Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-09-28
CHAPTER XVI.

drought VIII IL b lUuslAS AoA
happiness A restless impotence OF the
present pain came over her. What snouio
lshe do?-what would end it? She COULD
hardly live with this suspense. she look
led at Miss Beaton.
"Gladie," she said, sit is Of no use; |
cannot believe it. I must end all this.
am better to-day, but yesterday I thought
that l must die. I have decided what
Ito dol will write to my husband"
A faint smile cleaned for half a mo-
ment over the Southern face.
You could do nothing wiser or better,
said Miss Beaton; Il quite approve"
''Then by his answer I will be guided.
He will say mol am quite sure he Will
Say no.; and he will ask me why | have
questioned him; then / shall find some
excuse, some reason, and all will be we'll
again"
.That is right" said Glade. "If writ
ing one letter brings about such results,
write at once. 1 shall be pleased, for
your sake"
She wrote-not long letter, not let
tier that said one word Of her fears and
doubts; it was simple, and to the pur-
pose. What she said was this:
MY Dearest Cyril: want you to tell
me one thing. 1 will explain afterward
why l ask it. 1 want you to tell me If
you were near to Barton Leonard or
Eastwood on the day, or even near the
day, on which poor Austin lost his life?
Send me word, yes or no. From your
loving wife. LENORE."
She waited in q fever of suspense for
the answer; it seemed to her that the
hours would never pass-that the dreary
might would never change into stih more
dreary day. 1t came, and her trembling
fingers could hardly open it. Then, with
dismay, she read:
my Darling Lenore-What mares
nest have you discovered? l cannot, in
deed, my dearest wife, understand your
question. What has prompted you to
ask it? What possible interest can my
whereabouts on certain days have for
you? How am l to understand it? What
can have put such foolish ideas into your
beautiful head? You hardly deserve the
kiss which I cannot refrain, however,
from sending you"
She read it over and over again, with
longing that no words could express, with
keen sense of disappointment, with ter
fible dread; for, though he seemed to
laugh at the question, he did not say
''No." If he had not been there, he would
whole story is untrue; was in Valpa-
raise at that time, as you know"
Then she debated within herself as to
whether she ought to show this letter to
Glade She decided yes. Glade was so
keenly intelligent she might see in 1t
Some answer to the question. So she
called Miss Beaton and placed the letter
IN her hands.
Glade read 1t with q sigh
"It is as you say" she said; She is so
truthful, too truthful to equivocate even
in the least-he simply evades the ques-
tion. He cannot say no. and he will
not say yes
The hapless lady watched the dark,
beautiful face with it's assumed look Of
pain.
Miss Beaton laid the letter down quiet
~.
81 must confess" she said, that am
disappointed, but not in the least sur
prised-not in the least. If I had not
been quite sure Of what I had to say,
should not have said 1t"
what must I do now? asked Lady
Vernon, looking into the traitorous face
"What shall do nowY'
81 know" said Miss Beaton, what l.
If / were in your place-should do.
should not hesitate; but, perhaps, you
would hardly like to take so bold step;
it would require courage; and you, Lee
more, have no courage where Sir Cyril is
concerned.
81 have courage for anything" said the
unhappy lady; perhaps / am not quite
SO brave as I used to be, but have suf-
fered so much, Glade. Now tell me what
would you do in my placed"
TN your place." said Miss Beaton, II
should write in this fashion:
az was not testing, my dear Cyril,
when asked the question: and request
you to send me a sensible answer. Were
you in England on that day, or were you
not? I await your reply"
"You do not think that he win find that
too curt or stern, do your said Lady
Vernon.
you must not mind that; all that you
have to do is to make out the truth. I
advise you to write that and no more"
81 viii do It." said Lady Vernon, and,
going to her writing desk, she sent off
the letter.
Then came the old fever of suspense
and longing, the old doubts, and dread,
and despair.
MY life has all changed" said Lady
Vernon to herself 81 have lost, all at
once, all the brightness in It; it is as
though some cunning hand had woven
web around me, and I was powerless to
escape"
Yet it never occurred to her that the
hand which had woven the web was the
cruel, false hand of her adopted sister.
Glade Beaton was the last person in
the whole world whom she would have
suspected of any desire to harm her.
The answer came-short, stern, unlike
Sir Cyril:
Il did not expect to hear from you
again on the same subject, Lenore; my
mind is hurt at your PERSISTENCE am
at loss to understand you. As you will
persist, / answer Yes! was In Eng