Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-04-27

This thing alone our king denies
In Loves largess."
Helen Hunt Jackson.
During the fortnight which followed the
Battle of Lexington, Desire Leland knew
little of the intense excitement and indig-
nation which it had aroused in the colonies
from New Hampshire to Georgia. She
was living in paradise whose boundaries
were the four walls of the room where
Gilbert Merridale lay recovering from his
injuries.
On the fourth day after the removal of
the minuteman's well-aimed bullet from
his side, Mistress Salome deemed him suf-
ficiently convalescent to grant his oft-re-
peated request that he might see Desire,
if only for a moment. He was by this
time able to have two pillows under his
head, and to be partially propped up
against them.
Make me as presentable as you can,
dear Mistress Leland" he begged, smil-
ing rather wistfully, as she combed out
the short, golden curls which clustered
about his forehead, "lest | brighten our
sweet little LADY, | should be 10th to i'm
pose the sight of myself upon her in such
uncomey guisc, were | not furnishing for
q glimpse of her dear face. 1t would be
only my just deserts were she refuse to
come"
Mistress Salome smiled at this trans
parent hint She had no mind, however,
to end his uncertainty by look or word.
That she would leave for Desires own
giving. SO she made no answer except by
the deft touch of brush and hand upon
the dropping mustache, which matched
the sunny curls in hue and but partially
concealed his finely shaped mouth and
chin, and by a soft kiss which she drop
ped upon his cheek when all was done to
make him ready for his guest.
Close your eyes, dear lad" she said,
land think it is your own mother who
bids you godspeed in your wooing. Were
Desire my own daughter hundred times
over could wish for her no better fate
than to be loved and won by Agnes Mer-
ridale's SON.
Before he could reply to these unlocked
for words, which sent the blood racing
joyousy through his veins, she had slip
ped away. A moment after Desire stood
beside his couch. She was dressed all in
white dimity, with Il bunch of pink roses
on the bosom of her gown. She had come
in with a noiseless step, and he gazed at
her for an instant, as on some lovely WIS.,
ion which might glide away as swiftly as
it had come. Then he saw only her face,
all maidenly and modest, but Withholding
from the soft, clear eyes which met his
so frankly nothing of the love and SYM
pathy which overlooked her heart. With
out a spoken word the sweet story was
told AS the blue eyes looked up into the
gray ones, as his hand reached out and
cIasped hers, the compact was made for
Rll eternity.
s'Desiree," he murmured, giving her
quaint Puritan name it's more musical
French sound, ''Desiree! greatly desired
and truly beloved! God be witness of my
loyal fealty to my own, sweet wife and
make me more worthy hour by hour all
my life long of her pure love-"
With indescribable gentleness and
shy. pretty gesture of command, she laid
her other hand on his forehead.
Il promised Aunt Salome that you
should not talk" she said, smiling down
at him.
She felt his clasp tighten and herself
drawn toward him. Blushing, trembling,
but with womanly grace and charm, she
gave him the kiss he mutely asked.
Now, sit by me, sweetheart, and let me
look at you. Do you know that it is FIVE
days since | saw you last?
Yes, | know it very WE'LL" she replied,
with enchanting occurrences. And then
she found it necessary to repeat her
charge that he be absolutely quiet For
an hour Mistress Salome left them undis-
turhed to tell each other the wonderful
truth that already seemed to have exist
ed always.
From that time on the hours few by all
happily for the lovers. No least hint of
what might lie in the future cast even a
Beeting shadow over the present Mis-
tress Leland indeed, gave many an anx-
ious thought to the coming days, but she
concealed her solicitude from them.
"All may turn out we'll; if not, the mem
Ory of these days will sweeten all their
sitter life.
So in the midst of her untiring care for
the invalids and the thrifty ordering of
all the complex household affairs, she
found time TO arrange everything for the
greatest pleasure of the two who were as
dear to her as though they were her own.
Her husband, the portly merchant, heart
lily favored the match making, as he called
it, He too, was fond of his nieces, and
knew that no braver truer gentleman
could be found as husband for any one of
them than Gilbert Merridale But he
wondered sometimes how his brother
would swallow a British aristocrat for
xon-in-law. l-A4 =
Our prStty DcsirS 1aua, Deed ofaaasRi
the spirit which .hes.s.bs hind Hose stead
fast eyes of hers ,t67bring her father to
her way of thingSag,s he said once to his
wife. l1tN
A troubled expression crossed Dame Sa-
ionles fair countenance.
would there might be no occasion for
their wills to clash. In case of British
Mitharawal from Boston I have hoped
"hes might be married here and leave