Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-09-03

her naughty face one sheet of vivid
scarlet.
"Ah!" he said, deprecatingly, and
making gesture of regret; L am
making more of a middle. Pray let
us change the subject, before I offend
you more deeply"
"No!" Pearle cried, all her indigna
ton concentrated in the one word.
"You evidently have had some motive
in saying this much; you are trying to
make ne dissatisfied with and sus-
picious of the man who is almost my
husband-you, who pretend to be
noble mans friend"
"Pretend!' Mr.. Cheetham repeated,
in grieved surprise, and with sorrow
fully arching eyebrows.
eyes, pretend. Had you been true
and honorable, you would never have
inflicted this sting upon me. You
are seeking to undermine my conf
dence in one Of the noblest men who
walks the earth-to poison my mind
against him. But you cannot do 1t,
and you are but a pretender to the
friendship you claim to have for Rich
ard Byrnholm; for no sincere friend
would accept his hospitality and then
betray his trust, as you have done to-
day."
The scorn and loathing which the
fair girls words and manner betrayed
were very hard for ADDISON Cheetham
to bear patiently; but he had not ex-
pected that his conquest would be an
easy one, and if any amount of for
bearance would accomplish the result
he desired, he could we'll afford to ex-
ercise it.
"Ah! how exceedingly unfortunate [
am! crave your pardon for the
thoughtless words I have spoken.
Miss Radcliffe, say that you forgive
me-" he returned, so respectfully and
humbIy that for moment Pearle was
1isarmed
She glanced at him uneasily.
Was it possible that Richard had
been wild and indiscreet while at
school, and had done something which
he would be glad to have concealed?
Hadsh been oohasty nj herjudgment
Of the man standing apparently SO
crest-fallen by her side? Was he,
after all, true friend to Richard, but
out of a sincere regret for the past and
a regard for her had been betrayed
into giving Involuntary expression to
it?
These questions dashed through her
mind all in a moment, and she began
to regret her imperious words. Her
reason told her that she had been
hasty, but in her heart she did not
trust him one whit the more.
He saw her face soften into some
thing like penitence; he noticed her
indecision and understood her
thoughts, and he caught eagerly at
these signs.
Patience" he said to himself; II
shall yet win
Pearle started to walk on her brow
overcast and troubled, and he kept by
her side, that respectful, humbled look
still shadoWing his face.
''Have I your forgiveness" he asked
again, in low, appealing tone, after
in awkward silence.
81 have no wish to be unjust to any
one," she replied, evasively
His eyes lighted. The tone was
somewhat re-assuring, if the words
were not
"You cannot pardon me; [ have in
Cured your deep uispleasure, when
would-Margaret Radcliffe, I would
die to win your favor!" he cried, his
voice actually growing hoarse with
the passion that suddenly mastered
him.
She stopped still in the path where
they were walking and looked at him
for a moment, speechless with aston
tshment.
That one look was sufficient to make
her comprehend his meaning. He had
dared to love her! That was why he
had been trying to weaken her con-
fidence in the man she loved.
An angry flush again mounted to her
brow, and then faded out into death
ly pallor. Her little hands opened and
closed almost spasmodicailly while
her breath became labored and heavy.
''You call yourself Richard Byrn-
holm's friend, and dare to utter such
words to me! I refuse to listen to you
further, Mr. Cheet-em.'
She could not help 1.-THE name
would come out with just that in
Fiction He was a fraud and she had
instinctively known it from the very
first moment Of her acquaintance with
him.
AS she spoke, she had turned abrupt
ly from him and began to walk on
again.
For moment he stood looking after
her, a lurid, dangerous light in his
reddish-brown eyes. His name had
always been a source of modification
to him. Time and again he had tried
to institute a change, calling it Cheeth-
am; but some way it would never stay
changed, and gradually degeneratet
into the old obnoxious pronunciation
very much as Pearle had uttered it
although not quite so marked in &C