Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-02-02
CHAPTER y,-tContinued.)

rings through the stiffness. Il scarcely
thought you would play the hypocrlte'
Mr.. Charters. Have you forgotten the
Insult of the fourteenth of February! Ii
Iso. I have not. I vowed then to bring
you to my feet sooner or later and give
back to you the humiliation you dealt me.
fOf late did not think it possible | should
ever do so, for you have treated me with
igcant courtesy; and, to your credit, L
must confess l never dreamed you would
declare yourself q lover of mine. L was
but a thoughtless child when you first
saw me. My faults were only the faults
of youth and light-heartedness. When you
let me see your opinion of these and OF
myself on that-that morning, grew
hardened. / almost hated you then. Oh,
why do 1 speak of it?' she goes on pas
tsionately, as she looks at the stern, cold
face before her. "No one ever dared find
fault with me before, not even those who
had the right. And | am not fiirt, what
ever you may please to think! If people
like me and care for my society, that IS
their lookout. / have never tried to catch
any one vet. How can l help 1t II they
make fools of themselves?'
GAS have DONE" he interposes quietly.
''One half of what you have said, MISS
Mervyn | do not understand; the other
half is the unreasonable utterance of an
Eangry child. In any case [ ought to thank
you for opening my eyes to your real opln-
don of me- l feel fiattered to think your
iyow-whatever it was-has been at last
accomplished through my instrumentallty.
] suppose there is nothing more to be sad
between us nOwT'
He signs and looks again at the trou-
Ibled, downcast face of the girl who has
iwronged him so cruelty misjudged him
$50 basely.
Perhaps it is as WE'LL" he goes on, in a
strange dreamy voice, as of one who talks
i'm his sleep. 1--WE should never have been
happy, even-even if you had loved me.
K do not think you could be constant, even
IL you tried"
"Your opinions of me are always fat
tering," says Yolande scornfully.
He smiles family.
"You have been fed on sugar so long
that all honest food is distasteful," he
remarks. Il wish could feel more angry
with you than l do; for heaven knows
your little hand has stabbed me deep
enough to-day! How deep you will never
know, unless you too learn what it is to
lay your whole life down at the foot of
one being in the world, and see the folly
and uselessness of such sacrifice"
Yolande shivers, as if the breath of
winter were upon her instead of the warm
Auxuriance of summer. Does she not feel
even now in her hearts depths the sting
of his words? Does she not know that
even at this very moment their truth is
being painfully realized, in the bitter ag-
ony that fills her proud and willful heart
Then he moves away, with no other
word or look at the motionless figure and
lovely face that in all his days, be they
long or short, he knows he can never for
get.
Yolande stands where Denzil Charters
has left her, listening to the last echo of
his footsteps as they die away in the dis
tance. A curious, faint smile comes over
her face-a smile that has no mirth, and
looks strangely out of place on those
sweet red lips.
so | have won my triumph and kept
my vow after ALL" she says, in a slow,
Harsh voice, all unlike her own. But
seem to understand now what people
mean by Dead Sea fruit"
A shamed streak Of red tinges her pale
lcheeks. Her eyes wander aimlessly over
the green moss, the bubbling water, the
sunset shadows. A strange dull pain fills
her heart and racks her with an agony she
has never before known.
what have 1 done-oh. what have /
done?" she means, and straightway
throws herself down upon the cool, soft
grass and buries her face i'll her hands.
The evening shadows are falling softly
across the woodland as Yolande at last
takes her way home. The leaves rustic
overhead the birds songs are silent.
through the interstices of the closely WOW
len boughs the sky looks darkly down,
ioyershadowed by heavy clouds, the por-
ltents of a storm. A low heavy roll of
distant thunder comes pealing across the
stiffness. Yolande starts and shivers as
she hears it, and hurries on with quicker
steps.
\ tongue of lightning suddenly leaps
from the black heavy clouds and plays in
ighastly brilliance over the dark water at
ther feet. Involuntarily she starts back.
lat the same moment the boughs part on
the opposite side Of the pool, and face
hooks at her through the screen of leaves
the same awful face, with wild eyes
land unkempt locks that once before met
her terrified gaze in the turret of the
truined castle.
Flying in headlong speed she comes full
itilt against the figure of a man advancing
TO meet her. Recoiling, she cried aloud.
Her nerves are all unstrung, her face is
white. her eyes are wild.
sYolande.'
"Oh, Lance, dear Lance" she cries. as
she clings like a frightened child to his
strong young arm, save me, fer heavens
sake! 1t is coming-1 know it isr'
"What is coming?" he exclaims in be-
swilderment. looking from the girls terri
fed face to the path UP which she points.
THAT thing-that FACET she cries, hid
hng her eyes on his shoulder. and shudder-
hng from head to foot.
Poor child. poor Yolander' he says,
pityinsly. There is nothing to brighten
you now"