Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-10-29
CHAPTER x.

CHAPTER X.
~ Will Be True To You Until Death
81 am not surprised" said Violet, as
the door closed after the squire
Captain Ayrton is not quite the kind
of man I should care to have always
at my house."
Sybil had been silent under the
squire's structures; she was too much
surprised for words; but she turned
round now with the courage of a
young lioness brought to bay.
"Why not?" she asked, with flash
ing eyes. Captain Ayrton is soldier
and a hero. Lady Marche invites him
to her house; why should he not visit
ours?'
"He is soldier, grant it,, replied
Violet, and poor Sybil hated her for
her smile; "but never heard of his
being a hero. Lady Marche is not too
particular whom she asks to Ling.
Captain Ayrton is great fiirt; that
is the real reason no men like him
and no women trust his word"
81 do not believe it," she cried; "you
are unjust, Violet, as papa is. Captain
Ayrton is no more firt than you
are"
There is no need to defend him SO
warmly" said Miss Ruthers. with eX
asperating GOODNESS. Gle is very well
able to take care of himself-no one
more so.''
eff I answer we shall quarrel, Vic
let," cried Sybil. Il will leave you
It is very easy to speak i'll of one who
is not here to defend himself"
Then she walked out of the room
with the air of an injured queen.
Violet Ruthers turned to Irene, and
the ladies looked anxiously at each
other
+ "You will have trouble there" said
Violet. Captain Ayrton generally
behind him.
IT think we have all been blinded,
said the elder sister, with a deep sigh
She, too, had a foreboding of coming
sorrow upon her.
Meanwhile Sybil had gone out into
the garden, her heart hot and heavy
with anger, and a dull, wandering pair
throbbing in her bosom.
She hardly realized, even to her
self, what had happened. She had
risen that morning, the music in her
heart rising to her lips; the happiness
that filled her whole soul shining in
her countenance; she had risen to find
the world fair and bright. Suddenly
all was changed to discord, the happ1-
ness to sharpest pain.
He f1irt? Could they say it? Had
those beseeching eyes ever looked
/ into another woman's face as they had
done into hers? A thousand times no!
How could they misjudge him?
Of course, women liked him-who
could help it? Was any other man
half so graceful, so gay, or so gallant
No one could listen to his voice un-
moved; and was he to blame because
nature had so richly lowered him, and
women loved him for it?
Did they-did any one think he had
ever clasped alother hand as he had
| held hers? She longed to do battle
against the whole world for him-she
longed to proclaim that she believed
him the truest and noblest of men.
| She could not forgive her father
For the first time in her life her heart
was heavy against him. That he
should forbid the young soldier his
house-that yesterday he shook his
hand, invited him to his table, and to-
day closed his doors against him seem.
ed monstrous.
She did not know what the squire
had seen; and the seeming glare of in
justice struck her forcibly.
She wandered through the gardens,
out to the pretty little shrubbery, on
to the Glynn Woods-not weeping
she was too proudly indignant-too
angry for tears; her heart was on fire
with love and the sense of injustice.
The cool summer air Gained her
She sat down under the shade Of the
great trees, and while the birds sung
thought of all over again-of all thai
i had passed since she had met hin
over the roses. Great heavens! il
was not month; yet she seemed tt
have lived a long and unutterably
happy life since then. Every word
every CLEAN of his dreamy eyes, every
look of his face was burned in on hel
heart, never to be forgotten until hel
idol was broken, and her love betray
ed.
i ooh, my love. my love-" cried the
inthralled Sybil: edo they think