Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-04-02


this fashion but that I see so plainly
there will be nothing but mistakes I'M
| less we understand each other. Be-
lieve me, I have had no other love but
you, and never shall have. 1t may be
an unhappy love-I cannot tell, but It
will be the only one of my life.
went away because I could not bear to
see you the wife of another man
have come back, knowing that you
were free, to tell you that I will try
yet, Dolores! I have too much respect
| for this" and he too touched the
black crepe gently. 81 shall be near
you to befriend you; but I will not OBJ
trude my love on you until l have
paid all the respect that even you
could desire me to pay to the memory
of your husband. I say this, he went
on Eat an inopportune time; but I
speak because l am afraid of misun-
derstandings. You are not angry with
me, Dolores?'
mo Why should I be?' she re-
piled 'iSince you have spoken frankly
to me, will do the same to you. Are
you sure in saying this you knew your
own mind?"
I'm what way?" he asked, wonder
ingly.
Il do not wish to speak of myself or
of-love," answered Lady Rhysworth.
/ +o no hot 1~v,
your own mind You imagine that yon
like me better than any one else; are
you certain of it,"
Quite" he answered earnestly. 81
could not be more certain. know my
own heart if any one ever did, and
have suffered most grievously from the
knowledge. I understand it perfectly,
Dolores. Would to Heaven I had un-
derstood it years ago! You think that
I have hesitated between you and Lola
de Ferras? I will tell you the plain
truth. When you were both compare
tive strangers to me, / did hesitate aus
to which was the more beautiful of the
two, and which / liked the best-even
as you, knowing two men of different
type, might wonder which you pre-
ferred; but, when | came to know my
own heart and understood myself, I
found that / loved you with the love
that comes only once in . lifetime
Before had time to tell you so, how
lever, l heard that you were engaged
Ito Lord Rhysworth; then it was too
late. Dolores let there be no more
mistakes; no more playing at cross
purposes. Believe, me l love no other
woman but you"
The time was not far distant when
every word of this interview was tc
come back to her with sharpest pain,
when she remembered how earnestly
each word was spoken; how the very
ring of sincerity and truth was in his
voice.
81 know he said, "of whom you are
thinking. It is Lola de Ferras. You
believe that / am hesitating between
you, my beautiful queen, and her.
Lola is nothing to me but pleasant
friend
Lady Rhysworth thought of the en-
phasis Lola had laid ON the word
mine" and felt puzzled.
IL am almost ashamed to speak as
I do he continued, "but in such case
as this there is something like frank
ness; even that friendship was more Of
her seeking than my giving. She is
very beautiful and accomplished; she
is clever beyond the generality of wo-
men; have spent some pleasant hours
with her; but she is the very last per-
son in the world I should ever fall in
love with or marry. Now promise me,
Dolores, that there shall never, dur
ling the whole course of our lives, be
any further misunderstanding between
us concerning Lola
She promised; and in after years
she remembered that promise in an
agony Of grief that was inexpressible
1T is true / went to BeauIieu last
evening" he said; ''but my heart was
with you all the time. Dolores, I have
promised out of respect to your dead
husband and your own sorrow, not to
intrude my love on you. have waited
fifteen months before would return at
all. | will wait three months longer
before I try to persuade you to share
your life with me- will leave the fu-
ture entirely in your hands. IF you
wish me to wait for one year or two,
will do so to please you; but promise
me that during that time may come
over to see you or write to you My ex-
lie has been hard enough, and it was
the harder because it seemed to be
without hope. And now he added, in
a lighter tone, ''let me see your little
girl. I have brought some wonderful
dolls for her
To Be Continued
DIES IN ROME.