Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-06-11
Continued.


time she has made a mistake!" cried
Gertrude. "And some day she will
acknowledge it. [ wish I had been
grown up when the trouble came.
would never have left the place. l
would have employed the cleverest de-
tectives in England and France"
my dearest Gertrude" said Dol
ores, "there was not stone left I'M
turned. My father and Lord Rhys-
worth did everything that could be
done"
81 am not reproaching you, dear
est" returned Gertrude "You would
have worked harder and longer II
it had not been for that false, treach-
erous letter which made you abandon
your efforts in search of the truth
when they were most needed"
But the girl began to see that not
even her firm faith in her father
could influence her mother She was
startled, but still unconvinced. Cert
rude read that in her mothers face. 1t
only strengthened the resolve that
had changed her from child into
woman.
Let me keep the portrait, NAM
ma she said, ''for a short time. Will
YOU? If ever the dream and nope OF
nv life are realized, I will give 1t
back to you framed in diamonds One
look at the pictured face will give me
strength to do anything and every
thing"
So. far into the night, they sat talk
ing of the same mystery which SIX
teen years before had thrilled all
England. Gertrude, although full OF
hope and faith, had no satisfactory
answer when Dolores asked
"Where can he be? If he did not
go away with her-at her request
where can he be? All, Gertrude, who
shall answer my questions"
"T will. mamma. Some time or other
before I die will answer it without
fail"
Then Gertrude kissed her mother
and said they must all go to rest.
"Have you decided, mammal" she
asked. "Shall you see Lady Fielden
tomorrow"
eyes. I think so. She was very kind
to me, and l liked her very much;
cannot refuse to see her. And yet II
will be a terrible trial to me.
"You must not look at it in that
way mamma. You must believe that
the hand of Heaven has sent Lady
Fielden hither, and that perhaps
through her coming my fathers in
.nocence may be established"
So the girls and their mother part
ed, but not to sleep. Dolores was TOO
excited. She trembled at the idea OF
seeing her friend again. She knew the
rush of pain, the bitter, burning mem
sories that would come over her at
the sight of the well-remembered lace.
Years before when the blow had just
fallen on her, she had met it on her
knees, praying for health ana
strength. SO she prayed now
Heaven had taken pity on her, and
would do so again. AS for Gertrude,
with flushed face and burning eyes
she paced UP and down her room,
talking vehemently to Kathleen. Once
she threw her bare, white arms
round Kathleen's neck.
"To think she cried, chat after
all we are only half-sisters! How
strange it seems!"
''But we shall love each other just
the same" returned Kathleen. 1T
will make no difference. We are both
mammals children, you know; and,
Gertrude, when I was little l loved
your father very much indeed.
can remember him quite we'll, so that
YOU must love me even more on that
account"
81 do not think could love you bet
ter" said Gertrude; and then she
talked of her father, and of what she
intended to do.
81 thought only last week, Kathleen,
how pleased 1 should be when we
went to more balls and parties, and
saw more of life; and when l saw that
handsome young Englishman today
in the Pitt palace, | pictured to my
self how pleasant it would be to have
such a lover-so young and hand
some. Did you see his eyes, Kathie?
But now I shall never give thought
to anything of the kind again. | feel
as though one single night had
changed me from girl to a woman,
with a great wrong to set right"
'But, Gertrude, you are not serious?
You do not mean that you will give
your life to clear up mystery which
has puzzled older and wiser heads
than yours?"
@My dear, 1 will, I shall live for it.
I have only the instructive love that I
suppose every child has. think
nay I am quite sure-that love your
father best But, Gertie, darling, do
not fix all your hopes on fathoming
this mystery. Depend upon it, mamma
knows best. 1t would be pity to
spoil your life. Remember, three
have been ruined already; do not add
yours to the number. What strange
story icf boun 1ivnd hero