Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-10-31

DR.. Jaspard's visits became more
frequent Mrs. Albatross was con-
stantly seen about the village with
him; they met in cottages; she was
devoted, so she said, to nursing the
sick tit was certainly a new de-
velopment). She was never seen with
her daughter, nor was Jasper, but
he saw her daughter oftener than
she knew; still, it seemed less and
less possible to do without Mrs.
Albatross. Her ability, her cooked
foods, and port wine for cases." her
influence with the squire, who dis
liked and obeyed her; with the par
son, whose good will was important
to the doctor, and who was afraid
Of Mrs. Albatross, for she browbeat
him in the chair at parish meetings,
picked holes in his sermons, and
organized the penny readings, which
he disliked, under his very nose.
All this and a good deal more-for
Mrs. Albatross was a woman, and
not above feminine arts-put Jasper
in rather a tight place.
ed IT, marry him, and there were
days, yes, whole days, when he really
thought he should be obliged to
marry Mrs Albatross.
The moment came 1t was in the
little slit ng room upstairs.
Something had happened. Dr. Jas
per saw that plainly enough.
FTVI.a I =
and he missed the usual confidential
hand squeeze.
CT wanted to see you," she said
and paused. Nothing has come to
your ears, I suppose?"
The doctor looked inquiringly.
well, then, I'm dreadfully
troubled, annoyed beyond measure,
pu. out. of course, you know my
maid, Susan; she has been with me
ten years, and is not a gossip
What ON earth do you mean? Do
be plain; surely with me. you might
be quite plain" and he moved a lit
tie nearer, feeling at that moment a
curious kind Of attraction which al /
most compelled her to be quite honest.
Don't keep me on tenterhooks," he
said eagerly; tell mel"
II VIII said the lady; 81 feel I can
tell you anything. don't think I have
any other friend in the world at
least, not like you; no one under
stands me, no one has helped me as
you have, and we've got to part, that
is ALL
What on earth,'' said Jasper,
really shaken and troubled; he had
never seen her grow pale like that
nor her lips culver like that-and
was not of the crying sort-she did
not cry now "What-what has
Susan been saying?"
"On1y that it is all over the place,
and she thought at last she ought to
tell me"
"You don't mean you don't mean
He couldn't quite say it.
eyes I do" she said, and she rose
and walked up and down the room
full Of a sort of angry vexation
mingled evidently with a conflict OF
passionate feeling she could neither
conceal nor subdue.
'Sit down." he said. He had risen.
He took her arm; she was positively
trembling He led her to the sofa by
the fire.
ct shall have to leave this place, -
she said in a sort of hard voice. The
angry tears came into her eyes. He
had never seen her weep This was
the nearest approach to 1t.
81 know what you are going to
say Don't say it. No, you shan't
go; you are useful. The people trust
you. 1t is your sphere. I am the
marplot."
"Why should you go?" said JAS
per, hardly measuring his words.
"Why should either of us go? Why
not stay-and stay-stay together?''
"You don't mean it?" Men at such
times are more fools than knaves.
eyes, yes-1-do"
Jasper had taken her hand. The
woman with the iron will, the
keen intellect, the times as hard as
nails, turned towards him, and in
another moment fell crying and
laughing Historically into his arms.
At that moment as i'll luck would
have it, Phemie hearing unusual
sounds, and thinking someone needed
assistance entered.
Go and fetch some saI-volatile;
your mother is not very well" In
deed, at that moment Mrs. Albatross
seemed to have really tainted away;
whether she tainted or not, no one
will ever know-the doctor himself
was doubtful
s. = =
Jasper never entered the house
again. He went home packed up his
things, wrote a hurried note in a
disguised hand to Phemie, who on
the following day would be twenty
enc years old and come into five
hundred pounds a year, which had
been left her, to the disgust of her
mother, by her fond father-and JAS
per went to bed.
- y s.
He must have rsen early. No one