Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-05-01

in England. She had married very
young, and her beauty was still so we'll
preserved that she took her place with
the beauties of the day. Husband
and children both felt in awe of the
beautiful woman, with her queenly
grace and bearing.
Lucia said the earl, II thought of
running up to town this afternoon. I
shall return tomorrow
Indeed" said my lady, slowly.
"Why this sudden resolution, Ross?"
'"There is some little business that
no one can attend to but myself" ne
said. II shall not be long absent"
Business of what nature?" asked
my lady, her fine eyes fixed on his
face.
"Why, dear, it is surely not needful
for me to explain my business to you?
I have none of which you would not
approve. want to call on my bankers
i want to sell some shares. I have
several little reasons for running up
to town.
You remember, of course, that the
Beauvoirs dine here today?" said my
lady.
eyes, have not forgotten, but with
your usual tact you can apologize for
me, Lucia
The compliment pleased her.
certainly, I can, if your absence is
really needful, Ross" said my lady.
cit is needful, I assure you. can
tell you all have done when I return;
just now must hurry off, or I shall
not catch the train"
AS the earl quilted Cawdor, he re-
GREETED deeply that his son should
have complicated the situation by en-
forcing silence as regarded his mother.
He pondered great deal on what
he should say when he returned
above all, if the boys trouble was, as
he imagined, the loss of money.
81 must not let his mother know
thought the earl. ''Boys are boys;
she would think he was lost altogether
if she knew that he had betting and
gambling debts. Whatever he owes,
no matter what it is, will give him a
check for it, and make him promise
me that it shall be the last time"
He never thought of any other dan
ger; that his son had fallen in love
or wanted to marry never occurred to
him. He was glad when he reached
Dunmore House; the old housekeeper
met him in the hall.
II have dinner ready, my lord" she
said. "Lord Chandos told me you were
coming"
He looked round expectantly.
els not Lord Chandos here?" he
asked.
1t occurred to him that the house
keeper looked troubled and distressed.
''No," she replied, she is not staying
here-they are staying in the Queen
hotel, in Piccadilly."
''They," he cried, whom do you
mean by they? Has Lord Chandos
friends with him."
The woman's face grew pale. She
shrunk perceptibly from the keen, gray
eyes.
''I understood his lordship that he
was not alone" she replied "I may
have made mistake. I understood
him also that he should be with you
by eight this evening, when you had
finished dinner
"Why could he not dine with me?"
he thought. Sends telegram for me,
and then leaves me to dine alone. 1t
is not like Lance"
But thinking over it would not solve
the mystery; the earl went to his room
and dressed for dinner He had or
dered a bottle of his favorite Madeira,
of which wonderful tales were told.
Then he sat thinking about his son,
and his heart softened toward him.
He thought of the handsome, curly
headed young boy whose grand spirit
no one but my lady could subdue. He
laughed aloud as he remembered the
struggles between himself and his heir
they had always ended in his defeat; |
but when my lady came on the scene
it was quite another thing, the defeat
was on the other side then, and my
Lord Chandos was usually carried off
defeated and conquered.
He thought of the handsome strip
ling who used to wander about the
grounds at Cawdor, trying to conceal
from my lady the fact that he smoked
cigars. He did not fear his father and
smoked boldly before him, but at the
first sound of my lady's rustling silk
he flew rather than ran. Lord Lans-