The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-04-26
CHATTER n.-(CoNTINUED.)

Clara hesitated painfully. L don't
know how to begin!" she exclaimed
with a burst of despair. "The words
won't come to me-"
"Then | must help you. Do you feel
that day when you were with my sister
and me in the garden?"
ooh, no."
"You are not i'll, you are not really
affected by the heat-and yet you turn
as pale as ashes, and you are obliged
to leave the quadrille! There must be
some reason for this
"There is a reason. Captain Held
ing"
Captain Helding! What in the name
of wonder has the Captain to do with
it,"
HE told you something about the
ATLANTA He said the 'Ata1anta' was
expected back from Africa Immediate
ly''
"Well, what of that? Is there any
body in whom you are interested COM
ing home in the ship?"
Somebody whom l am afraid of is
coming home in the ship.
Mrs. Crayford's magnificent black
eyes opened wide in amazement.
''My dear Clara! do you mean what
you say?"
wait a little, Lucy, and you shall
Judge for yourself. We must go back
If | am to make you understand me
Ito the year before we knew each 9th
er; to the last year of my fathers life.
Did l ever tell you that my father
moved southwark, for the sake Of his
health, to a house in Kent that was
lent to him by friend?"
mo, my dear. don't remember ever
hearing of the house in Kent. Tell
me about it.
There is nothing to tell except this.
The new house was near a fine country
seat standing in its own park. The
owner of the place was gentleman
named Wardour. He, too, was one Of
my fathers Kentish friends. He had
an only son.
She paused, and played nervously
with her fam Mrs. Crawford looked at
fixed ON her fan-Clara said no more.
What was the sons nance" asked
Mrs. Crawford, quietly.
Richard"
Am l right, Clara, in suspecting
that Mr.. Richard Wardour admired
your"
The question produced its intended
TIL. 1,
go on. II hardly knew at first" she
said, whether he admired me or not
He was very strange in his ways
headstrong, terribly headstrong and
passionate; but generous and affection
ate in spite of his faults of temper
"Such characters exist by thousands.
[ have my faults Of temper. | begin
to like Richard already. Go on
1.-The days went by, Lacy, and the
weeks went by. We were thrown very
much together. I began, little by little,
to have some suspicion OF the truth"
And Richard helped to confirm your
suspicious, of course?"
mo. He was not-unhappily for me
he was not that sort of man. He
never spoke of the feeling with which
he regarded me- 1t was l who saw
it, l couldn't help seeing it. I cid all
l could to show that 1 was willing to
be sister to him, and that I could
never be anything else He did not I'M
derstand me- or he would mott cant
say which"
"'Would not is the most likely, my
dear. Go on"
1T might have been as you say.
There was strange rough bashfulness
about him. He confused and puzzled
me. He never spoke out. He seemed
to treat me as if our future lives had
been provided for while we were chill
dren. What could | do, Lucy?"
do? You could have asked your
father to end the difficulty for you.
Impossible! You forget what have
Just told you. My father was suffer-
ing at the time under the illness which
afterward caused his death. He was
quite unfit to interfere.
''Was there no one else who could
help your
mo one"
mo lady in whom you could con-
fde?"
Il had no acquaintance among the
ladies in the neighborhood. / had no
friends -