Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-12-04

In her calm, proud lie Lnere Hdu peeh
no room for jealousy; she had never
known it, she did not even understand
the pain.
If her husband had gone out for
day with the most beautiful woman on
earth. she would either have COM
pletely ignored the fact or, with
smiling satire, have passed it by. She
did not love the earl we'll enough to DC
Jealous of him; she did not understand
love or jealousy in others. she sat
now quite helpless before the unhappy
wife, whose grief annoyed her.
"This will not do, Marion she said,
you will make yourself i'll"
"Ill,'' repeated Lady Marion. Il have
been ill in heart and soul for many
days, and now I am sick unto death
I wish [ could die; life has nothing
left for me-"
ode, my dear, it seems such tribe,
such a trife, one day spent together
on a river Is that anything for you
to die about?"
The sweet blue eyes raised wistfully
to hers were full of pain.
''You do not see, you do not under
stand. Only think how much Intimacy
there must have been between them
before he would ask her to go or she
consent to go. If they are but
strangers, or even everyday friends,
what could they find to talk about FOR
a whole day."
The countess shrugged her shoulders.
ct am surprised" she said, "for I
thought Madame Vanira so far above
all coquetry. If L were you, Marion,
l would forget it.
ST cannot forget it," she cried.
''Would to God that could. 1t is eat
ing my heart away"
''Then," said my lady, Il will speak
to Lance at once, and I am quite sure
that at one word from me he will give
up the acquaintance, for the simple
reason that you do not like it,
And with this promise the countess
left her daughter-in-law. Once before,
not by her bidding, but by her in
trigues, she had persuaded him to give
up one whom he loved; surely few
words from her now would induce him
to give up her whom he could not
surely love. It never occurred to her
to dream that they were the same.
She saw him as she was driving
home, and, stopping the carriage,
asked him in with her.
Lance, I have something very seri-
Gus to say to you. There is no use
beating about the bush. Marion is
very i'll and very unhappy"
81 am sorry for it, mother, but add
ish.'
| my dear Lance, your wife loves you
you know it; she loves you with I'll
| her heart and soul. If your friendship
with Madame Vanira annoys her, why
not give it up?"
'I choose to keep my independence
as man. will not allow any one to
dictate to me what friends shall have,
whom I shall give up or retain"
''In some measures you are right,
Lance" said the countess, "and so far
as gentlemen friends are concerned, I
should always choose my own; but as
this is a lady, of whom Lady Marion
has certain suspicious, [ should most
certainly give her up
my wife has no right to be jealous, %
he said angrily. ct does not add to
my love for her"
''Let me speak seriously to yon,
Lance" said the countess. Marion is
SO unhappy that I should not wonder
if she were really i'll over it. Now why
not do as she wishes? Madame Vanira
can be nothing to you-MariOn is ev-
erything. Why not give her up?"
A certain look of settled determine
ton that came to her sons face made
the countess pause and wonder. She
had seen it there for the first and last
time when she had asked her son 20
renounce his young wife, and now she
saw it again. Strange that his next
words would seem like an answer to
her thoughts.
Mother he sa4u, "do not ask me.
You persuaded me to give up all the
| happiness of my life years, years ago
do not try me a second time. I refuse,
absolutely refuse, to crafty my wife's
foolish, jealous wish. I say, emphatic
ally, that will not give up my friend
ship for Madame Vanira."
Then my lady looked fxedly at him.
Lance" she said, what is Madame
Vanira to you?"
He could not help the flush that
burned his handsome, angry face, and
that flush aroused his mothers curl
osity. 'Have you known her long?
Did you know her before your mar
riage, Lance? I remember now that
was rather struck by her manner.
She reminds me forcibly of some one.
Poor Marion declares that there is
some tie between you. What can it be?
She unused for a moment then
looked into her sons face.
Great Heaven, Lance, it can never
L Il L.