Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-03-15
CHAPTER XVII.

The season was well nigh over, ana all
the scandal had run dry, and gossip. for
the most part, been proved to be incor-
rect, and there was nobody in all Lon
don who excited so much irritation among
the takers as the new beauty, Vera
Nevill.
For Vera was Miss Nevill still, and
there was every prospect of her remain
ing so. What on earth possessed the girl
that she would not marry? Had not men
dangled at her elbow all the season?
Could she not have had such and such
elder sons, or such and such wealthy
commoner? What was she waiting for?
A girl without penny, who. came no.
body knew from where, ushered in un-
der Mrs. Hazeldine's wings, with not a
decent connection in the world to her
name! What did she want-this girl
who had only her beauty to depend upon?
and everybody knows how feeting that
isl
And then, presently, the women who
! were envious of her began to whisper
among themselves. There was some
thing against her; she was not what she
seemed to be. The men firted, of course
men will always hirt! but they were
| careful not to commit themselves! And
even that mysterious word adventures =
which has an ugly sound, but Of which
no one exactly knows the precise mean
ing, began to be bruited about.
''Do you suppose that will come to any
thing?' casting a glance toward the fur
ther end ofsthe lawn, where Vera Nevill
sat in low basket chair, under the
| shadow Of a spreading tulip tree, while
slight, boyish figure, stretched at her
feet, alternately chewed blades of grass
and looked up worshipingly into her face.
"Thatv' following the direction of her
companions eyes. "Oh, dear, no. Denis
Wilde is too wideawake to be caught,
though he is such boy!''
HE seems to admire her.
ooh, yes, / dare say; those large kind
of women do get admired; men look upon
them as fine animals. / should not care
to be admired in that way, would you?"
"No, indeed: 1t is disgusting" replied
the other, who was fain to conceal the
bony corners of her angular figure with
"a multiplicity of lace ruchings and puff
ings.
Meanwhile the object of all this ami
madversion sat TRANQUILITY unconscious I'M
der her tulip tree, while Denis Wilde was
engaged in proposing to her for the
fourth time.
II thought we had settled this subject
| long ago, Mr.. Wilde" says Vera, tran
GULLY unfolding her large, black, feather
fan.
1T will never be settled for me, Vera;
never, so long as you are unmarried"
''What a dreadful mistake life ISL
signs Vera, YEARLY, more to herself than
| to the boy at her feet. Was anybody
ever happy in this world? she began to
| wonder.
81 know very WELL" resumed Denis
Wilde, that am not good enough for
| you; but, then, who is?
Young Wilde plucked at the grass and
chewed a daisy up almost yiciously.
Lucien d'Arblet came toward them,
smiling. and sank down into a vacant bas-
kef chair by her side with the air of a
man who knows himself to be welcome.
He had been paying a great deal of at
| tention latterly to the beautiful Miss
| Neyill; he had followed her about every
where, and had made it patent in every
public place where he had met her that
She alone was the sole aim and object of
| his thought. She was clever and beauti-
full. and he admired and even liked her,
| but in the beginning of their acquaint-
ance Nj. d'Arblet had had no thought of
making her the object of any sentimental
attentions.
Vera was shrewd enough to perceive
that he was only playing part. Never
theless, there were times when she felt
SO completely puzzled by his persistent