Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-11-13
A MID LOVE
BERTHA M. CLAY.


dream of heaven-the lovely, laugh
ing river, the ripping foliage, the gor-
geous trees, the quaint old hosiery,
the hundreds of blooming fOwers-the
golden sunlight pouring over all.
Sorrow, care and death might come
tomorrow, when the sky was gray
and the water dull; but not to-day.
Oh, lovely, happy to-day. Beautiful
sun and balmy wind, blooming flowers
and singing birds. Lord Chandos
made comfortable seat for Leone on
the river bank, and sat down by her
side They did not remember that
they had been welded lovers, or that
a tragedy lay between them; they did
not talk of love or of sorrow, but they
gave themselves up to the happiness
of the hour, to the warm, golden sun
shine, to the thousand beauties that
lay around them. They watched a
pretty pleasure drifting slowly
along the river. It was we'll filled with
what Lord Chandos surmised to be a
picnic party, and somewhat to his dis
may the whole party landed near the
spot where he, with Leone, was sit
ting. ''I hope" he thought to himself
chat there is no one among them
who knows mel should not like it,
for Leone's sake"
The thought had hardly shaped it.
self in his mind, when some one
touched his arm. Turning hastily he
saw Captain Harry Blake, one of his
friends, who cried out in establishment
at seeing him there, and then looked
in still greater establishment at the
beautiful face of Madame Vanira.
"Lady Evelyn is on board the Water
Witch" he said. "Will you come and
speak to herr"
The handsome face of Lord Lans
Wells son darkened.
mo-" he replied, "pray excuse me
Harry, say nothing of my being here.
I rowed down this morning. There is
no need for every one in London to
hear of it before night"
Captain Harry Blake laughed. Al
the sound of that laugh Lord Chandos
felt the greatest impulse to knock him
IL.
eyes flashed fire. Leone had not heard
a word, and had persistently turned
her face from the intruder, quite for
getting that in doing so she was Wis
ible to every one on the boat. Lady
Evelyn Blake was the first to see her,
and she knew just enough of life to
make no comment. When her hus
band returned she said to him care
lessly:
"That was Madame Vanira with
Lord Chandos, I am sure"
''You had better bring stronger
glasses or clearer eyes with you the
next time you come" he replied,
laughingly, and then Lady Evelyn
knew that she was quite right in her
suspicious. 1t was only a jest to her
and she thought nothing of it. That
same evening when Lady Ilfeld, who
was one Of Lady Marion's dearest
friends, spoke of Stoneland House,
Lady Evelyn told the incident as
grand jest. Lady Ildeld looked earn
estly at her.
do you really mean that you saw
Lord Chandos with Madame Vanira at
Ousely?" she asked. "Alone, without
his wife?"
eyes," laughed Lady Evelyn, "a
stolen expedition, evidently. He looked
Mortified when Captain Blake spoke to
him"
do not like it," said Lady Il1eld,
who was one of the old school, and did
not understand the science Of modern
of Lord Chandos than has pleased me,
and I like his wife,
This simple conversation was the
beginning of the end-the beginning
of one of the saddest tragedies on
which the sun ever shown.
81 am sorry that he saw me, said
Lord Chandos, as the captain waved
his final adieu; ''but he did not see
your face, Leone, did hep"
NO." she replied, 81 think not"
cit does not matter about me-" he
said, "but I should not like to have any
one recognize you
He forgot the incident soon after.
When the boat was again on the
bright, dancing river, then they forgot
the world and everything else except
that they were together.
Lance" said Leone, crow close to
those water-l lilies. I should like to
gather one"
Obediently enough he went quite
close to the white water-lilies, and
placed the oars at the bottom of the
boat, while he gathered the lilies for
her. 1t was more like poem than
a reality; a golden sun, blue, shining
river, the boat among the water-lilies,
the beautiful regal woman, her glor-
ious face bent over the water, her
white hands throwing the drops Of
spray over the green leaves.
1t was the prettiest picture ever seen.
Lord Chandos filled the boat with
flowers; he heaped the pretty white