Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-12-07

1argOn or the O0cCrine " - -
unknown alphabet, but wheSss - peyes
look into the purple depths 6f her rivaps
with divining light. T think that you
know! You ask me il have no faith
in my husband. have had all faith in
him. have never loved anyone else,
and know nothing Of men save as know
them by him. Yet know this, for the
bitter knowledge has been forced upon
me, that there are few men who could
be utter proof against such face as
yours-against such woman as you are,
if you will that they shall care for you,
and throw your dangerous influences over
them. I do not quite believe that all
would be equally weak or equally tempt
ed: but there could not be one who
would not feel yclr spell, and Lord En-
nisford is weak-that is to say, he is not
immaculate"
s'You flatter me-" Lady Aylmer says,
with a good deal Of mock modesty. "And
now, Lady Ennisford, you must listen
to me in my turn, and let me tell you
few unwholesome truths. Don't make
me wholly responsible for your husbands
flirting propensities; it will be unjust. Ii
I had never been born, it is impossible
that you could have held in absolute
loyalty a man like Lord Ennisford. You
are too true. II you want to keep
mans love, never by any chance tell him
the truth. He will not bear it; no man
bears the truth, il it is unpleasant, and
the naked TRUTH as people call it, Is
almost always hideous. A man may put
up with the truth from another man,
but never from woman; that is, not
if he loves her, or desires to stand we'll
in her opinion. The moment she dares
to become his judge, his critic, she ere
ates in him GOODNESS, if not Indifference,
to herself. The key to the entire arch
of a mans. love is fattery; soothe his
self-love, and you will always be charm
ing to him. Hint that he has a fault,
and he will run away from you. Now,
| am quite sure, Lady Ennisford. that
you have never been angry with your
husband without showing it, even if you
did not speak word"
No answer, but in the pure limpid eyes
-sorrowful, regretful eyes-she reads
that it is true bill.
.'It would not have gone so hard with
you, if you had but known how to man
age him, but see you lack fnesse!"
And as Lady Ennisford listens; she
feels the indignant blood surging up to
her face at the impertinent personalities
she has subjected herself to. Why did
she come? she wonders. She might have
known it was almost impossible to look
at the face, exquisite as it was, and not
to know that the soul was hard in def
ance, insolent in evil, and wanting in
womanhood.
"You are too devoted to him! You don't
give him a scrap of stimulus in loving
you, you made him sure from the be-
ginning that your devotion was absolute,
and as endless-pardon meas it is mar
row. Well, we two shall never come
nearer one another if we talk on for
ever" Lady Aylmer says, fippantly,
for the little French clock, surmounted
by Venus and Cupid, strikes Z, and she
remembers that she has to make tot
lette for the theater to which Lord I'm
nisford will attend her. "We do not
stand on the same plane, or see anything
from the same angle of vision; what Is
symmetrical to one is distorted to the
other. / don't believe / could ever like
you! for you do so disturb my good opin-
ion Of myself, and that is not pleasant.
But / respect you, for your goodness and
your devotion as a wife, thing which,
in these days, one sees only in blue
moon, you know. But though [ should
be sorry to hurry you away, | confess it
makes me very uncomfortable to have
you dropping your divining rod into me
like this. prefer to hold it in my own
hands and to sound other peoples depths;
so, as | cannot do much for you, for you
alone possess the power of making Lord
Ennisford a good boy again, loving and
loyal and very penitent, I think it would
be best, perhaps, if we did not discuss
the subject any more"
Just for one second Lady Ennisford
looks straight into her eyes, then she
turns away her keen regard, for she
! knows she has failed, miserably, ignobly
failed; that her standardization has gone
for nought, and her whole honest, low
ing' heart has been laid bare, only to be
laughed at and mercilessly trampled on ;
so, without another word, she puts down
her veil and moves toward the door.
What darling! what a cherub."
cries Lady Aylmer, with a bold, loud
laugh; "you are the miniature of your
father, little one, and as beautiful as an
angel"
Upon this Lady Ennisford puts out
trembling hand, and almost wrenches her
child out of the others grasp, with
| curious expression Of fear and even hor-
ror on her face, then she goes quickly
out Of the bijou house that seems to
suffocate her, with the light, hooking
| laughter shifting her like a blow.
Ito be continued)
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Smoking Before Tobacco.