Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-05-19
Won by w aiting
EDNA LYALL-
Continued.

But where could she go? To return
to Cornelia would be to receive a
double scoIding, and she longed too
much for sympathy to care to seek
her own room-she would, at any
rate try to find Bertha before she re-
sorted to it.
Bertha was sitting in the great
drawing-room writing letters; she
looked very unapproachable, but Es-
perance was too miserable to hesitate.
"Oh, Bertha!" she exclaimed, "I am
SO unhappy, do have pity on me. Cor
nelia will not have me in her study,
and Christabel will talk about the
Commune, and I can't bear it, indeed
can't"
But what can I do for your" said
Bertha, gravely, but not unkindly.
"Of course you may sit here, if that is
what you want"
yes, want that too, but Bertha, if
you could only love me little-I
can't live without love"
Il thought so once" replied Bertha
with half smile; "but l find I can
manage without it now" Then, as
Esperance locked astonished, Il am
speaking, of course, of ones ideal of
real love, not of the ordinary sort OF
tolerance that relationship brings"
81 don't know what you mean"
said Esperance half frightened.
with us, relationship brought all
that was true and strong, and beauti-
full in love. Does it not to every
one? do you really love your sisters?"
IF we were not sisters we should
probably hate each other" replied
Bertha; never were there three less
congenial people, I should say; but
being related, of course, we have TO
tolerate, or if you like love each
other. Now you understand what
mean about existing without love"
Esperance looked aghast.
"It must be very dreadful" she
said, with a shiver.
Zone grows accustomed to it in
time" replied Bertha. 'It will soon
cease to trouble you"
"No, that I can never believe! until
I have come to that state, you will
love me little, will you not?" and
Esperance looked up so coaxingly
that Bertha was fairly conquered.
81 will try" she said with more en-
ergy than usual. only I am so I'M
practiced that you must not expect
much from mel can't be demon
strative"
Never mind, I will do all the dem
onstration," said Esperance, laughing,
and giving Bertha what seemed to
her an overwhelming embrace
There! now 7 am happy. And you
will really do little more than toll
crate me-"
you are the strangest child [ ever
saw" said Bertha, but as if she did
not mind the strangness. Eyes, I
will try; but you have come to most
unlikely quarter for love"
Esperance was, however, quite sat
! isfied, and moreover, she had solved
the mystery of Bertha's nonchalant
manner and dreamy Indifference. If
she neither loved nor was loved,
what else could be expected? Here
was an interest already at the dean
cry; she would make it her special
object to give Bertha pleasure.
( Her letter to Gaspard that day was
! almost cheerful, and though she could
not avoid telling him what she
thought of Mrs Mortlake and Corne-
liza, she dwelt so much on Bertha s
kindness, and the beauty of the ca
/ thedral, and gave such amusing de-
+ scriptions of the English manners
and customs that Gaspard was re-
lieved from his anxiety about her and
much cheered in his loneliness.