruins of what had once been noble
halls, but the forms of those two on
ahead so lost in each others presence,
but as they penetrated into the
gloomy vaults her strange sense of
fear returned, and she shuddered again
and again. Except for her pride she
would have turned back and fed into
the open air, but Valerie's haunting
voice came to her ears.
They climbed UP the broken frag-
ment of stone steps to what had been
a tower Roy tenderly helping Valerie
over the rough stones.
Lord Radine went first up the steps,
then bent to give his hand to Alice,
when, glancing round nervously, she
thought she saw something glittering
!. from a dark corner beneath an ancient
archway.
She checked the cry that rose to
her lips, and glanced again. This
time she saw plainly the something
that glittered were two dark eyes set
in a pale grim face.
She drew her hand swiftly from
Lord Radine's hold.
81 can go no farther; I am tired, u
she said hurriedly, and turning, she
fed white and trembling back to the
entrance.
''My Lady Alice is frightened after
ALL" sneered Valerie with a short
laugh.
Roy glanced at his wife's pale
face contemptuously, then turned a
look of love and admiration on the
beautiful woman beside him.
Lord Radine hurried up to Alice.
''You are looking startled and ILL.,
Lady DARRELL" he said in consterna-
tion. 'What was ibid you see a
ghost?"
yes, I saw a ghost" Alice answer,
ed family.
She did not add that the ghost was
a man of flesh and blood with an
ugly scar across his face. She was
silent beneath Valerie's SCOTS and
cruel sneers, forbearing to answer
them as she might have done, for in
that ghost in the dark corner she had
recognized Valerie's disgraced and
hated brother, Paul Ross.
CHAPTER VII.