Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-02-23

with shame Tor the honor OF noble
countess.
The occasion of the uproar was
mere trifle. The poor little governess
had for a few minutes forgotten her
position and her responsibilities, and
had accepted the invitation OF some of
the girls of the house party TO make
up set at lawn tennis. One of the lit
tie girls, her charges, had taken the
opportunity to wander away among
the flower beds and get lace frock
torn and draggled.
The eulprit had made little defense
at first, and that in an almost in
audible voice, Dut as the whip of
words still descended he caught re-
ply given in tones of quivering indig-
nation. What was there in the sound
of her voice to make him feel as
though something had clutched at
his heart? Trembling, he crept
from his seat and placed himself so as
to get glimpse of the two women.
The girl stood facing her angry
mistress. There were marks of tears
on her flushed cheeks, but she held
her young body proudly, and her eyes
flashed back answering haughtiness.
James Homersham from his hiding
place watched her with dilating pupils
and a wildly beating heart. 1t was as
though from the dim background of
the past a figure separated itself from
a crowd of shadows and became
clothed with the live tints of flesh and
blood. For a moment he lost count
of time. 1t was his sister-the sister
of his youth, the sister he had loved,
then neglected and forgotten-who
was undergoing insult and humilia-
ton, and involutarily he held out
protective arms. Then memory came
back to him, and he realized the truth.
Not her, but her child, the little girl
he remembered to have held once on
his knee. He could recall the touch
of that brown hair against his cheek.
And as he saw her now in her distress
he was shaker with a passion of
anger and pity. He would discover
himself to the two women and claim
her-she was his-and carry her off
from all this wretchedness. And he
took step forward Blinded by his
emotions, he had for a moment lost
sight of his ambitions-but only for
the moment The slight noise pro-
duced by his movement among the
bushes caused the countess to turn
her head in his direction. There
flashed before his imagination that
woman's look of disdain at the revela
ton of his connection with a semi
nursemaid, his lost prestige among
the rest of the party, all the uncom
Portable consequences of family re-
Cancellation. His arms dropped. at
his sides, and he crept back to his
seat opposite the white lilac; but for
him all the beauty had faded from the
April day. He could hear the rustic
of the countess dress 2cross the grass
as she went to take her place at the
tea table on the terrace, and the quick
step of the nursery-governess hurrying
back to her neglected duties till such
a time as she was free to go and cry
her heart out in the solitude of her
attic.
The habit of long years had been
too strong for him; he had let the
momeSt go.
After all he told himself, sitting
crouched up with misery on the gar
der-seat, it was possible he was mis-
taken He had met before with ex-
traordinary cases of resemblance.
Only, for his peace of minds sake. he
must never hear her name. He must
leave the place that evening-as soon
as possible He knew that letters
would have arrived for him by the
afternoon post. He would pretend
to find in these something that would
require his immediate presence in
town Only to be gone! to be gone.
And he rose and hurried back to the
house at feverish pace, avoiding the
terrace and reaching the hall, where
he expected to find his letters, by a
side entrance.
few minutes later he appeared,
with an open letter in his hand,
among the party in front of the house,
and, going up to his hostess, informed
her, with some indifference, of the ne
cessity of his departure.
1T is too bad Of you, Mr.. Homer
sham, The punishment for sHch de-
sertion should be the loss of afternoon
tea. But I'm a forgiving creature,
and there is some of my best brew, by
way of gtirrup-cup. / will send for
the dogcart. You will just catch the
$50"
And the countess handed him cup
of tea with one of her most alluring
smiles. But her eyes rested Curl
ously on c1e gray, drawn face Of the
man who tried, with dry lips, to give
her back an answering smile as, with
shaking hand, he took the cup from
her-Katharine Sylvester in The
Sketch.