Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-03-08
Continued.

then Laurie Nugent who had braved
more dangers than most men, stood
quite at loss what to say next. He
had imagined himself alone with her
a thousand times, and in his fancy he
was always pouring out floods of elo-
quent words, she listening with droop-
ing eyes and flushed face. Now the
reality for which he had longed was
his, and he stood before her in silence,
the words trembling on his lips, his
heart beating with an unknown fear,
a strange awe upon him, for her
beauty had completely overpowered
him, and had left him unable to speak.
She was the first to recover herself.
1t was new to her to see a tall hand
some man disconnected by her. She
raised her frank, proud eyes to his
face. and then he saw the traces Of Bit
ter tears.
Miss Gordon" he cried, hastily,
you have had bad news, | am afraid.
You have been grieving over something
in your letter"
His voice, so full of sympathy,
seemed to touch her. A sudden i'm
pulse of confidence in this stranger
seized her.
You are right" she said. 81 have
been longing for the letter, and now
that 1t has come. l am disappointed.
der lips quivered, and the strong eff
fort she was making to control herself
drove the color from her face. He sat
down by her side The sight of that
beautiful pale face seemed to give him
courage.
How ! wish that / were not a
stranger" he said that | might be
able to help you-'to say something
that might console you"
Il am ashamed of myself" confessed
Ethel. most bitterly ashamed; but my
disappointment has been great"
Let me try to help you to forget ii"
he said. This beautiful world is smil-
ing all around us: there is bright
sky above; let us enjoy them for a
time, and forget trouble"
With firm, gentle touch, which she
made no attempt to resist, he took the
closely written sheets from her, folded
them carefully, and then gave them
back to her.
Place the cause of annoyance out OF
sight, Miss Gordon. and you will forget
1t; that is true philosophy, and the
proper method of managing all things
disagreeable.
His peremptory manner rather
pleased her than otherwise: she looked
up at him with frank. fearless smile
DO you think So Mr.. Nugent dc
not quite agree with you. | should
bring all disagreeable things to the
front, look them boldly in the face dc
brave battle with them, and vanquish
them one by one-that seems to me
truer philosophy than yours"
1t was so, and the remark showed
as plainly as words could show, the
difference between speaker and lis
tener
Il will learn any kind of philosophy
you may choose to teach me. Miss
Gordon" returned Laurie Nugent;
you shall find me the most obedient OF
scholars. | would believe all you told
me, do all you bade me. think as you
thought, speak as you spoke. in hope
of but one reward"
What might that reward be?" she
asked, smiling
"One kind look from you. and one
kind word-all earth could give me no
greater reward than that"
1t was pleasant to sit there and hear
such kind words; it was pleasant to
read the admiration so plainly revealed
in those dark eyes II was the first
CLEAN of happiness Ethel had known
since Sir Leonard first impaired to her
the fact of his intended marriage
The whole scene was so fair that IL
lived in her memory long after years of
suffering had blotted out other pic
lures. Ethel-proud, frank. beautiful
Ethel sat drinking in the first deep,
luscious draught of the cup that was
to prove but deadly poison. For the
first fine in her young life she listened
70 the unmeasured words of flattering
love. and they did not displease her.
laurie Nugelt was a clever man,
quick of comprehension; he had the
gift of understanding character. and of
adapting himself to the people into
whose midst he was thrown. He mis-
used the gift terribly, even fatally; but
he had it, and used il like charm. Al
though he had exchanged but few in
different words with Ethel. he under
stood her perfectly; he did not know
how she came TO be associated with
Miss Digby, or whether they were re-
lated, but he saw plainly enough that
Ethel did not like her, and never felt
at ease with her, He showed his
adroitness when. after talking to her
for some minutes. he asked. with a
curious smile:
Where is Miss Digby this morning?
have not seen her
She is writing letters. replied
Ethel; and the remembrance of the let