Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-08-20

town. he asked to change the subject
Eyes; will you come to go With
me?"
II am sorry, but cannot, as have
an engagement at that hour. | VIII
send our friend to escort you, ana !
will Join you before the concert is
over
Again she felt that thrill of pain
through all her being.
"'Our friend!'' she repeated. Yes,
I suppose your friends should be mine
also; but, frankly, Richard, | do not
like this Mr.-Cheetham. The name
itself is sufficient to repel any one
'Not like ADDISON, Pearle!! What
can you be thinking Of? He is the soul
of goodness, and would snare his last
crust with me. know has name mas
not the pleasantest sound in the world;
but what's in a Manner" he asked,
| with a laugh.
81 do not like to speak desparag1ngly
of your friend, Richard, but you know
have no secrets from you, and L
| believe this man is untrue to you.
There is something insincere and
sinister about his eyes when they rest
upon you and you do not observe him.
l wish he would go away. There is a
feeling Of restraint and embarrassment
upon me continually when in his
presence the young girl replied, in a
troubled tone.
"My peerless Pearle, what has come
over you to make you so suspicious?
returned the young man, in g1ieved
surprise. ADDISON Cheetham was my
most intimate friend during all my
school life; and although he is some
years older than |, yet / have been
! from the first day of our acquaintance
his chosen associate. Had I a lesson
unusually difficult. he was never too
busy to explain it to me, even though
he was pressed for time by the harder
studies of an advanced form. If | got
/ into trouble, he was always the one
who help me out of it. He helped me
| to my position and commission in the
army through the influence of a friend.
| He has been interested in all that has
| interested me, and was first and fore
most in his congratulations when
notified of our engagement and ap-
| preaching marriage. Really, Pearle, I
am exceedingly disappointed that you
do not like him"
"Have you ever done anything to
offend him?" Pearle asked, without
appearing to heed his last words.
mo; we never clashed in any way,
excepting once"
''Ah! once. Tell me about it," his
! betrothed interrupted, with a slight
| stars.
"You know that at college," he
began, eve have prizes and degrees
awarded at the end of every term for
| scholarship and the excellence of our
theses. [ was very ambitious during
my first year at school. l improved
my time to the utmost, and at the
beginning of my second year | was
advanced a whole form, in which there
were lads much older than ADDISON
among them This so elated me that |
secretly resolved to try for the prize
offered for the best theme at the end OF
the new year, which was to be in verse.
I won it, and Ad was most bitterly dis
appointed. He had heretofore stood at
the head Of the class, and felt
reasonably sure of it, and did not
dream that was putting forth every
effort as a competitor as it was only my
first year in that form; but poetry
always came naturally to me, and on
the last day of the term, when my
name was read as the victor, the fact
seemed to smite him like thunderbolt
He was fearfully angry at first, but his
friendship conquered, and he finally
turned it off with a laugh, saying
Never mind; we'll make this thing
even some time He thinks you are
perfect" Richard added, drawing his
arm closer around her, "and only today
said, in laughing way, that he was
more than half tempted to try and win
my charming bride away from me-
''Did he say that? Did ADDISON
Cheetham dare say that?" demanded
Pearle Radcliffe with naughty uplift-
ing Of her proud head, while her eyes
burned, and her tones trembling with
| indignation.
| Her lover laughed softly.
"Spare your wrath, my darling" he
said; "he was only testing. OF course
he we'll knows that neither he nor any
other living man can win my love from
me. Only his admiration for you led
him into that extravangant form OF
speech
Pearle shuddered.
81 am afraid of him." she whispered,
nesting closer within the strong arm
that held her, and longing to tell him
something she dared not
81 am extremely sorry, dear, that you
have conceived this dislike for him, >
Richard Byrnholm said, with deep re-
gret; ''but for my sake, try and conceal
your feelings 1t will only be for few
days, and then we shall have nothing
to mar our happiness"
II will try, Richard. Forgive me if
have wounded you; but the feeling has
been so strong upon me that I could not
control it," the fair girl said, repenting
| Of what she had told him as she saw