Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-06-21
BERTHA. N. CLAY.
CHAPTER xxx.
The Dinner-Party.

Ethel had felt profound pity for the
duke; his handsome face had grown
white and haggard as ne listened to
the words which told him his fate.
viii you answer one question:" he
said. IF walt for years, if / try all
that man can try, will it be of any
use?"
mo" she replied, gravely. 81 have
been frank with you. You have my
esteem, my friendly liking, but l can
never give you more"
Never" he repeated. Gin all timer
mo" said Ethel. THE best thing
you can do Is to forget me-"
Il shall never forget YOU" he cried
bitterly.
She realized what love meant when
she looked on his face and saw the bit
ter grief there. That was love--the
| terrible, earnest passion that had such
power over the human heart. She had
never felt anything like that.
Once for a few minutes she had be-
come uncomfortable because Laurie
Nugent looked grieved. The feeling
was soon over; she hardly remember
ed it! but she owned to herself that If
at any time he had said he must leave
St. Ina's, she would not have felt one
1.-THE of the regret and pain that filed
the heart of the Duke of Southmead.
On, blind and foolish, TO have mis-
taken that fleetlng fancy for love! Oh,
HIND nd Foolish tA q.
man like Laurie Nugent could ever
win love from her!
For the first time, too, a great fear
came over her. She had never loved
Laurie Nugent. She had mistaken
fancy for Affection she had taken the
shadow for the substance. What if
time should come when she should
meet with any one whom she could
love, any one to whom her soul should
be drawn by that irresistible force
men called love?
II must be on my guard" she
thought; that is a danger l had al
most overlooked. / must be on my
guard. II | find that am likely to
love any one, must never see him
again."
SO she, In her earnest simplicity,
planned and arranged. She did not
wish to increase her sin. 1t was bad
enough; 1t must not be made worse by
any complications. She had done all
that lay In her power to prevent the
young duke from falling In love with
her. and she could not accuse herself
of having sought to attract attention.
In her half-chlldlike, half-womanly
wisdom, she arranged with herself
taat, If ever she should find herself in
danger of liking any man. she would
instantly renounee his acquaintance.
1t was strange that she never looked
forward; that no hope Of relief ever
occurred to her. She never thought
to herself that perhaps death might
prove her friend. that Laurie Nugent
might die. That the chains that she
wore were to bind her forever. No
hope of laying them down crossed her
mind.
Lord st. Norman gave a grand din
ner-party, and one of the guests whom
he invited was Sir Oscar Charlotte.
Il hope Ethel will like him." he
said to his Wife II think Oscar Charl-
cote the finest fellow in England"
Better than the Duke OF South
mead?' interrupted Helen. demurely.
My dearest Helen" rejoined Lord
st. Norman, laughing without wish
ing to be disrespectful to either gentle
man, may say that there is as great
a difference between them as between
a noble retriever and spaniel"
Sir Oscar being the retrlever?'
said Helen.
Precisely so. / begin to think,
Helen, that with all her pride, Ethel |
has a great fund of romance. Since |
she refused the Duke of Southmead | |
have come to this conclusion, that she |
viii most probably fall In love with
some artist or poet: and | should not
like that. IL she must have hero, |
she could not find a more noble one
than Sir Oscar, suppose had bet
Ter not say so 20 her"
Certainly not" decided Helen,
quietly. Let her have her own way
entirely There is something OF the |
grand ana heroic in Ethers character |
When she does fall in love, it Will be |
with some one like herself"
There is one thing you can do" !
suggested Lord St, Norman. she al /
ways looks beautiful. yet 1t seems to
me she is Indifferent about dress. You
might Superintend her toilet. and see |
that she looks her best tonight"
Lady ST. Norman promised. but she |
kept her promise without any CLEAN
Of hope in t. She had been more pug
lleG than any one by Ethers rejec- |
ton OF the young duke. She came to
the conclusion that. young as she !
was. Ethel in all probability had
formed resolution never to marry.
she has all the Gordon pride"
thought Lady st. Norman, "and. II
she has made such a resolution. she !